Not upheld: unauthorised transactions dispute complaint against Nationwide Building Society

Decision detail

Summary

Miss A complained that Nationwide refused to refund card transactions totalling £1,287.30 to a cryptocurrency platform that she claimed she did not authorise. She maintained her phone was secure, never stolen, and only she had access to it via biometric authentication. Nationwide presented technical records showing all transactions were authenticated using Miss A's genuine registered device, with successful app logins before and after the disputed payments and no evidence of other device registration or third-party compromise. The ombudsman concluded the transactions were most likely authorised by Miss A and upheld Nationwide's decision not to refund, though the £50 compensation for poor service handling during the claim process was upheld as fair.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman concluded that the technical evidence demonstrated the transactions could only have been completed using Miss A's genuine registered phone with her involvement. The consistent use of the same device for both genuine and disputed transactions, successful app logins before and after the disputed payments, absence of any other device registration, and no evidence of third-party compromise all pointed to Miss A authorising the transactions. The individual transaction values and authentication method did not warrant Nationwide intervention. No evidence supported Miss A's belief that a fraudster acquired her card details.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website