Not upheld: Fraud reimbursement (APP scams) complaint against Barclays Bank UK PLC

Decision detail

Summary

Mr T complained that Barclays Bank UK PLC wrongfully declined to refund disputed ATM withdrawals made on 6 and 7 February 2026 that he reported as unauthorized. Mr T claimed his card must have been lost or stolen without his knowledge. Barclays investigated and concluded the transactions were authorized, and the FOS Investigator agreed there was no plausible explanation for how an unauthorized person would have known Mr T's PIN. The ombudsman upheld Barclays' decision, finding that while the genuine card and PIN were used, Mr T provided no persuasive evidence demonstrating how an unauthorized individual could have made the transactions without his involvement, and therefore it was fair to treat them as authorized.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

Under the Payment Services Regulations 2017, Barclays can hold Mr T liable if evidence suggests he made or authorized the transactions. The ombudsman found that the genuine card and PIN were used, and while Mr T could not have physically made one transaction, he could still be liable if someone used the card with his permission. Although Mr T maintains he did not authorize the transactions and no one else would have known his PIN, the ombudsman found no persuasive evidence demonstrating how an unauthorized individual could have made the transactions without Mr T's involvement. The ombudsman accepted that something must have happened but concluded that based on what Mr T disclosed, it was fair to treat the transactions as authorized.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website