The code, developed by consumer groups and the industry, follows work led by the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR). It is one of a number of initiatives the regulator has been driving forward to stop these devastating scams from happening in the first place, and to make sure people really are protected if they do fall victim to them.
From today, people who fall victim to an APP scam now have a greater chance of getting back their money because the banks have committed to do more for consumers.
Chris Hemsley, Co-Managing Director of the PSR said:
“APP scams can have a devastating impact on the people who fall victim to them. The code is a major step-up in protections and it reflects our strong belief that if somebody has done everything they can reasonably do to protect themselves, they should be reimbursed. I welcome the commitment that these banks have made to their customers.
“There has been a significant amount of work by consumer groups and the industry to develop and deliver this code and we are really pleased that these new protections are now available.”
If people fall victim to an APP scam and notify their bank, banks which have signed up to the code have committed to deciding whether to reimburse within 15 working days. If anyone is unhappy with the way a bank has handled their complaint, they should refer it directly to the Financial Ombudsman Service who will undertake a review of the matter, whether or not their bank has signed up to the code.
Those that have signed up to the code include: Barclays, HSBC (including HSBC, First Direct, and M&S Bank); Lloyds Banking Group (including Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, and Intelligent Finance); Metro Bank; Nationwide; RBS (including Royal Bank of Scotland, Natwest, and Ulster Bank); Santander (including Santander, Cahoot, and Carter Allen); and Starling Bank.