Online Fraud Reporting and Remediation Checklist

Online fraud needs fast action on several fronts at once, and the first hours matter more than anything you do later. Stopping further loss, alerting your bank so payments can be recalled, securing accounts the fraudster may still have access to, and reporting formally all need to happen more or less simultaneously. Recovery is far more likely when the bank hears from you quickly. Use this checklist in the first 48 hours after realising you have been defrauded.

The first hours decide how much you get back

Contact your bank immediately, using the number on the back of your card or the in-app chat rather than any number given to you by the person who contacted you. Ask them to stop and attempt to recall the payment, freeze the account and issue new cards. Speed genuinely matters: money moved through mule accounts becomes far harder to trace after the first day.

  • Then secure everything: change passwords from a device you know is clean, turn on two-factor authentication, and check for forwarding rules or unfamiliar devices on your email account, which is usually the fraudster's route into everything else.
  • Report formally: to Action Fraud, and to the platform or provider involved. Keep the reference number.
  • Then pursue recovery: reimbursement rules for authorised push payment fraud, chargeback for card payments, and Section 75 where a credit card was used within the statutory limits.

Keep every message, screenshot and transaction reference. Reconstructing the sequence later is difficult, and a clear timeline is what turns a bank complaint into a successful one.

If the bank refuses to reimburse you, that decision is not final — take it through the bank's complaints process and then to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free and decides these cases regularly.

First hour — stop the bleeding

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First 24 hours — report

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Evidence preservation

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Money recovery

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Identity protection

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Support and follow-up

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Helpful organisations

Citizens Advice

Charity

Provides free, confidential, and independent advice on a wide range of issues including benefits, housing, debt, and employment.

Visit website0800 144 8848

Frequently asked questions

Will my bank refund me if I authorised the payment myself?
Often yes. Reimbursement rules for authorised push payment fraud mean victims who were tricked into making a payment are usually refunded, with the cost shared between the sending and receiving banks. Reimbursement can be reduced or refused where a customer acted with gross negligence, which is a high bar and not the same as simply being deceived. Report immediately, be completely honest about what happened, and escalate if you are turned down.
What if the bank refuses my claim?
Ask for the decision and its reasons in writing, then use the bank's formal complaints process to obtain a final response. If that does not resolve it, refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free, needs no solicitor, and upholds a significant proportion of fraud complaints. Refer within the scheme's time limit from the final response, and send a clear timeline with the evidence you gathered in the first days.
Should I report it even if the money is gone?
Yes. Reporting to Action Fraud feeds the national picture and can link your case to others, which is how larger operations are identified and occasionally dismantled. It also gives you a reference number that banks, insurers and other organisations will ask for. Report to the platform involved as well, since that can get an account suspended before it reaches other victims. Keep the reference safe with the rest of your evidence.
How do I protect myself from follow-up scams?
Expect them. Victim lists circulate, and recovery fraud — where someone claims they can retrieve your money for a fee — targets people who have already been defrauded. No legitimate organisation charges an upfront fee to recover fraud losses, and neither the police nor your bank will ever ask you to move money to a safe account. Treat any unexpected contact about your case with suspicion and verify independently using a number you have looked up yourself.

Related guides

Recovering Money Lost to Online Fraud

Online fraud — including investment scams, romance fraud, purchase scams, and impersonation — costs UK victims billions of pounds annually. New rules from the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) introduced in 2024 require banks to reimburse most victims of Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud, significantly improving your chances of recovery.

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Action Fraud Reporting and Recovery

Action Fraud is the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, operated by the City of London Police. Reporting fraud is the first step towards a police investigation and towards recovering money. You should also report to your bank as quickly as possible — banks have fraud prevention teams and can sometimes reverse fraudulent transactions.

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Scam Recovery and Bank Reimbursement

If you were deceived into sending money to a fraudster by bank transfer — known as Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud — new rules introduced by the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) in October 2024 require most UK banks to reimburse you up to £85,000. This represents a major improvement in consumer protection. This guide explains how the reimbursement scheme works, what you need to do, and what to do if your bank refuses to pay.

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Authorised Push Payment Fraud: The October 2024 Reimbursement Rules

Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud is the biggest single category of financial crime in the UK. Until October 2024 reimbursement was patchy — voluntary CRM Code, varying bank policies, refusals on technicalities. The Payment Systems Regulator's new rules from 7 October 2024 made reimbursement mandatory for almost all consumer APP fraud, with a £85,000 cap and a 5-day decision window.

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Section 75 Consumer Credit Act Claims

Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 is one of the most powerful consumer protection tools available to UK shoppers. It makes your credit card company jointly and equally liable with the seller if the seller breaches the contract or makes a misrepresentation — meaning you can claim a refund from your bank even if the retailer has gone bust, is unresponsive, or refuses to help. Understanding how to use this right can recover hundreds or thousands of pounds.

8 min

Chargeback Claims

Chargeback is a process that allows you to ask your bank or card issuer to reverse a payment you made by debit or credit card where the transaction has gone wrong. It is a card scheme rule — part of the terms under which Visa, Mastercard, and American Express operate — rather than a statutory right. Despite this, it is a practical and effective route to recovering money for goods not delivered, services not provided, and fraudulent transactions.

7 min

Disclaimer

This information is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. Always check official sources and seek qualified help where needed.