Santander - Fraud Reimbursement

Scotjock

Chief_of_Staffy said:

marcia_ 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 FOS (edited typo).

 Not rubbish at all. This isn't a APP Scam it's a business failure. 

It is rubbish. When someone sets up a company, takes almost £2m, then disappears a few months later, with the money yet without providing any service, it's difficult to imagine a clearer case of APP fraud.

Not sure about this as others have said its not fraud, this is no different than Thomas Cook, they took the money offering a service which ar some point they provided before they ran out of money, its insolvency not APP fraud, OP should end up a creditor. As its a bank transfer no liability on the bank.

marcia_

Scotjock said:

Chief_of_Staffy said:

marcia_ 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 FOS (edited typo).

 Not rubbish at all. This isn't a APP Scam it's a business failure. 

It is rubbish. When someone sets up a company, takes almost £2m, then disappears a few months later, with the money yet without providing any service, it's difficult to imagine a clearer case of APP fraud.

Not sure about this as others have said its not fraud, this is no different than Thomas Cook, they took the money offering a service which ar some point they provided before they ran out of money, its insolvency not APP fraud, OP should end up a creditor. As its a bank transfer no liability on the bank.

 I agree. As per your example Thomas cook will have known for some time they were in trouble yet kept taking bookings in the hope something could save them. They went bust and nobody has accused them of fraud or APP. 

Bendo

Scotjock said:

Chief_of_Staffy said:

marcia_ 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 FOS (edited typo).

 Not rubbish at all. This isn't a APP Scam it's a business failure. 

It is rubbish. When someone sets up a company, takes almost £2m, then disappears a few months later, with the money yet without providing any service, it's difficult to imagine a clearer case of APP fraud.

Not sure about this as others have said its not fraud, this is no different than Thomas Cook, they took the money offering a service which ar some point they provided before they ran out of money, its insolvency not APP fraud, OP should end up a creditor. As its a bank transfer no liability on the bank.

Not sure it's that clear cut. looking at what's on companies house, they never filedv any accounts and appear to have been struck off the register without objection . 

The OP has been vague,  he gave the company name,  but hasn't said whether the account he transferred the money to was a business account in that name or not. 

It's entirely possible the money was sent elsewhere...

I've no idea why people don't take take some personal responsibility though,  who on earth transfers 4K to a  company that's never filed accounts and has so many red flags.

wmb194

Bendo said:

Scotjock said:

Chief_of_Staffy said:

marcia_ 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 FOS (edited typo).

 Not rubbish at all. This isn't a APP Scam it's a business failure. 

It is rubbish. When someone sets up a company, takes almost £2m, then disappears a few months later, with the money yet without providing any service, it's difficult to imagine a clearer case of APP fraud.

Not sure about this as others have said its not fraud, this is no different than Thomas Cook, they took the money offering a service which ar some point they provided before they ran out of money, its insolvency not APP fraud, OP should end up a creditor. As its a bank transfer no liability on the bank.

I've no idea why people don't take take some personal responsibility though,  who on earth transfers 4K to a  company that's never filed accounts and has so many red flags.

It was probably an amazing deal.

akashi

@Woodstok2000 & @Chief_of_Staffy

Thanks to you both, you were both correct. This was a fraud and Santander finally admitted it once they spoke with the Met police.

I received my reimbursement which was covered by the Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM) Code.

The business director has fled the country and is a wanted person by the police.

Woodstok2000

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81908328#Comment_81908328

Great news - what a relief for you.