Your Protection from APP Scams

The Payment Systems Regulator has introduced new protections against APP scams. These protections cover scam payments made on or after 7 October 2024. The new rules make it easier for you to get your money back.

What’s an APP scam?

An APP scam is when you’re tricked into sending money from your UK bank account to another UK bank account. You’ll have sent money using an account number and sort code. Common types of APP scam include:

Purchase scams: you buy something that doesn’t exist.
Impersonation scams: someone pretends to be from a trusted person or organisation.
Investment scams: you’re convinced to move your money into a fake fund.
Romance scams: someone uses a fake dating profile to get money from you.
Invoice scams: you receive a fake bill.

How to make an APP scam claim

If you think you’ve been the victim of an APP scam, contact us ASAP.

Once you report the scam, we ‘ll start the claim process. We assess each claim individually, so give us as much information and evidence as you can. We’ll also work with other banks you have sent money to.

If you contact us quickly, we might be able to recover your money from the bank you’ve sent it to. If we can’t recover the money, we’ll assess if we can reimburse you.

Eligible claims are covered up to £85,000. You need to make the claim within 13 months of the last payment to the scammer.

What’s covered under the new rules?

The rules cover Authorised Push Payments (APP) made using Faster Payments and CHAPS from 7 October 2024 onwards:

from your own personal Virgin Money account to another UK bank account
by ‘micro-enterprises’ that employ less than 10 people and have a turnover or annual balance sheet less than €2 million
by a charity whose annual income is less than £1 million per year. They are a charity as described by the Charities Act 2011, Charities and Trustees Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 or the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008

What’s not covered under the new rules?

Payments made using cash, cheques, or cards
Payments sent to an account outside the UK
Civil disputes: If the payment was made for a product or service you’ve bought
Fraud: you acted fraudulently or were part of the scam.
Illegal goods/services: if the payments reported were for something illegal.
Payments to an account with a credit union, municipal bank or the national savings & investment bank (state owned savings bank in the UK)
Payments to accounts you control.
Unauthorised transactions. This is when you have not authorised the payment. There are other protections if this happens
Payments made before 7 October.
If you've been grossly negligent (very careless) in failing to meet the Consumer Standard of Caution, you might not be covered.

If a vulnerability makes it hard to avoid a scam, we won't apply the Consumer Standard of Caution to your claim.

Even if your claim doesn’t fit the new rules, please still get in touch. We'll still investigate and might be able to help you get your money back.

How long will it take to get my money back?

We’ll assess each claim individually. If your claim is valid, you should get your money back within 5 working days. Sometimes, it might take up to 35 working days if we need more information from you or someone else.

What happens if I’m not eligible for a reimbursement?

If we reject your claim, we’ll explain why.

What if I'm unhappy with the outcome of my claim?

You can let us know through our existing complaints process. We’re here to listen and help resolve any issues.

If you're still unhappy after we address your complaint, you can escalate it to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

How to protect yourself from an APP scam

Scammers are clever and take the time to research and find ways to exploit their victims. They might impersonate people, retailers, organisations, or even the government to trick you. This can happen online, by text, email, or on the phone. To protect your money, follow these tips:

Before making a payment

Stop, Think & Check: always pause before transferring money to an account with a new sort code and account number.
Safe accounts: we will never ask you to send money to a 'Safe' account.
Social media ads: be cautious of ads on social media. Visit the retailer's site via a search engine instead.
Marketplaces and second-hand sites: don't pay for items before you've seen them. They might not exist.
Investments: check the FCA website. Then, get a second opinion before investing in companies, crypto, gold, or stocks.
Online relationships: be wary of sending money to someone you've only met online.

It's okay to ask for more information and to reject requests. Only scammers will pressure you to make a payment.

Stay safe with the Consumer Standard of Caution

The Consumer Standard of Caution is a set of guidelines designed to help you stay safe from fraud and scams. Following these steps will help to protect you and ensure that we can help if something goes wrong:

Follow our advice and warnings: if we alert you about a possible scam, take it seriously. These warnings are there to protect you.
Report the scam ASAP: if you suspect a scam, let us know straight away. The quicker you report it, the faster we can act.
Respond to our requests: sometimes we need more information to process your claim. Make sure you get back to us quickly so we can help you.
Report to the police: we might do this on your behalf, but having the details on record is crucial.

If you don’t follow these steps, we might not be able to reimburse the money  you lost in an APP scam.

And remember, when talking to us, always answer our questions truthfully.  We're a friendly bunch so if we ask about a payment, be honest about it.  Scammers might try to convince you to lie about the reason for the payment,  so it goes through. If they ask you to do this, it's a scam.

Need support?

Being scammed can be traumatic and upsetting. Don’t hesitate to ask for help and support if you need it. If you’re finding it hard to recover from the experience, you can find further support at:

Age UK
Citizen’s Advice Consumer Service
Victim Support