Not upheld: Fraud reimbursement (APP scams) complaint against Santander Bank UK Plc
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6424765 of 2026-06-22T00:00:00+00:00. Fraud reimbursement (APP scams) complaint against Santander Bank UK Plc. Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6424765 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-06-22T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Santander Bank UK Plc |
| Product | Current account |
| Claim type | Fraud reimbursement (APP scams) |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | No refund ordered. Santander not required to compensate Mr O for losses. |
Summary
Mr O fell victim to a job/task scam and made 23 payments totalling £11,438.02 to cryptocurrency platforms and other accounts in his own name between November and December 2024. Santander blocked his account on 21 November 2024 and spoke to him on 22 November 2024, warning him about the importance of honesty and asking questions about his cryptocurrency investments. However, Mr O had been instructed by scammers not to disclose the real purpose of the payments and instead provided a false but credible cover story about cryptocurrency investment. The ombudsman found that Santander's intervention was appropriate and thorough, and that Mr O deliberately concealed the truth, giving the bank no reason to suspect a job/task scam. The ombudsman concluded that Mr O would likely have persisted with the scam regardless of additional questioning and therefore Santander could not fairly be held liable for his losses.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found that while Santander should monitor accounts and intervene in suspicious transactions, the bank's intervention on 22 November 2024 was appropriate and thorough. The bank warned Mr O about the importance of honesty and asked multiple questions about the cryptocurrency platform, currency, account access, returns, and previous funding. However, Mr O deliberately concealed the true purpose of the payments by following the scammer's instructions and providing a false cover story about cryptocurrency investment. He answered the bank's questions confidently and credibly, giving the bank no reason to suspect a job/task scam and therefore no reason to provide a specific warning about such scams. The ombudsman concluded that Mr O would likely have handled any additional probing questions in the same confident manner and would not have been dissuaded from continuing the scam. Therefore, Santander could not fairly be held liable for failing to prevent foreseeable harm.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Santander Bank UK Plc, all decisions | 3 | 0% |
| 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