Santander - Fraud Reimbursement

akashi

In July 2025, I made a bank transfer of £4,000 to a travel agency for flight tickets. 

The agency had an office which I was able to visit and I was provided with an invoice.

I never received the tickets and the office was closed some weeks later. 

I later found out this was a scam and hundreds of people were victims of fraud like myself.

I raised a claim with Santander, they rejected the claim and stated this was a civil matter. They said should the director of the travel agency be arrested or prosecuted, they will review the claim again.

I reported the fraud to Action Fraud and was later contacted by the Metropolitan Police. They informed me that close to 800 people have been scammed by this director and they were treating this as a serious crime. They also confirmed there was an arrest warrant on the director. The lead detective told me to raise a claim with Santander as other victims have been reimbursed by Santander to his knowledge.

I contacted Santander again and provided the lead detectives contact details and crime reference number. I also told them they have reimbursed other victims and they said they will review the claim.

Santander have rejected the claim again stating they will only review this if the director is arrested or prosecuted. They have given me the option to complain to the Financial Ombudsman service.

Any thoughts on this? Surely they have set a precedent by reimbursing other customers of the same fraud? 

Thanks in advance. 

 

marcia_

akashi said:

In July 2025, I made a bank transfer of £4,000 to a travel agency for flight tickets. 

The agency had an office which I was able to visit and I was provided with an invoice.

I never received the tickets and the office was closed some weeks later. 

I later found out this was a scam and hundreds of people were victims of fraud like myself.

I raised a claim with Santander, they rejected the claim and stated this was a civil matter. They said should the director of the travel agency be arrested or prosecuted, they will review the claim again.

I reported the fraud to Action Fraud and was later contacted by the Metropolitan Police. They informed me that close to 800 people have been scammed by this director and they were treating this as a serious crime. They also confirmed there was an arrest warrant on the director. The lead detective told me to raise a claim with Santander as other victims have been reimbursed by Santander to his knowledge.

I contacted Santander again and provided the lead detectives contact details and crime reference number. I also told them they have reimbursed other victims and they said they will review the claim.

Santander have rejected the claim again stating they will only review this if the director is arrested or prosecuted. They have given me the option to complain to the Financial Ombudsman service.

Any thoughts on this? Surely they have set a precedent by reimbursing other customers of the same fraud? 

Thanks in advance. 

 

 I'm afraid I think your bank is right. As you paid by transfer rather than a card payment they are not liable. A police officer saying he thinks others have been refunded does not mean they have definitely. 

GrumpyDil

If they have rejected your claim and advised you that you can complain to FOS why not do so?

It seems odd that you would go into a shop and then transfer the money and I don't know what the exact rules are in this scenario but you lose nothing by referring this to  FOS

Woodstok2000

marcia_ said:

akashi said:

In July 2025, I made a bank transfer of £4,000 to a travel agency for flight tickets. 

The agency had an office which I was able to visit and I was provided with an invoice.

I never received the tickets and the office was closed some weeks later. 

I later found out this was a scam and hundreds of people were victims of fraud like myself.

I raised a claim with Santander, they rejected the claim and stated this was a civil matter. They said should the director of the travel agency be arrested or prosecuted, they will review the claim again.

I reported the fraud to Action Fraud and was later contacted by the Metropolitan Police. They informed me that close to 800 people have been scammed by this director and they were treating this as a serious crime. They also confirmed there was an arrest warrant on the director. The lead detective told me to raise a claim with Santander as other victims have been reimbursed by Santander to his knowledge.

I contacted Santander again and provided the lead detectives contact details and crime reference number. I also told them they have reimbursed other victims and they said they will review the claim.

Santander have rejected the claim again stating they will only review this if the director is arrested or prosecuted. They have given me the option to complain to the Financial Ombudsman service.

Any thoughts on this? Surely they have set a precedent by reimbursing other customers of the same fraud? 

Thanks in advance. 

 

 I'm afraid I think your bank is right. As you paid by transfer rather than a card payment they are not liable. A police officer saying he thinks others have been refunded does not mean they have definitely. 

This is rubbish. Banks are liable for fraudulent bank transfers (Authorised Push Payment, or APP) under PSR regulations unless you've been grossly negligent, and thats a very high bar. It seems your bank are treating this as a legitimate company gone bust rather than a true scam  - what was the business called? 

You can see the reimbursement rules here: https://www.psr.org.uk/information-for-consumers/app-fraud-reimbursement-protections/

As others have said, escalate your complaint to the FOS (edited typo).

Renfrewman

Woodstok2000 said:

marcia_ said:

akashi said:

In July 2025, I made a bank transfer of £4,000 to a travel agency for flight tickets. 

The agency had an office which I was able to visit and I was provided with an invoice.

I never received the tickets and the office was closed some weeks later. 

I later found out this was a scam and hundreds of people were victims of fraud like myself.

I raised a claim with Santander, they rejected the claim and stated this was a civil matter. They said should the director of the travel agency be arrested or prosecuted, they will review the claim again.

I reported the fraud to Action Fraud and was later contacted by the Metropolitan Police. They informed me that close to 800 people have been scammed by this director and they were treating this as a serious crime. They also confirmed there was an arrest warrant on the director. The lead detective told me to raise a claim with Santander as other victims have been reimbursed by Santander to his knowledge.

I contacted Santander again and provided the lead detectives contact details and crime reference number. I also told them they have reimbursed other victims and they said they will review the claim.

Santander have rejected the claim again stating they will only review this if the director is arrested or prosecuted. They have given me the option to complain to the Financial Ombudsman service.

Any thoughts on this? Surely they have set a precedent by reimbursing other customers of the same fraud? 

Thanks in advance. 

 

 I'm afraid I think your bank is right. As you paid by transfer rather than a card payment they are not liable. A police officer saying he thinks others have been refunded does not mean they have definitely. 

This is rubbish. Banks are liable for fraudulent bank transfers (Authorised Push Payment, or APP) under PSR regulations unless you've been grossly negligent, and thats a very high bar. It seems your bank are treating this as a legitimate company gone bust rather than a true scam  - what was the business called? 

You can see the reimbursement rules here: https://www.psr.org.uk/information-for-consumers/app-fraud-reimbursement-protections/

As others have said, escalate your complaint to the FSO.

I hesitate to say this is rubbish...it's the FOS.

Woodstok2000

Renfrewman said:

Woodstok2000 said:

marcia_ said:

akashi said:

In July 2025, I made a bank transfer of £4,000 to a travel agency for flight tickets. 

The agency had an office which I was able to visit and I was provided with an invoice.

I never received the tickets and the office was closed some weeks later. 

I later found out this was a scam and hundreds of people were victims of fraud like myself.

I raised a claim with Santander, they rejected the claim and stated this was a civil matter. They said should the director of the travel agency be arrested or prosecuted, they will review the claim again.

I reported the fraud to Action Fraud and was later contacted by the Metropolitan Police. They informed me that close to 800 people have been scammed by this director and they were treating this as a serious crime. They also confirmed there was an arrest warrant on the director. The lead detective told me to raise a claim with Santander as other victims have been reimbursed by Santander to his knowledge.

I contacted Santander again and provided the lead detectives contact details and crime reference number. I also told them they have reimbursed other victims and they said they will review the claim.

Santander have rejected the claim again stating they will only review this if the director is arrested or prosecuted. They have given me the option to complain to the Financial Ombudsman service.

Any thoughts on this? Surely they have set a precedent by reimbursing other customers of the same fraud? 

Thanks in advance. 

 

 I'm afraid I think your bank is right. As you paid by transfer rather than a card payment they are not liable. A police officer saying he thinks others have been refunded does not mean they have definitely. 

This is rubbish. Banks are liable for fraudulent bank transfers (Authorised Push Payment, or APP) under PSR regulations unless you've been grossly negligent, and thats a very high bar. It seems your bank are treating this as a legitimate company gone bust rather than a true scam  - what was the business called? 

You can see the reimbursement rules here: https://www.psr.org.uk/information-for-consumers/app-fraud-reimbursement-protections/

As others have said, escalate your complaint to the FSO.

I hesitate to say this is rubbish...it's the FOS.

Good spot! Edited the typo, the rest still stands.

MyRealNameToo

Woodstok2000 said:

marcia_ said:

akashi said:

In July 2025, I made a bank transfer of £4,000 to a travel agency for flight tickets. 

The agency had an office which I was able to visit and I was provided with an invoice.

I never received the tickets and the office was closed some weeks later. 

I later found out this was a scam and hundreds of people were victims of fraud like myself.

I raised a claim with Santander, they rejected the claim and stated this was a civil matter. They said should the director of the travel agency be arrested or prosecuted, they will review the claim again.

I reported the fraud to Action Fraud and was later contacted by the Metropolitan Police. They informed me that close to 800 people have been scammed by this director and they were treating this as a serious crime. They also confirmed there was an arrest warrant on the director. The lead detective told me to raise a claim with Santander as other victims have been reimbursed by Santander to his knowledge.

I contacted Santander again and provided the lead detectives contact details and crime reference number. I also told them they have reimbursed other victims and they said they will review the claim.

Santander have rejected the claim again stating they will only review this if the director is arrested or prosecuted. They have given me the option to complain to the Financial Ombudsman service.

Any thoughts on this? Surely they have set a precedent by reimbursing other customers of the same fraud? 

Thanks in advance. 

 

 I'm afraid I think your bank is right. As you paid by transfer rather than a card payment they are not liable. A police officer saying he thinks others have been refunded does not mean they have definitely. 

This is rubbish. Banks are liable for fraudulent bank transfers (Authorised Push Payment, or APP) under PSR regulations unless you've been grossly negligent, and thats a very high bar. It seems your bank are treating this as a legitimate company gone bust rather than a true scam  - what was the business called? 

You can see the reimbursement rules here: https://www.psr.org.uk/information-for-consumers/app-fraud-reimbursement-protections/

As others have said, escalate your complaint to the FOS (edited typo).

Sounds like the bank are disputing it is fraud and instead think its a basic insolvent company which APP regs dont cover.

Given the op paid by bank transfer they presumably know the name on the account as almost all banks now check the names match. So was it in the name of the business or was it a personal account? Assuming if its in the name of a business you've checked on Companies House and/or the London Gazette to see if its published its in financial distress etc? 

flaneurs_lobster

If it was a legitimate travel agency business would it not have had ABTA cover? 

Or am I just being naïve?

Woodstok2000

flaneurs_lobster said:

If it was a legitimate travel agency business would it not have had ABTA cover? 

Or am I just being naïve?

ABTA only covers non-flight packages.  ATOL protection covers flights but only as part of a package holiday (doesn't seem to be the case here).

I wonder if OP has travel insurance that may cover this though, if it was a genuine business that went under....

Woodstok2000

@akashi can you name the firm?

eskbanker

akashi said:

Surely they have set a precedent by reimbursing other customers of the same fraud? 

Not necessarily - it may be a timing issue, i.e. if, for the sake of argument, it was a legitimate business at some point (what was it that led you to spend £4K with them?) but later took payments in the full knowledge that there wouldn't be any travel supplied, then it's possible that some earlier customers might not be entitled to reimbursement if the activities weren't considered fraudulent at that point?