Is a faster-payments bank transfer refundable if I was scammed?

When you are tricked into authorising a bank transfer to a scammer, it is called authorised push-payment (APP) fraud. Unlike card payments, bank transfers do not have automatic chargeback rights. However, many banks in the UK and other countries have voluntarily adopted reimbursement codes, and some jurisdictions have made partial reimbursement mandatory. Your chances of recovery are highest if you report to your bank on the same day, as banks can sometimes recall funds before they are moved onward. Even if full reimbursement is refused, you should still file a police report and a report with your national fraud body, because it creates a record and supports any later appeal. Keep all evidence: messages, screenshots, and transaction references.

How you tell the story to your bank affects the outcome, so tell it plainly and completely: you were deceived, here is the contact that started it, here is what you were told, here are the messages. Reimbursement assessments often turn on whether you acted reasonably and whether you ignored explicit warnings, so volunteering the full picture — including warnings you saw and why the deception overcame them — is stronger than a minimal account. If the first decision goes against you, ask for it in writing and use the bank's complaints process; many refusals are overturned on review or by a financial ombudsman where one exists.

One pattern to expect afterwards: reported victims are frequently recontacted by 'fund recovery' services claiming they can retrieve the money for an upfront fee. Legitimate recovery flows through your bank, the receiving bank, and law enforcement — none of whom charge victims fees to pursue it. Paying a recovery service turns one loss into two.