My bank warned me about a potential scam before I transferred money but I ignored it — can I still get a refund?
Ignoring a bank fraud warning is a factor that affects your claim but does not automatically disqualify you from reimbursement — the quality of the warning and the sophistication of the fraud are both relevant to whether you acted reasonably.
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
Explanation
Many banks now display fraud warnings during the payment process, particularly for large or first-time payments. If you received and proceeded past such a warning, your bank may cite this as evidence of 'gross negligence' or as a reason to reduce or deny reimbursement under APP fraud rules.
However, not all warnings are equally clear or effective. A generic warning that 'this could be a scam' shown during every payment is very different from a specific warning targeted at your exact transaction type. The Financial Ombudsman Service looks at the specificity, prominence, and reasonableness of the warning in context.
The sophistication of the fraud is also relevant. If you had been given a convincing reason by the scammer to explain away the warning (for example, being told by a fake bank employee that the warning appears routinely and can be ignored), this is a relevant factor in assessing whether you acted reasonably.
This is general information. Whether you are entitled to reimbursement despite ignoring a warning depends on the specific circumstances, the quality of the warning, and your reasons for proceeding. The FOS is the appropriate route if your bank refuses your claim.
Common red flags
- You received a highly specific fraud warning naming the type of scam you were about to fall for
- The bank explicitly told you they were pausing the payment due to fraud concerns and you instructed them to proceed
- You were warned by multiple parties (bank, friends, family) and proceeded anyway
What to do now
- Request details from your bank of exactly what warning was shown and when
- Provide context for why you proceeded: what the scammer told you about the warning
- Submit a formal complaint to your bank arguing the warning was insufficient or generic
- Escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service if the bank refuses reimbursement
- Include evidence of the fraud approach in your FOS complaint to demonstrate sophistication
Frequently asked questions
Does clicking 'I understand this could be a scam' remove all my rights?
Not necessarily. Banks cannot simply show a generic disclaimer and use it to deny all claims. The FOS looks at whether the warning was genuinely adequate to protect you given the specific circumstances. An overly generic disclaimer does not automatically amount to gross negligence.
What if the scammer told me the bank warning was routine and to ignore it?
This is a common tactic in authorised push payment fraud, where scammers instruct victims to explain away bank warnings. Telling the FOS that you were specifically coached to dismiss the warning by the fraudster is directly relevant to whether you acted reasonably in ignoring it.