Authorised Push Payment fraud

What is Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud?

APP fraud is a scam where someone is tricked into sending large amounts of money by bank transfer to a fraudster posing as a genuine payee. The victim authorises the payment, thinking it’s legitimate but it’s part of a fraud scheme. Find out more about different types of scams here.

What is the APP reimbursement regulation?

This regulation came into effect on 7^th October 2024 to help protect customers. It means you may be eligible for a refund if you fall victim to APP fraud.

You can find more information here.

Do I need to do anything?

You don’t need to do anything and you don’t need to register to be covered by the scheme.

Am I eligible for the scheme?

As of 7^th October 2024 if you are an individual, micro enterprise or charity, you’re automatically eligible for reimbursement if you are victim of APP fraud.

How do I make a claim?

Let us know straight away if you think you’ve sent a payment to a fraudster’s bank account. You can get in touch with us by email or phone by clicking here.  We’ll review your claim and get in touch if we need any further information.

You need to make a claim within 13 months of sending the initial payment, or the last payment if you sent more than one.

We won’t be able to reimburse you for any claims that involve the following:
• Fraud or gross negligence committed by the claimant
• Payments made before 7th October 2024 or more than 13 months after the final scam payment date
• Transactions made outside the UK
• Payments to an account that you control
• Civil Disputes
• Payments made via non-bank systems, cheques or cash
• Payments made through credit unions, municipal banks or national savings banks

You should also report this to Action Fraud, the National Fraud and Cyber Crime Reporting Centre and your local Police.

How much can I claim?

You can make a claim for any amount, although this regulation only covers you for £85,000, so any amount over that would be paid on a discretionary basis.

When will I get my refund?

After you submit your claim, we’ll carry out an investigation and will usually refund you within five working days. If we need more time to investigate, it may take up to 35 days. We’ll let you know if this is the case.

Do the rules protect all payments?

No, this is only for payments you make to another bank account by Faster Payment or CHAPS, sent on or after 7th October 2024.  These are the two payment types that Hodge will use to effect your payments.

Is there an excess to pay?

We’ll apply a £100 excess from the total refund. This is a fixed amount for each claim you make.

For example, if your claim is for £2,000, your refund will be £1,900.

If something prevents you from being able to protect yourself while making a payment, we won’t apply the excess.

We won’t be able to refund your money if you provide false details or pretend to be someone else.

How to stay alert

So you can protect yourself from potential scams, always be careful when making payments and report any suspected fraudulent behaviour straight away. You’ll need to provide as much information as possible so we can help you as best we can.

Further support

If you need additional support for specific needs or have recently experienced a change in circumstances which affect your ability to protect yourself, the excess may not apply. In these cases, we’ll also consider the financial impact of applying the excess.

We’ll assess your claim based on your individual circumstances. If you have any further questions on APP Fraud or need any assistance, we’re here to help. You can get in touch using the details above and we’ll do our best to help you in any way we can.