Not upheld: investment scam - refund claim complaint against Remitly U.K. LTD

Decision detail

Summary

Miss C fell victim to an investment scam in June 2025, making two successful international payments of £750 and £847 before a third payment of £1,800 was cancelled by Remitly. She complained to Remitly seeking a refund of her losses, but the complaint was not upheld. The ombudsman found that while Remitly should be alert to fraud risks, the first two payments were routine for a money transfer service and did not warrant intervention. Remitly appropriately cancelled the third payment when it had concerns about its genuineness. The ombudsman concluded that Remitly did not miss an opportunity to uncover the scam and therefore should not be held responsible for the losses.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that while Remitly should generally be alert to fraud risks, the first two payments were not large and international transfers are routine for a money transfer service, so intervention was not warranted. Remitly did intervene appropriately on the third payment by cancelling it when not satisfied of its genuineness. Since Remitly did not miss an opportunity to uncover the scam, it cannot be held responsible for the losses.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website