Recover Money After UK Fraud (2026 Legal Guide) — Rules & Requirements
About this article
Sourced from UK Acts of Parliament, statutory instruments, and official guidance. Written in plain language for general understanding — this is educational content, not legal advice. Our editorial standards
What is this right?
The UK has three distinct money-recovery routes and you pick the one that matches how you paid. For authorised push payments (Faster Payments / CHAPS bank transfers) made on or after 7 October 2024, the PSR's mandatory reimbursement regime presumes refund up to £85,000 from the sending bank, with cost split equally with the receiving bank; the £100 excess is waived for vulnerable consumers. For unauthorised transactions (card-not-present fraud, account takeover, scammer-initiated payments), the Payment Services Regulations 2017 reg. 76 require refund by close of next business day, with consumer liability capped at £35 unless gross negligence is proven. For credit-card purchases over £100 and up to £30,000, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes the card issuer jointly and severally liable with the merchant — no time limit beyond the underlying 6-year contractual claim.
If the bank refuses to refund, the Financial Ombudsman Service resolves the dispute for free; its decision is binding on the firm if you accept. Awards are capped at £430,000 for complaints referred on or after 1 April 2024 (lower caps for older complaints). The FOS upholds a large share of APP fraud cases on appeal — the cost of going to the FOS is your time.
When does it apply?
- You sent a UK bank transfer (Faster Payment or CHAPS) to a scammer believing they were genuine — APP fraud. Mandatory reimbursement applies if the payment was on or after 7 October 2024.
- A debit or credit card was used without your authority — unauthorised transaction under PSR 2017.
- You paid by credit card for goods or services that turned out to be a scam, undelivered, or materially not as described — Section 75 claim.
- The bank refused to refund under any of the above — Financial Ombudsman Service.
- The scam involved an investment, pension, or claimed FCA-authorised firm — Financial Services Compensation Scheme (where the firm itself fails).
Recovering Money: APP Reimbursement, Section 75, and the Financial Ombudsman
Pick the right route first. Don't lose time on a Section 75 claim for a payment that was a Faster Payment, and don't lose time on PSR reimbursement for a credit-card chargeback.
- If you authorised a UK bank transfer to a scammer on or after 7 October 2024: contact the sending bank's fraud team immediately and ask for a claim under the mandatory PSR APP scams reimbursement regime. The sending bank must determine the claim within 5 business days (with up to 35 days for complex cases) under the rules. Maximum reimbursement: £85,000 per claim. A £100 excess applies (waived if you are a vulnerable consumer as defined by the FCA). The sending and receiving banks split the cost 50/50.
- If the transaction was unauthorised (card-not-present, account takeover, SIM swap): notify your bank without undue delay. Under PSR 2017 reg. 76, the bank must refund by the end of the next business day unless it has reasonable grounds to suspect fraud by you. Your liability is capped at £35 unless the bank proves you acted with gross negligence (a high bar).
- If you paid by credit card for something over £100 and not more than £30,000: file a Section 75 claim with your card issuer. The issuer is jointly liable with the merchant for breach of contract or misrepresentation — even if the merchant has gone bust. Provide the receipt, the contract, and proof the goods/services failed. The £100/£30,000 limits refer to the cash price of any single item, not the total bill.
- If the bank refuses or delays: file a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service at financial-ombudsman.org.uk or 0800 023 4567. FOS service is free for consumers; the firm pays a case fee. The FOS decision is binding on the firm if you accept it; you keep the right to litigate if you reject it. Award cap is £430,000 for complaints referred on or after 1 April 2024.
- For investment or pension losses from a failed FCA-authorised firm: the Financial Services Compensation Scheme covers up to £85,000 per person, per firm. FSCS does not cover losses where the firm was unauthorised or where you simply made a losing investment with a regulated firm.
What should you NOT do?
- Don't accept a partial offer without considering the FOS. Many banks initially offer 50/50 'goodwill' splits on APP fraud claims. The FOS frequently uplifts these on appeal — and using the FOS does not waive your right to the original mandatory-reimbursement claim.
- Don't pay 'recovery agents' charging upfront fees to get scammed money back. FCA repeatedly warns these are themselves scams. All meaningful UK recovery routes (bank, FOS, Section 75, FSCS) are free.
- Don't accept the bank's gross-negligence finding without seeing the reasoning. Under PSR 2017 the bank carries the burden. Ask for the written reasoning and the documents the bank relied on; both feed your FOS complaint.
- Don't miss the 6-month FOS clock from the firm's final response. Once the bank issues its final response letter, you have 6 months to refer to the FOS.
About Scams, Fraud & Money Recovery in United Kingdom
The UK has the strongest consumer money-recovery regime in the English-speaking world. The Payment Systems Regulator's mandatory APP fraud reimbursement rules took effect on 7 October 2024 — sending banks must now refund authorised push payment scam victims up to £85,000 per claim on Faster Payments and CHAPS, with cost split equally between the sending and receiving banks. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes the credit-card issuer jointly liable with the merchant for breach of contract or misrepresentation on any credit-card transaction where the cash price was more than £100 and not more than £30,000. The Payment Services Regulations 2017 (regulation 76) require unauthorised-transaction refunds by close of next business day. The Financial Ombudsman Service resolves all of it for free and its decision is binding on the firm if you accept.
The pages below walk you through the first 24 hours, reporting to Action Fraud, and recovering money under the right route for how you paid.
Common Questions
When does the mandatory PSR APP reimbursement regime apply?
It applies to Faster Payments System (FPS) and CHAPS payments executed on or after 7 October 2024 where the payer authorised the payment to a fraudster. Maximum reimbursement: £85,000 per claim (reduced from the originally proposed £415,000). A £100 excess applies unless you are a vulnerable consumer. International transfers, card payments, cash, and cryptocurrency are outside scope.
Does Section 75 cover debit-card payments?
No. Section 75 only applies to credit-card transactions, certain credit-agreement-financed transactions, and a small set of other regulated agreements. For debit cards the equivalent is the Visa / Mastercard chargeback scheme, plus the Payment Services Regulations for unauthorised use. Bank-card schemes set their own time limits (commonly 120 days for credit and 90 days for debit).
What's the maximum the FOS can award?
For complaints referred to the FOS on or after 1 April 2024 about acts or omissions by firms on or after 1 April 2019, the binding award cap is £430,000. Lower caps apply to older complaints and to older acts/omissions. The cap applies to the binding part of the award — the FOS can also make non-binding recommendations above the cap, which firms usually accept.
Does FSCS cover scam losses?
FSCS protects up to £85,000 per person, per authorised firm, where the firm itself fails. It does not cover scam losses from unauthorised firms or losses from investments with authorised firms where the firm did not fail. For unauthorised-firm scams, the routes are the bank's reimbursement obligations, Section 75, and (if a payment was sent), the PSR APP regime.
What is the recovering money after app fraud, card fraud, or s.75 disputes right in United Kingdom?
The UK has three distinct money-recovery routes and you pick the one that matches how you paid. For authorised push payments (Faster Payments / CHAPS bank transfers) made on or after 7 October 2024, the PSR's mandatory reimbursement regime presumes refund up to £85,000 from the sending bank, with cost split equally with the receiving bank; the £100 excess is waived for vulnerable consumers. For unauthorised transactions (card-not-present fraud, account takeover, scammer-initiated payments), the Payment Services Regulations 2017 reg. 76 require refund by close of next business day, with consume...
When does recovering money after app fraud, card fraud, or s.75 disputes apply?
You sent a UK bank transfer (Faster Payment or CHAPS) to a scammer believing they were genuine — APP fraud. Mandatory reimbursement applies if the payment was on or after 7 October 2024.A debit or credit card was used without your authority — unauthorised transaction under PSR 2017.You paid by credit card for goods or services that turned out to be a scam, undelivered, or materially not as described — Section 75 claim.The bank refused to refund under any of the above — Financial Ombudsman Service.The scam involved an investment, pension, or claimed FCA-authorised firm — Financial Services Comp...
How do I get my money back after being scammed in the UK?
Pick the right route first. Don't lose time on a Section 75 claim for a payment that was a Faster Payment, and don't lose time on PSR reimbursement for a credit-card chargeback.If you authorised a UK bank transfer to a scammer on or after 7 October 2024: contact the sending bank's fraud team immediately and ask for a claim under the mandatory PSR APP scams reimbursement regime. The sending bank must determine the claim within 5 business days (with up to 35 days for complex cases) under the rules. Maximum reimbursement: £85,000 per claim. A £100 excess applies (waived if you are a vulnerable co...
What mistakes should I avoid with recovering money after app fraud, card fraud, or s.75 disputes?
Don't accept a partial offer without considering the FOS. Many banks initially offer 50/50 'goodwill' splits on APP fraud claims. The FOS frequently uplifts these on appeal — and using the FOS does not waive your right to the original mandatory-reimbursement claim.Don't pay 'recovery agents' charging upfront fees to get scammed money back. FCA repeatedly warns these are themselves scams. All meaningful UK recovery routes (bank, FOS, Section 75, FSCS) are free.Don't accept the bank's gross-negligence finding without seeing the reasoning. Under PSR 2017 the bank carries the burden. Ask for the w...