Scamwatch: 'I lost £5,000 to an NHS text scam, but my bank wouldn't reimburse me in full'
Dear Which?,
Two years ago, my husband was targeted by a scam. It started with a text message claiming to be from the NHS, offering him a Covid test.
This seemed plausible as he was receiving treatment for cancer and was therefore high risk. He clicked through and provided his card details.
He then received a call claiming to be from our bank’s fraud team, Santander. This person sounded professional and knew where we lived. They said fraudsters were trying to take money from our account and identified the ‘NHS’ text message as the likely source.
My husband, still uneasy, asked how he could be sure they were genuine. The scammer ‘proved’ their trustworthiness by sending a text appearing to come from Santander. We didn’t know at the time that it’s possible for fraudsters to disguise their number.
In total, he sent just over £5,000. When we realised he’d been tricked, we contacted Santander, but only £2.58 was recovered from the scammer’s bank.
Santander reimbursed 50%, but it wouldn’t refund in full because it said it wasn’t reasonable for my husband to believe the call was genuine.
We disagreed and followed Which? advice about complaining to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). It sided with us. Santander was forced to pay the remaining money plus interest.
Name supplied, Shrewsbury
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Faye Lipson, Which? senior researcher, says:
This is a powerful example of what the FOS can do for scam victims.
The FOS was clear that, given your husband’s health and the convincing nature of the scam, it was reasonable for him to believe what the scammers told him.
Santander is signed up to the Contingent Reimbursement Model code, which means it should reimburse victims of bank transfer scams in full in certain circumstances - including if the customer was vulnerable at the time of the scam.
We asked Santander why it hadn’t reimbursed you in full in the first place.
It explained that its initial decision was based on information available at the time and that it was during the FOS investigation that further information regarding your husband’s health emerged. As you’ve said, you’ve now been fully reimbursed.
From October, a change in the law will mean that most banks and e-money providers will be expected to reimburse victims of bank transfer scams in most circumstances.
What to do if you've transferred money to a scammer
If you think you've been scammed, contact your bank or card provider immediately and report the scam to Action Fraud, or call the police on 101 if you’re in Scotland.
If you transferred money to a scammer, your bank may be able to stop the transaction or attempt to recover your money.
If the money can't be reclaimed, you can make a formal complaint to the bank.
If your bank refuses to reimburse you, you can escalate your complaint to the FOS.
Find out more
- Discover which banks are worst at refunding fraud victims
- We explain more about what to do if you fall victim to a bank transfer scam
- Learn about upcoming redress measures for fraud victims
