Not upheld: unauthorised transactions / disputed transactions complaint against HSBC UK Bank Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mr H complained that HSBC refused to refund four transactions totalling £2,828 made from his current account on 4 November 2025, which he claimed were unauthorised. HSBC determined the transactions were made using Mr H's genuine card and PIN. Mr H alleged he received a confusing phone call from someone claiming to be from HSBC that caused him to approve one transaction, suggesting a scam was involved. The ombudsman found that Mr H's genuine card chip was used, the PIN must have been entered for the ATM withdrawals and likely the retail transactions, and there was no plausible explanation for how an unauthorised party could have accessed both the card and PIN. The complaint was not upheld, and HSBC was entitled to hold Mr H liable for the transactions.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Mr H's genuine card chip was used and that the PIN must have been successfully entered for the ATM withdrawals and likely for the large retail transactions. Given that all transactions occurred within 45 minutes, the same person likely made all four transactions. Mr H's claim about a confusing phone call does not explain how an unauthorised party could have possessed both his card and PIN when he maintained the card was in his possession throughout and no one else knew the PIN. The ATM withdrawals occurred before the alleged phone call, and the in-app confirmation process required three confirmations of 'yes', making it unlikely Mr H was confused about what he was confirming.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website