Authorised Push Payment Scams

Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams happen when someone is tricked into sending money to a fraudster posing as a genuine person or company.

It differs from other types of fraud, where criminals get access to accounts and steal money without the account holder's knowledge.

With APP scams, criminals often try to persuade you to act in a hurry. They make you panic before you’ve had time to think things through.

We’ve also listed some common APP scams to watch out for below.

Worried that you've been targeted? If you think you've been a victim of any scam, it's important to call us as soon as possible. Call 03 456 100 100 (lines are open 24/7, 365 days a year)

Some new rules apply from 7 October 2024, if you experience an Authorised Push Payment (APP) scam.

These rules, due to a change in regulation, apply to money sent between UK accounts using Faster Payments (a way to send money electronically in near real time) or CHAPS (a type of same day bank transfer, often used for larger payments).

Under the new rules:

• the total claim limit is up to £85,000
• an excess of £100 may be deducted from the value of any claim
• if your claim is eligible, we'll reimburse you no later than 35 business days after you contact us.

We’ll update our terms and conditions to reflect these changes no later than 9 April 2025.

If you think you've been scammed

It’s really important you contact us as soon as possible on 03 456 100 100 (lines are open 24/7, 365 days a year) if you believe you’re the victim of one of these scams. When you do, we’ll review this based on the information provided by you, the bank that received the payment and anyone else who’s relevant eg the police. We’ll also need to share your details and what you’ve told us with them so they can investigate what happened.

What won't be covered

It’s worth bearing in mind, you may not be entitled to a reimbursement under the new rules if:

• the payment was sent to another account you control
• the payment was sent to or from an account outside the UK
• we haven’t received the information we need to review your claim
• you didn’t authorise the payment ('unauthorised' payments are covered by different rules)
• there’s a civil dispute between you and the person or business that received the payment
• you’ve been extremely careless when making the payment, including ignoring warnings from us or the police that it was likely to be a scam
• we reasonably suspect fraud on your part
• you didn’t promptly report the suspected scam to us
• it’s more than 13 months since you made the last APP scam payment.

Just as a reminder, the new rules don’t apply to payments:

• sent before 7 October 2024
• made using debit/credit cards, cheques or cash
• sent to or from accounts outside the UK
• sent to or from accounts with certain types of specialist financial institution eg credit unions, municipals or national savings banks.

These payments will still be investigated and you may still be reimbursed, so it’s important to report them.

Some types of APP scams are covered by the new rules but others aren’t. We’ll still investigate other types of scams and you may be reimbursed, so it’s important to report them to us.

Invoice and mandate scam

This scam starts with you trying to pay a real invoice, before the scammer intervenes claiming the bank account details have changed. They try to get you to send the payment to an account they control instead.

Scammers can pose as conveyancing solicitors, builders or other tradespeople. They might also target businesses by posing as a supplier. With this type of fraud, the scammer often intercepts emails or compromises an email account.

CEO fraud

This is where the scammer pretends to be the chief executive officer (CEO) or other high-ranking official of an organisation. They then try to convince you to make an urgent payment to the scammer’s account. This type of fraud mostly affects businesses.

Impersonation scam - police or organisations

In this situation, a scammer pretends to be from the police, your bank, a utility company or a government department. They then try to get you to make a payment to an account they control.

To convince you to make a payment they use bogus claims, such as you needing to pay a fine, pay overdue tax, or return a refund. Sometimes the scammer asks for remote access to your computer, claiming they need to help ‘fix’ a problem.

Impersonation scam - family or friends

This scam is similar to the above, except the scammer pretends to be a family member or someone you know. They then usually go on to make up a story and ask you to transfer money. These requests generally come from social media, text messages or other instant messaging platforms.

Purchase scam

This is when you pay in advance for goods or services that are never received. These scams usually involve you using an online platform, such as an auction website or social media. 

Find out more about purchase scams.

Investment scam

For this, a scammer tries to convince you to move your money to a fund that doesn't exist or to pay for a fake investment, with the promise of a high return. These scams include investment in items such as gold, property, carbon credits, cryptocurrencies, land banks and wine.

Read more about investment scams and cloned companies.

Romance scam

Using a fake profile, scammers target you on social media or dating websites, with the aim of starting a relationship and developing it over a long period of time. Once they've gained your trust, the scammer will then claim to have a problem with their visa, health or flight tickets, before asking you for money to help.

Read more about romance scams.

Advance fee scam

This involves a scammer trying to convince you to pay a fee to release a much larger payment or high value goods. They might claim that you've won an overseas lottery, that gold or jewellery is being held at customs, or that you’re due an inheritance. The scammer tells you a fee must be paid first. When the payment is made, the promised goods or money never arrive.

These scams often begin with an email or a letter sent by the scammer.