Authorised Push Payment Fraud

At FundsUnity, we specialize in helping victims of push payment fraud get their money back from their bank. Therefore, if this is relevant to you, fill in a form on our website for a free consultation.

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RECLAIMING YOUR FINANCES

Navigating Scam Reimbursements and Payment Methods

If you want to know how to get your money back if you’ve been scammed yourself, it’s important to understand what your rights are. Part of understanding your rights is understanding the payment method used. This is because the way you pay can determine whether you get your money back from your bank and how this is done. 

One of the most common ways in which people send funds to fraudsters is through what is known as an “authorised push payment”. People use many names for this payment method, and you may hear it commonly called ‘APP fraud’. This is where you send money to someone via bank transfer for something you believe is legitimate, but turns out to actually be a scam. It is called a ‘push’ payment as you are sending money, as opposed to a ‘pull’ payment where funds are taken.

If you want to know how to get your money back when you’ve paid by BACS, bank transfer, faster payment or wire transfer then you may find this article useful.  

What is an Authorised Push Payment Scam?

If you have sent money to a scammer by BACS, bank transfer or via a faster payment then you have been a victim of Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud. Fraudsters favour this method as, put simply, it’s much easier for them to get away with. As mentioned above, at FundsUnity, we are experts at helping victims of push payment fraud get their money back from their bank. If you want help getting your money back from a scam, fill in a form on our website for a free consultation.

If you want to know how to get money back when you’ve been scammed through a different method, such as paying the fraudster through a cryptocurrency exchange, then go to the last paragraph of this article.

How does an APP scam work?

For some victims, from May 2019 the Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM) Code applies. This is a voluntary code on push payment scams that provides protections for customers where their bank has signed the code. The CRM delivers a commitment from all signatory firms to reimburse victims of APP fraud as long as the customer has met the standards expected of them under the code. To put it simply, it sets out when banks should refund victims of APP fraud.

There are exclusions that apply to the Code, and firms have been heavily criticised by groups such as Which? due to the way they have applied the rules and these exclusions. Whether you get a refund or not can be a lottery that depends on who you have an account with, how they interpret the Code and how they interpret the facts of your case as you have presented them. Refundee can help victims where their bank has signed the code, but can also help those where this is not the case.

You should always report any scam you’ve been a victim of to your bank first. If the bank says no, Refundee can help present arguments to help you get money lost to fraud from your bank.

Will my bank refund my money when I’ve been scammed?

For some victims, from May 2019 the Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM) Code applies. This is a voluntary code on push payment scams that provides protections for customers where their bank has signed the code. The CRM delivers a commitment from all signatory firms to reimburse victims of APP fraud as long as the customer has met the standards expected of them under the code. To put it simply, it sets out when banks should refund victims of APP fraud.

There are exclusions that apply to the Code, and firms have been heavily criticised by groups such as Which? due to the way they have applied the rules and these exclusions. Whether you get a refund or not can be a lottery that depends on who you have an account with, how they interpret the Code and how they interpret the facts of your case as you have presented them. Refundee can help victims where their bank has signed the code, but can also help those where this is not the case.

You should always report any scam you’ve been a victim of to your bank first. If the bank says no, Refundee can help present arguments to help you get money lost to fraud from your bank.

Can a bank transfer be refunded?

If you’ve lost money to a push payment scam, FundsUnity can manage your case for you, as an FCA regulated claims management company. If you’d like us to do this for you, start the process by filling out our scam refund claim form. Our fee is 15% plus VAT on anything that we get back, and we don’t charge anything if we are not successful. For larger cases, the fee is subject to a maximum of £10k plus VAT per case.

Remember you don’t need to use a company like FundsUnity, you could work your case yourself for free! If you’d like to get a refund yourself, you can do this by following our bank transfer refund guide.

I paid by BACS. Can I get money back?

You could still have a case if you paid by BACS, and FundsUnity can help with this. Put simply, your case will likely depend on how unusual the payment was for you. The CRM Code mentioned earlier does not apply to BACS payments, it only applies to faster payments (bank transfers) and CHAPS payments according to the Payment Systems Regulator.

What if I didn’t pay by an APP?

This just means there are different rules that apply but FundsUnity can still help. For example, you might want to get your money back when you’ve been scammed and sent the funds through a payment method such as:

  • An international transfer

Through a crypto exchange such as Binance, Moonpay, Crypto.com or Coinbase

  • Debit card

  • Credit card

  • Cheque or cash

The chances of getting your money back are affected by how you paid but in all cases we recommend you report the fraud to your bank first and ask if your bank will refund you scammed money.

At FundsUnity we believe that most scams now go through cryptocurrency exchanges as the fraudsters find this much easier to get away with. We also have a lot of success getting people’s money back when they’ve been scammed and sent the funds through most payment methods including through a crypto exchange.

SCAM RECOVERY

‘Safe account’ or impersonation scams

The fraudster pretends to be your bank or other reputable bodies by using information they have gained online or through a phishing data breach. They trick you by pretending there is a major issue such as your bank account being under threat. 

In these cases, elaborate stories will be made up to convince you to move your money elsewhere, often to what is described as a “safe account”. It can be incredibly convincing, the scammers can sometimes ‘spoof’ the organisation’s number they are calling from so the call appears to be legitimate. If ever in doubt, hang up the phone and call back the number on the organisation’s official website. For more information on impersonation fraud, see our full impersonation guide.

FAKE INVESTMENTS​

Investment fraud

Scammers running investment scams use convincing websites and trading accounts that appear to be real. You will see prices moving, your deposits and all of your supposed returns. These fake investment platforms often mimic real platforms and therefore they feel familiar and realistic. Early on, they may even pay you some “returns” in order to build up trust. In some cases they also talk you through how everything works by taking control of your device using third party remote access software. The professional platforms, combined with their knowledge of the markets can make for a very convincing scam. More information on investment scams is provided in our investment fraud page.               

DECEPTIVE INVESTMENTS

Romance fraud

A romance scammer will build up trust by developing a convincing relationship with you, usually online. You may meet them on a dating site or on social media where they’ll be lurking behind an apparently genuine profile. Often these fraudsters are very patient and spend time building up relationships and very elaborate background stories before asking for money. Often, they will build up an emergency situation where for whatever reason, the fraudster is stuck without access to their funds. Romance fraudsters are incredibly ruthless, and their aim is always to get you to send money from your bank account. We have more information about romance scams and what to look out for on our romance fraud page.

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