What to do if you’ve been a victim of a scam
1. Contact your payment provider immediately
As soon as you think you may have lost money in a bank transfer scam, you should notify the bank or payment provider that your account is with.
Call your payment provider using the number found on the back of your card or on a recent statement.
Top tip: If the scammer has recently called you, it’s important to use a different phone line to call your bank or wait at least 15 minutes before you contact your bank as research has found that scammers can keep the line open to listen in to your call.
Tell your payment provider what happened and provide the account details to which you sent the payment. They may be able to either stop the transaction from going ahead or recover your money from the fraudster’s account.
Speed is of the essence for this, so it’s important to let your payment provider know as soon as you suspect you’ve been scammed.
2. Report the scam to Action Fraud (Police)
You also need to report the
scam to Action Fraud, you can report a fraud via the online fraud reporting tool, or by calling Action Fraud on
+1 (206) 609-6016.
If your bank is unsuccessful in recovering your money you may need to raise a
formal complaint with them.
If this is required, please explain fully how the scam occurred, how much you have lost and you’ll likely be asked to send in evidence of what happened, such as copies of text messages, WhatsApp Chats or emails.
What to do if you are unhappy with the bank’s decision
If the bank has issued you with a final response letter, they will also provide you with your right to escalate your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) if you are unhappy with the decision. You are given a maximum time limit of 6 months from the date of the letter to raise your complaint with the Financial Ombudsman Service.
You can
escalate your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service who will investigate what happened, what your bank did, what the receiving bank did and whether anyone is at fault. It can take the FOS up to 9 months to investigate your case.
Emotional support available after a scam
Being scammed can take a huge toll on your emotional wellbeing and mental health. It’s often helpful to speak to someone about what you’re going through.
This can be anything from a quick scam to something which entangles you for months – every scam has an impact on your life, no matter how long it lasts.
Mind has a confidential information and support line, Mind Infoline, available on 0300 123 3393 (lines open 9am-6pm, Monday-Friday).
The charity also runs the supportive online community
Side by Side where you can talk about and share your experiences of mental health.
Victim Support has a free, 24/7 helpline where you can speak to someone confidentially. This can be a one-off call, or they can refer you to local services for on-going support. This service is free and run by Victim Support which is an independent charity.
You can contact Victim Support by:
