Fake bank call scam: will my bank refund me?

You were tricked: you still have rights.

The answer in 2 lines. Call your bank right away on 159 or the number on your card, not the number that called you. If the payments were made without your permission, your bank should normally refund you quickly, unless it shows you acted with gross negligence. If you were tricked into making a bank transfer yourself, UK rules in force since October 2024 mean most victims must be refunded too, up to £85,000, though a £100 excess may apply. Report it to Report Fraud. If the bank says no, complain, then go to the Financial Ombudsman.

The first 4 steps

Call your bank on 159 or the number on the back of your card, never the number that called you. Block your card if needed.
Ask for a refund for each payment, and write down the date, time and the name of the person you speak to.
Report it to Report Fraud (or Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland), and keep the reference number.
Keep the evidence: call log, texts, the number shown, screenshots, statements.

How the scam works

A call or text seems to come from your bank. The number shown can even be your bank's real number: this is called number spoofing.
The caller often knows your name, your bank and sometimes recent payments.
They say your account is under attack and ask you to move money to a "safe account", read out a code, approve a payment in your app, or hand your card to a courier.
A real bank never asks you to move money to a safe account, share a code, or give your card to a courier.

Your right to a refund

Payments you did not authorise (the scammer used your details or card): under the Payment Services Regulations 2017, your bank must normally refund you by the end of the next business day, unless it shows you acted fraudulently or with gross negligence.
Transfers you made yourself because you were tricked (authorised push payment, or APP, fraud): since 7 October 2024, banks must reimburse most victims of scams paid by Faster Payments or CHAPS, up to £85,000 per claim. Your bank may deduct an excess of up to £100, and must not if you are vulnerable.
Claim as soon as possible, and within 13 months of the last scam payment.
A refund can be refused if the bank shows you were "grossly negligent", for example ignoring clear, specific warnings.

What not to do

Calling back the number left by the "adviser". Use 159 or the number on your card.
Accepting a refusal just because the payment was "approved in your app". Ask the bank to explain why it thinks you were grossly negligent.

Good to know

Number spoofing can make your bank's real number appear on your phone.
The £85,000 limit and the £100 excess come from the UK scam reimbursement rules; card payments are covered by different rules, so ask your bank which apply.

If the bank says no: your options

Make a written complaint to your bank. Ask for the exact reason for the refusal.
After the bank's final response, or if it has not answered after 8 weeks, take your complaint to the free Financial Ombudsman Service. You usually have 6 months from the final response to do so.
Citizens Advice can help you prepare your complaint, for free.

In Manchester, Gary gets a Friday-evening call from his bank's "fraud team", with the bank's number on screen. He is told to move £2,400 to a "safe account". On Monday he realises it was a scam. He calls 159, reports it to Report Fraud and claims a refund. The bank reimburses him, minus a £100 excess.

A made-up story, for illustration.

The numbers (latest published)

£1.28 billion stolen through payment fraud in the UK in 2025, according to UK Finance's Annual Fraud Report 2026 (published June 2026). Figures for 2026 are not published yet.
£85,000: the maximum refund per claim under the scam reimbursement rules.
8 weeks: how long a bank has to answer a complaint before you can go to the Ombudsman.

Useful numbers and contacts (UK)

159: the Stop Scams UK number that puts you through to your own bank's real fraud team (most major banks take part).
7726: forward a scam text here, free on most UK networks.
report@phishing.gov.uk: forward a scam email here (National Cyber Security Centre).
Report Fraud: the national police reporting service for fraud and cybercrime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which replaced Action Fraud, at reportfraud.police.uk.
101: police non-emergency number. In Scotland, report fraud to Police Scotland on 101.
999: only if a crime is happening now or someone is in danger.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on 18 October 2026, for England. Confidence: high for the steps and for unauthorised payment refunds (FCA); high for the scam reimbursement rules (£85,000 limit, excess of up to £100, 13 months), in force since 7 October 2024 and set out by the Payment Systems Regulator; medium for future changes, as the scheme is being reviewed while the PSR is folded into the FCA. Check with your bank or the Ombudsman. Only your bank, the Financial Ombudsman Service or a court can decide your case. This guide describes common cases, not a diagnosis or legal advice.