Partially upheld: Fraud reimbursement (APP scams) complaint against Santander UK Plc
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6360761 of 2026-06-16T00:00:00+00:00. Fraud reimbursement (APP scams) complaint against Santander UK Plc. Outcome: Partially upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6360761 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-06-16T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Santander UK Plc |
| Product | Current account |
| Claim type | Fraud reimbursement (APP scams) |
| Outcome | Partially upheld |
| Remedy | Santander UK Plc directed to pay Mr and Mrs G 50% of all payments from and including payment three, plus 8% interest on that amount from the date each payment was made to the date of settlement, less any tax lawfully deductible. |
Summary
Mr and Mrs G lost money to a recovery scam involving multiple payments to cryptocurrency providers. Santander intervened on the first payment with an automated warning and on a later payment with human intervention that unveiled the scam. The ombudsman found Santander should have conducted human intervention on the third payment (£11,812), which would have prevented the loss. However, the ombudsman applied 50% contributory negligence to Mr and Mrs G because they made large payments to recover a smaller amount, took out loans as encouraged by the scammer, provided inaccurate answers to warnings, and ignored red flags despite prior scam education. Santander was directed to refund 50% of payments from payment three onwards plus interest.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found that Santander should have intervened on payment three (£11,812 on 5 September 2024) because the characteristics were concerning: it was identifiably going to a cryptocurrency provider, was larger than previous payments in the sequence, and represented an escalating pattern. A proportionate intervention would have been human intervention (as successfully conducted on 17 September 2024), which would have unveiled the scam through open questioning. However, Mr and Mrs G shared liability because they made large payments to recover a smaller amount, were encouraged to take loans, provided inaccurate answers to warnings, and had received prior scam education. The ombudsman applied 50% contributory negligence to both parties.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Santander UK Plc, all decisions | 14,502 | 22% |
| Fraud reimbursement (APP scams), all decisions | 20,976 | 21% |
| Current account, all decisions | 52,014 | 19% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website