What type of Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams will now be refunded?
The Code covers all APP scam types and we'll work within the Code guidelines to review all cases on a case by case basis. Common APP scams include:
- Impersonation scams - fraudsters pretend to be bank staff to convince you to transfer money to a ‘safe account’ for their protection, or pose as other official agencies, e.g. TV Licensing or HMRC, asking you to send them money
- Purchase and romance scams - examples include purchasing fictitious/non-delivered items from online auction sites, often at highly discounted prices, and appearing ‘too good to be true’, and scammers pretending to have romantic intentions and then using that goodwill to extort money
- Investment scams – target individuals to hand over money for what appear to be legitimate investments with high rates of return. Since the pensions freedoms was introduced in April 2015, older people are particularly vulnerable to investment scams because they can access cash lump sums from pension pots
I have been a victim of a scam previously and wasn’t refunded, can you now refund me?
The APP Scam Code does not apply to payments authorised before the new Code comes into force on 28 May 2019. We'll continue to review all scams on a case-by-case basis.
