Not upheld: fraud marker registration and account closure complaint against TSB Bank plc

Decision detail

Summary

Miss F received a fraudulent payment in March 2025 and told TSB she had sold a PlayStation to the sender. TSB filed a Cifas fraud marker and decided to close her account, but did not actually close it until August 2025. Miss F later claimed she had provided services rather than sold a PlayStation, stating she had panicked during the call with family present. The ombudsman found TSB's actions justified because Miss F's explanation was inconsistent, her claim about panicking was undermined by the call recording, and she provided no evidence to support her account. The £75 compensation for the delayed account closure was deemed fair, and the complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman applied Cifas guidance which requires banks to show fraudulent funds entered the account and that the customer was deliberately dishonest and knew the payment was illegitimate. The ombudsman found Miss F's explanation unconvincing because: (1) she initially provided a false narrative about selling a PlayStation; (2) her explanation that she panicked due to family being present was undermined by the call recording showing she was comfortable speaking with the handler; (3) she provided no tangible evidence to support her claim of providing legitimate services; and (4) the fraud report contradicted her account. The ombudsman concluded TSB had strong evidence to justify the marker and that account closure was appropriate, though delayed.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website