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What is an Authorised Push (APP) Payment scam?

An Authorised Push Payment scam (APP Scam) is a form of Authorised Push Payment Fraud (APP Fraud) and it’s where a scammer convinces a person or a business to make a payment to a bank account that’s controlled by the scammer.

The victim goes ahead with the payment, believing they’re sending money to someone or somewhere legitimate, but the funds actually go to the scammer. APP Scams aren’t like traditional fraud, where transactions could be unauthorised and/or occur without the account holder knowing. APP Scams involve the victim being deceived to the extent they willingly transfer money to a scammer.

You can learn more about Authorised Push Payment Scams and how to protect yourself from them here.

Your rights to reimbursement if you’re a victim of an APP scam

The Payment Services Regulator (PSR) has recognised the increasing and significant impact that APP scams are having on customers.

From 7 October 2024, new rules were introduced which changed what banks and building societies need to do when they’re told someone has been the victim of APP fraud. They all need to have processes in place to make sure that all claims of APP Scams are fully investigated and when the set claim criteria is met, the victim is fully reimbursed for the amount they’ve lost in the Scam.

Protecting yourself from APP Fraud Scams

To help us protect you from Authorised Push Payment (APP) Fraud, here’s what to look out for and what to do if you think you may be targeted:

Be cautious

Be wary of unexpected emails from a business or person letting you know that their payment details have changed – especially if the email says something needs doing quickly. Fraudsters tend to say there’ll be made-up consequences if you don’t do something quickly to try and catch you off guard.

Don’t make any payments without checking the bank details you’re using. The best place to check is through an independent source like an official website or formal document.
If something doesn’t feel right, take a moment to think. Talk to someone you trust – a family member, or a friend.

Look out for warnings from us or relevant authorities.

Report anything suspicious

If you think you’ve been targeted by a scam, let us know straight away. We’re here to help, and the quicker you tell us, the sooner we can take action.

Share information

We may need more information to help with any investigation we’re doing. Please make sure you provide everything we ask for and anything else you have. The smallest detail could make all the difference.

Work with authorities

In some cases, to resolve the fraud, the police might be involved to the point where we ask you to cooperate with them. This could be directly or through us.

By staying alert and working together, you can be better protected from APP fraud.  For more information on APP Scams including how to protect yourself, please click here.

Who can make a claim for APP Reimbursement?

Victims of APP Fraud can make a claim to the bank or building society they’ve sent the payment from to be reimbursed for any funds they’ve lost as part of an APP Scam.

Under the APP Fraud Reimbursement Rules, victims could be anyone using Faster Payments and CHAPS after 7 October 2024 through any Payment Service Providers (PSPs) that offer accounts in the UK. This affects:

  • Individuals
  • Charities
  • Micro-enterprises (employees fewer than 10 persons and/or has a turnover or annual balance sheet that does not exceed £2 million)

Every claim will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, the maximum claim limit is £85000 and all claims must be made within 13 months of the final payment being made as part of the APP scam.

What’s not covered by the APP fraud reimbursement rules?

Claims won’t be reimbursed in the following cases:

  • If the person making the claim committed fraud or was grossly negligent
  • Payments were made before 7 October 2024
  • The claim was submitted more than 13 months after the final payment
  • Transactions were outside of the UK
  • Payments were made through non-bank systems, by cheque(s), or in cash
  • Payments made to an account under the control of the person making the claim
  • Civil disputes
  • Payments through credit unions, municipal banks, or national savings banks.

How can I make a claim for reimbursement?

If you think you’ve been the victim of a scam which has involved you sending money electronically from your Mansfield Building Society account to an account elsewhere, you need to let us know as soon as possible.

There are three ways you can tell us that you’ve you been a victim of an APP Scam:

  1. Complete our Online Claim Form which you can find at mansfieldbs.co.uk\app-fraud-reporting. It’s important that you answer all the questions with as much detail as you can.
  2. Contact us by telephone. You can call us on 01623 636350 and we’ll complete the Form with you over the phone.
  3. Call in to any of our branches. Our branch colleagues will complete the form with you in person.

What happens when I make a claim for reimbursement?

You should only complete our APP Scam Claim Form if you’ve sent funds from your Mansfield Building Society account that you now think is part of a scam.

We can only investigate claims for scam payments that have been sent from a Mansfield Building Society account. If you sent the payment from another bank or building society, you need to get in touch with them as soon possible.

Once we receive a completed APP Scam Claim Form, we’ll start our investigation. Please make sure you give us your up-to-date contact details as we’ll send you updates on our progress. We might also need some more information from you and if we can’t get hold of you, it could impact any reimbursement of funds you’ve lost through the scam.

We’ll aim to complete our investigation and reimburse you within 5 business days of us getting all the necessary information and documentation for your claim. In more complex investigations, it can take up to 35 business days.

For more information on APP Scam Payments, please head over to our dedicated webpage here.

We understand how hard it can be when you’ve been the victim of a scam, and we’ll give you as much support through the process as we can. If you need to speak to someone about your situation and how you’re feeling, you can contact Victim Support which is an independent charity dedicated to supporting victims of crime. You can find more information on how you can access their services on their website at victimsupport.org.uk or by calling them on 0808 1689 111.

Your Account Terms and Conditions

We’ll soon be updating the General Account Terms and Conditions that apply to your Savings Account to ensure they reflect your new rights under the reimbursement rules. Until then and from 7 October 2024, you can make a claim for reimbursement under the new rules if you are a victim of APP Scam.

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