Not upheld: scam complaint and chargeback dispute complaint against Barclays Bank UK PLC

Decision detail

Summary

Mr C complained that Barclays Bank UK PLC refused to refund money he lost to what he claimed was a fraudulent gambling website. He alleged he was misled about the merchant identity and that Barclays failed to identify or block the suspicious transactions. The ombudsman found that Mr C was not a victim of a scam because he authorised the payments to the website he intended and received the gambling services he paid for. The ombudsman concluded that the payments did not reach a value or frequency that should have concerned Barclays, and that any chargeback claim would have failed under card scheme rules. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman concluded that Mr C was not a victim of a scam because he authorised the payments and they went to the website he intended. The payments did not reach a value or frequency that should have concerned Barclays or triggered automatic checking systems. The inability to withdraw funds was a civil dispute with the gambling company rather than a scam. Any chargeback claim would have failed under card scheme rules because Mr C received the gambling services he paid for, and chargebacks cannot be raised to recoup winnings.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website