Help, I've been scammed! What to do if you're a victim of fraud
Where to find help and how to get your money back
Lost money to a scam or handed over details to someone you suspect is a scammer? It can be an extremely stressful experience, especially if money has been taken out of your account or sent to a fraudster by mistake. We explain the prompt action you can take and why it's important to report a scam.
Want to protect yourself against scams?
Then head over to our 30+ ways to stop scams guide instead.
What to do if you think you've been scammed
Firstly, try to stay calm. Scammers and fraudsters steal hundreds of millions of pounds each year, often using sophisticated methods – so don't beat yourself up for being 'stupid'.
Then, take these steps:
End communication with the scammer. Do this immediately, and don't be tempted to respond to any further calls, emails or text messages – no matter how urgent they sound.
Contact your bank so it can cancel any further payments. Either contact your bank directly or call the 159 hotline (this will connect you with your bank).
Lost money to the scam? If you're in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, create a police report via Report Fraud. If you're in Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101.
Not lost money to the scam? Reporting the scam is still important even if you've not lost money, but where to report depends on whether the scam was a text, email, advertisement, website or phone call. See Report Fraud for more details.
For further help reach out to a specialist organisation. Some of the options are Citizens Advice (England and Wales), Citizens Advice Scotland and NIdirect.
How to tell if you've been scammed
It may not be immediately obvious that you've been scammed, especially if you've not lost any money. If you're not sure, the following should ring alarm bells:
Items you purchased don't arrive (or do but are nothing like the description).
You're unable to withdraw money after 'investing' it.
The company or person you've been engaging with has suddenly gone quiet.
You've been communicating with someone online or via social media who you've never met in person, and they've asked you to send money or help them.
If you're still unsure, Citizens Advice's online scams checker and the Who's Ringing? website can give some helpful pointers as to whether something's a scam.
I've lost money to a scam – can I get it back?
Most scams rely on pressure or urgency to get you to hand over money or details. That means you might feel stressed or upset after engaging with a scammer – especially if you've lost money.
Try and stay calm, so you can think clearly about what to do next. The first step is usually to contact your bank and explain what's happened
Did you make a bank transfer to a scammer?
Where you're tricked into transferring money to a scammer – maybe you thought they were your bank or someone you could trust – it's called 'authorised push payment' (APP) fraud.
If this is you then:
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Rules are in place which mean you should be refunded if you send money to a scammer via UK bank transfer. This includes if the money was transferred from a bank, building society, e-money firm (like a prepaid card provider) or savings provider.
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Your bank should only refuse to refund you if it believes you were 'grossly negligent'. The definition of this isn't always clear cut, but you might fall into this category if you ignored clear, stark warnings from your bank about making the payment (but did it anyway) or you took a major risk – like willingly giving out your full PIN or password.
A simple call to your bank should mean it can take action to fix the problem. Always make sure you use your bank's official telephone number (if you're not sure what this is, you can call 159 which'll connect you with your bank). Some banks let you report scams online.
Here are quick links to some major banks' authorised push payment fraud pages:
HSBC ⏐ NatWest ⏐ Nationwide ⏐ Barclays ⏐ Halifax ⏐ Lloyds ⏐ Monzo
Important. Banks are allowed to charge an excess of up to £100 on an APP refund claim – not all do, while others do on a case-by-case basis. You're less likely to pay it if you took steps to protect yourself, verify who you were dealing with and report the scam promptly.
If you've been charged an excess and think is is unfair then you should make a formal complaint. An excess should never apply if you're vulnerable.
For more on how APP fraud rules work, see our scam refund news story.
What payments are covered by APP refund rules?
Credit and debit card.
Cash and cheque.
Payments to international accounts.
Payments to credit unions, municipal banks and national savings banks.
Where you've been 'grossly negligent'.
Historic payments (made over 13 months ago).
Payments to non-fraudulent accounts.
Cryptocurrency transfers.
Was money taken from your account or card?
Here we're talking about unauthorised transactions and payments. In other words, fraud.
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If your account has been hacked, your card stolen, cloned or used without your knowledge, your bank should in most cases refund you. This may have happened because your identity has been stolen.
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Your bank may refuse to refund you if it thinks you've been 'grossly negligent', but this doesn't mean simply being tricked. It would usually mean doing something banks repeatedly warn you never to do – such as sharing your full PIN or password, or deliberately ignoring clear security warnings.
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For debit cards, you could technically be liable for up to £35 before you report the card lost or stolen – but only in limited circumstances. Once you’ve told the bank, you shouldn't be on the hook for further fraudulent spending.
If you spot an unauthorised transaction from your account, call your bank so it can take action to fix the problem. Always make sure you use your bank's official telephone number (if you're not sure what this is, you can call 159 which'll connect you with your bank). Some banks also let you report fraud online.
Here are quick links to some major banks' fraud pages:
HSBC ⏐ NatWest ⏐ Nationwide ⏐ Barclays ⏐ Halifax ⏐ Lloyds ⏐ Monzo
If you're unhappy with your bank or card provider – perhaps with how it's handled your case or its reason not to refund you – you should make a formal complaint.
Free protection for credit card spending on items over £100
If you pay for something on credit card costing over £100 (and up to £30,000) and it doesn't turn up, or not as expected, you may be able to get a refund via Section 75.
Where you spent £100 or less, or paid with a debit card, you won't be able to use Section 75 but can try reclaiming the money via Chargeback instead.
Both Section 75 and Chargeback can be used to dispute transactions with legitimate retailers as well as scam retailers.
Quick question:
Can I get my money back from a cryptocurrency or investment scam?
Your bank might refund you if you send money via UK bank transfer to an investment or cryptocurrency scammer, so get in touch with your bank if you're in this situation. It'll want to see proof you tried protecting yourself and verifying who you were dealing with, otherwise it might not refund you.
If you sent money via a cryptocurrency exchange, investment platform or sent cryptocurrency itself, then it's less likely your bank will refund you.
As these scams often take different forms, there is no one-size-fits-all answer as to whether you'll get a refund. If you're left unhappy with how your bank has handled your case, you should formally complain to your bank.
I've lost money to identity fraud – can I get it back?
Identity fraud (ID fraud) is where a criminal steals your identity and uses it to apply for credit and services, often meaning you'll get unexpected bills in the post or incorrect entries on your credit file.
If you're the victim of ID fraud, sorting it out can be stressful and time-consuming. At worst, it may leave you out of pocket, facing debt collectors, court action or having problems getting credit in future.
Unfortunately ID fraud is common. In a period of just five years, credit reference agency Experian says it helped prevent nearly £10 billion of fraudulent credit applications.
The steps to take if you're a victim of ID fraud
There are things to do if you think your identity has been stolen. Importantly, by taking action as soon as possible, it might limit the effects:
Contact your bank and stop more unauthorised money leaving your account. Explain what's happened. You may have to contact firms and credit providers too to cancel things taken out or bought in your name.
Change your passwords. This is a priority, as it's likely they've been compromised.
Consider two-step verification. Two-step verification makes it harder for criminals to compromise accounts. You can add two-step verification to the likes of your banking, email and social media accounts. See Gov.uk for how it works and how to add it.
Report what's happened to Report Fraud. Get a crime reference number.
Check your credit report. Do this line by line so you can identify any suspicious activity you've not yet picked up on. See our Check your credit report for free guide.
Dispute any fraudulent activity appearing on your credit file. Contact each of the three credit reference agencies and log a 'dispute' against any instances of fraudulent activity on your credit file. See the Experian, Equifax and TransUnion dispute pages.
It's worth keeping evidence as you go along – screenshots or copies of the fraudulent activity, records of when it occurred, etc. This should make dealing with identity fraud easier.
Where you've lost money to identity fraud, it's possible to get a refund from your bank. Report your suspicions straight away, to avoid losing more money and your refund rights.
You might consider asking CIFAS (the UK's fraud prevention service) to put a protective registration on your credit file too. This means lenders will carry out extra checks if new lines of credit are applied for in your name (which as a consequence can also slow down genuine applications for credit). Protective registration costs £30 for two years.
Dealing with debt collectors
You're not responsible for debts that result from identity fraud. But if an identity thief manages to accrue debts in your name and these aren't dealt with promptly (or you don't realise), this could result in debt collectors turning up at your door.
So if you're contacted about a debt you don't recognise:
Don't ignore it – tell the lender or debt collector immediately that it's fraud.
Ask for the account to be put 'in dispute' while it's investigated.
Request written confirmation that you're not liable.
Check your credit report and flag the entry as fraudulent.
Report the fraud to Report Fraud and get a crime reference number.
If a debt collector turns up at your home, remember that they're not bailiffs and have no automatic right to enter your home. The StepChange website has information about what debt collectors can and can't do and your rights.
Identity fraud in relation to benefits
If you suspect applications for benefits have been made in your name, report it immediately to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). This can be done:
via the National Benefit Fraud Hotline on 0800 854 440 (Mon to Fri, 8am to 6pm).
or online at Gov.uk.
Need more support?
Dealing with identity fraud can be a long and complicated process.
If you need emotional or practical support, charity Victim Support can assist. You can also get support about scams and debt from Citizens Advice.
Quick question:
What are the signs of identity fraud?
Here are a few tell-tale signs of identity fraud:
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Unexplained transactions from your bank account.
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Financial products on your credit report that you don't remember taking out.
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Bank or credit statements don't arrive.
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You're rejected for credit even with a good credit history.
If you're unsure, look through your credit file and do it line by line.
Not happy with bank's response? How to complain
If you think your bank has mishandled a scam – whether that’s refusing a refund, dragging its feet, or blaming you unfairly – you should first complain formally to your bank.
Explain what's happened, in writing if possible (email or secure messaging is fine), and label it as a complaint. Give as many details as you can, such as:
What happened – dates, amounts, who you spoke to.
Why you believe you were the victim of fraud.
Why you think the bank has treated you unfairly (for example, saying you were 'grossly negligent' without a proper explanation).
The outcome you want – usually a full refund plus any interest or charges.
Ask it to explain exactly why it thinks you're liable and what evidence it's relying on. If it claims you were grossly negligent, it needs to justify that properly.
The bank will then have a deadline to issue a 'final response' (this normally needs to be sent within eight weeks). If you're unhappy with its final response – or don't get one within the deadline – you can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service (more below).
Still unhappy? Go to the ombudsman
If you've formally complained to your bank and received its final response but you're still unhappy – or don't receive a final response within eight weeks – you may be able to escalate your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
The Financial Ombudsman is a free dispute resolution service that can look into complaints about regulated financial companies, such as banks.
Where you take a complaint to the ombudsman, it will decide:
If you were treated fairly by your bank (or other provider).
If it followed the relevant laws, regulations and codes of conduct.
The ombudsman may decide that you should be refunded, though it's not guaranteed.
Even if your bank was unable to investigate a scam in the first place – maybe it was a complex cryptocurrency or investment scam – you can still contact the ombudsman for advice (the same applies if you're not sure how you were scammed). If in doubt, reach out.
For more details on how it works, see our Financial Ombudsman guide.
There are a range of ways to claim money back:
Section 75. If you paid for something on credit card.
Chargeback. If you paid for something on debit card.
Financial Ombudsman. Escalate a complaint for free.
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