Not upheld: Fraud reimbursement (APP scams) complaint against Santander UK Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mr E complained that Santander failed to protect him from a scam between October 10-29, 2025, where he allegedly lost £207.30 and £9,997 to fraudsters. The ombudsman found that while Santander should have intervened on the second payment as it was unusual and uncharacteristic, the proportionate intervention available (automated questions to identify the scam type) would not have prevented the loss. This was because when Santander asked Mr E what the payment was for, he selected 'transfer to my own account' rather than 'investment', preventing Santander from providing a relevant scam warning. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that while Mr E authorized the payments, Santander should have intervened on the second payment as it was unusual and uncharacteristic. However, the proportionate intervention (automated questions to identify the scam type) would not have prevented the loss because Mr E provided inaccurate information when asked what the payment was for, selecting 'transfer to my own account' instead of 'investment'. The ombudsman also noted insufficient evidence was provided to conclusively establish that Mr E was scammed and suffered a loss as a result.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website