The “police officer” had me withdraw cash and hand it to a courier, not make a transfer. Am I still covered?

The mandatory reimbursement scheme only covers bank transfers — Faster Payments and CHAPS — so a cash handover falls outside it. You should still report to your bank and the police immediately, and you can still complain to your bank if it failed to question a large, out-of-character withdrawal it should have flagged; the Financial Ombudsman Service can consider that complaint on its own facts. Real police never collect cash, cards, or goods from your home.

They had me move the money in several transfers over two days. Is each one a separate claim?

No — transfers that are part of the same scam are treated as one claim, and the 13-month window runs from the last payment in the series. The £85,000 cap applies to the claim as a whole, not per transfer. List every payment, with dates and amounts, when you report.

My banking app showed a scam warning during the payment and I clicked through it. Have I lost my right to a refund?

Not automatically. A warning only counts against you if ignoring it amounted to gross negligence — and the bank has to prove that, taking into account the pressure and deception you were under at the time. A generic pop-up rarely outweighs a live caller who appeared to be your bank, knew your details, and had pre-armed you with reasons to dismiss the warning. Describe exactly what the caller told you about the warning when you make your claim.

I only realised it was a scam weeks later. Is it too late?

Almost certainly not. You have 13 months from the payment to make a reimbursement claim. The chance of freezing and recovering the actual funds fades quickly, but your right to reimbursement from your own bank does not depend on the money being found. Report as soon as you realise, whatever the delay.

I lost more than £85,000. What happens to the rest?

The scheme cap is £85,000 per claim, but that is not necessarily the ceiling on what you recover. The Financial Ombudsman Service can look at your whole loss and at both banks' conduct, and its own award limit is far higher. For very large losses, civil action against identified account holders — or advice from a solicitor about your specific facts — is worth considering alongside the scheme claim.

The scammers called back offering to help recover my money for an upfront fee. Is that genuine?

No. It is a recognised second-stage fraud that targets people shortly after a first loss, sometimes using details from the original scam to appear credible. Legitimate reimbursement — from your bank, or the ombudsman — never requires an upfront fee. Hang up, and mention the follow-up call in your Action Fraud report.

Start My Claim

I Sent Money to a “Safe Account” a Scammer Set Up. Can I Get It Back?

The “safe account” call is impersonation fraud, squarely covered by the mandatory reimbursement scheme: refunds up to £85,000.