Not upheld: Fraud reimbursement (APP scams) complaint against Wise Payments Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Miss J complained that Wise refused to refund money she lost to a scam involving a fake job opportunity. She had sent multiple payments to scammers, including a £3,000 payment to a cryptocurrency provider. Another bank had warned Miss J she was being scammed, but she continued sending payments anyway. The ombudsman found that while Wise should have intervened with questioning on the £3,000 payment, this would not have prevented the losses given Miss J's determination to send funds despite explicit warnings from another bank and her willingness to take out loans to continue funding the scam.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

While Wise should have intervened on the £3,000 payment through proportionate questioning, the ombudsman found this would not have prevented the losses. Miss J had already been warned by another bank that she was being scammed but continued sending payments anyway. She provided inconsistent information when questioned and took out loans to continue funding payments, demonstrating a determination to send funds regardless of warnings. The ombudsman concluded that even if Wise had blocked payments, Miss J would likely have found alternative means to send money to the scammer.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website