If money has already gone
Published 8 September 2026Last updated 8 September 2026Reading time 5 minutes
If you paid by UK bank transfer, contact your bank now and use the words "authorised push payment fraud". Since 7 October 2024, UK payment firms must reimburse victims of this fraud up to £85,000. You must report it within 13 months of the payment. This is the step with a deadline, so it goes before everything else.
Most people report to the police first and their bank later, sometimes much later. That order costs money. The bank claim is the one that is time-limited and the one that returns funds, so start there and do the rest the same week.
What it covers. Payments you made yourself, by UK bank transfer, through Faster Payments or CHAPS, to someone who deceived you. Card, cash and cheque payments have separate protections, so tell your bank how you paid.
Who is covered. Individuals, microenterprises and charities. Most banks, building societies and e-money firms take part.
How much. Up to £85,000. Above that, the Financial Ombudsman Service can consider claims with a much higher limit.
How fast. Once you claim, the firm must reimburse within 5 business days, or up to 35 if it needs to investigate further.
The deadline. Report within 13 months of making the payment.
What can stop a claim. Reimbursement can be refused if you were complicit or grossly negligent, and a £100 excess may apply. Neither applies to vulnerable consumers. Be straightforward about what happened and give them everything at once.
If your bank refuses and you disagree with the reasoning, you can escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service free of charge. A refusal is not the end of it.
Blocking feels good and destroys your case. Do this first, it takes twenty minutes.
WhatsApp and Telegram both allow chat export, which preserves timestamps and metadata that screenshots lose. Where export is not available, screenshot everything including the profile page, the account name and handle, and any "message deleted" notices.
The contract, the job advert, any certificate you were sent, and every invoice or receipt. Keep the original files, not photos of your screen.
Account name, sort code, account number, reference, date, amount and the app you used. Your bank statement is the primary record, so download the PDF.
No cropping, no redacting, no tidying up. Keep originals and work from copies if you need to share extracts.
Dates, who said what, when money moved. One page. Every organisation below will ask for this and you will only write it once.
First, and within 13 months of the payment. Say "authorised push payment fraud".
The UK's national fraud reporting centre. Gives you a crime reference number that your bank will usually want.actionfraud.police.uk
Enforces the ban on charging work-seekers a fee for finding work. Can investigate and prosecute.contact@fairworkagency.gov.uk0345 161 6000
For the sale of a Certificate of Sponsorship or false sponsorship claims. Acted on, because it can cost a real sponsor its licence.gov.uk/report-immigration-crime
Snapchat, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Telegram all have fraud reporting routes. This is the fastest way to stop the same account reaching the next person.
If a real company was used as cover, tell them directly. They will want to know and they can act without waiting for anyone.
Do not pay a "refund release fee". There is no situation in which releasing your own money requires you to send more. This request is always part of the scam.
Do not use a recovery service that charges upfront. People who have lost money to a scam are frequently approached by a second operation offering to get it back for a fee. It is often run by the same people using your details. Your bank and the Financial Ombudsman Service both cost nothing.