Not upheld: Fraud reimbursement (APP scams) complaint against TSB Bank plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs B complained that TSB Bank plc failed to prevent her loss of £9,500 in cash withdrawals made to pay a builder for roof replacement work. Mrs B claimed the work was defective and concluded she had been scammed when unable to contact the builder. TSB invoked banking protocol and involved police before processing the withdrawals; police conducted background checks and found no indication of fraud. The ombudsman found that the loss resulted from a civil dispute involving poor workmanship rather than a scam, and that TSB's preventative measures were appropriate and reasonable. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Mrs B had not been the victim of a scam but rather a civil dispute involving poor workmanship. The builder did not deliberately trick Mrs B into making payments with no intention of providing services; rather, the work completed was of poor quality. Even if a scam had occurred, TSB took appropriate preventative measures by invoking banking protocol, involving police, and obtaining police clearance before processing the withdrawals. The police conducted background checks and found no indication of fraud. TSB's actions were reasonable and proportionate to the circumstances, including consideration of Mrs B's vulnerability and age.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website