Not upheld: scam / fraud - failure to prevent payments to scammer complaint against Revolut Ltd

Decision detail

Summary

Mr S lost approximately £146,480 to an investment scam after finding an online advertisement endorsed by celebrities. He made multiple payments via international transfer, debit card, and cryptocurrency exchange from his Revolut account. Revolut intervened on four occasions with automated questions and warnings, but Mr S provided misleading responses and ignored the warnings while in regular contact with the scammer. The ombudsman found that while Revolut should have intervened on high-value payments, it did so appropriately, and there was insufficient evidence that further intervention would have prevented the scam given Mr S's consistent dishonesty and willingness to follow the scammer's instructions.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

While Revolut should have intervened on high-value payments, it did intervene on multiple occasions with appropriate warnings and questions. Mr S consistently provided misleading answers, confirmed payments were to his own accounts, denied being pressured, and ignored warnings about investment scams. Mr S was in regular contact with the scammer and took guidance from them on how to respond to Revolut's questions. There is insufficient evidence that further intervention by Revolut would have prevented the scam, given Mr S's pattern of dishonesty and willingness to follow the scammer's instructions.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website