---
title: "Complaints about online bank transfer scams hit a record high"
publisher: "Share Talk"
author: "sharetalk"
published: "2024-09-04T08:24:23+00:00"
modified: "2024-09-04T08:24:23+00:00"
date: 2024-09-04
canonical: "https://www.share-talk.com/complaints-about-online-bank-transfer-scams-hit-a-record-high/"
category: "B2B"
categories: ["B2B", "Blogs", "Business & Support Services", "Technology", "Technology, Media & Telecoms"]
tags: ["BANK", "credit", "debit cards", "dishonest activity", "Financial Ombudsman Service", "fraud victims", "online bank", "Pat Hurley", "pay fraudsters", "Regulators", "suspected fraud", "transfer scams", "UK", "Victims"]
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format: "news"
language: "en-GB"
---

# Complaints about online bank transfer scams hit a record high

**Published:** September 4, 2024
**Author:** sharetalk
**Categories:** B2B, Blogs, Business & Support Services, Technology, Technology, Media & Telecoms
**Tags:** BANK, credit, debit cards, dishonest activity, Financial Ombudsman Service, fraud victims, online bank, Pat Hurley, pay fraudsters, Regulators, suspected fraud, transfer scams, UK, Victims
**Featured image:** ![](https://i0.wp.com/www.share-talk.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/dreamstime_xxl_160829256-scaled.webp?fit=1200%2C730&quality=80&ssl=1)

---

According to new data, online bank transfer scams have driven fraud complaints to a record high.

The Financial Ombudsman Service received over 8,700 complaints about fraud and scams between April and June, a 43% increase from the previous year and the highest quarterly level ever recorded.

More than half of these complaints were from victims of “authorised push payment” (APP) fraud, where individuals are tricked into willingly transferring money from their bank accounts to scammers.

The Ombudsman attributed the spike to a rise in people unknowingly using their credit or debit cards to pay fraudsters. It also warned that these scams are becoming “more complex and convincing,” sometimes involving multiple banks and professional representatives.

This comes as the government prepares to grant banks new powers to block large payments for up to four days under new fraud prevention rules, allowing them an extra 72 hours to investigate suspected fraud or dishonest activity.

Regulators are also reportedly considering lowering the maximum compensation banks must pay fraud victims from £415,000 to £85,000, following pressure from ministers and payment firms.

Pat Hurley, the Ombudsman’s director for banking, commented:

“Fraudsters’ methods are always evolving, and we continue to see that reflected in the complaints brought to our service.

We currently receive—and resolve—around 500 fraud and scam complaints each week. In all the cases we handle, we look at the individual circumstances to determine whether a business fulfilled its obligations. When we uphold complaints, we expect firms to learn from our findings and apply them to future customer interactions.”

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