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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Bank scam victims 'shouldn't be blamed for money lost' | Bank scam victims 'shouldn't be blamed for money lost' |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Banks have been warned that it's "not fair" to automatically blame customers for money lost through a scam. | Banks have been warned that it's "not fair" to automatically blame customers for money lost through a scam. |
| Last year, customers transferred nearly £240m to fraudsters, only a quarter of which was refunded by financial firms. | Last year, customers transferred nearly £240m to fraudsters, only a quarter of which was refunded by financial firms. |
| The Financial Ombudsman service said fraudsters' growing sophistication meant it was wrong to assume losses were due to customer carelessness. | The Financial Ombudsman service said fraudsters' growing sophistication meant it was wrong to assume losses were due to customer carelessness. |
| The service, which resolves customer disputes, said victims who lost money had a good chance of being reimbursed. | The service, which resolves customer disputes, said victims who lost money had a good chance of being reimbursed. |
| "It's not fair to automatically call a customer grossly negligent simply because they've fallen for a scam. | "It's not fair to automatically call a customer grossly negligent simply because they've fallen for a scam. |
| "That's especially true in light of the sophisticated way criminals exploit banks' security systems - and convince customers that their money is at risk," said Caroline Wayman, chief ombudsman and chief executive of the Financial Ombudsman Service. | "That's especially true in light of the sophisticated way criminals exploit banks' security systems - and convince customers that their money is at risk," said Caroline Wayman, chief ombudsman and chief executive of the Financial Ombudsman Service. |
| She said when a customer had fallen for a fraud or a scam, typically both they and the bank denied they had done anything wrong. | She said when a customer had fallen for a fraud or a scam, typically both they and the bank denied they had done anything wrong. |
| Customers hit by fraud | Customers hit by fraud |
| One customer called Brian contacted the Ombudsman service after his bank refused to refund him £7,000 in a text message scam. | One customer called Brian contacted the Ombudsman service after his bank refused to refund him £7,000 in a text message scam. |
| Brian received a message he thought was from his bank and unwittingly gave out his security details and passcodes. | Brian received a message he thought was from his bank and unwittingly gave out his security details and passcodes. |
| As a result, the bank said he had been grossly negligent and refused to refund the money. | As a result, the bank said he had been grossly negligent and refused to refund the money. |
| After reviewing the details, the Ombudsman decided it was a sophisticated fraud, and that the fraudsters had gained Brian's trust and therefore his actions were reasonable. | After reviewing the details, the Ombudsman decided it was a sophisticated fraud, and that the fraudsters had gained Brian's trust and therefore his actions were reasonable. |
| They forced the bank to reimburse Brian's £7,000. | They forced the bank to reimburse Brian's £7,000. |
| Another fraud victim called Jas contacted the Ombudsman over several large withdrawals on her monthly statement which she didn't recognise. | Another fraud victim called Jas contacted the Ombudsman over several large withdrawals on her monthly statement which she didn't recognise. |
| The bank said she must have made them herself or given someone her pin number. | The bank said she must have made them herself or given someone her pin number. |
| The Ombudsman found her account of what happened and the details about where she kept her card "consistent and plausible". | The Ombudsman found her account of what happened and the details about where she kept her card "consistent and plausible". |
| The bank was forced to refund the disputed transactions because the Ombudsman said the bank had also failed to show Jas had been grossly negligent. | The bank was forced to refund the disputed transactions because the Ombudsman said the bank had also failed to show Jas had been grossly negligent. |
| Ms Wayman said there was "a very high bar" for banks to prove customers had been "grossly negligent", meaning the banks were not liable for the money their customer had lost. | Ms Wayman said there was "a very high bar" for banks to prove customers had been "grossly negligent", meaning the banks were not liable for the money their customer had lost. |
| "If they can't do that, it's likely we'll tell them to cover the money their customer has lost," she said. | "If they can't do that, it's likely we'll tell them to cover the money their customer has lost," she said. |
| Examples of the tactics used by fraudsters including creating fake websites which look identical to banks' online systems - or text messages which look like they're from someone's bank. | Examples of the tactics used by fraudsters including creating fake websites which look identical to banks' online systems - or text messages which look like they're from someone's bank. |