Authorised Push Payment (APP) Fraud

Last updated: April, 2025

Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud is a devastating crime. It happens when a person is tricked into sending money to a fraudster via bank transfer. They pretend to be someone they know and trust.

At times, they convince victims to send money to someone for what they believe is a genuine purpose, but it is all part of a scam.

Most APP scams are completed instantly. Scammers will try to pressure their victims into deciding, or more importantly, making a payment, before they are able to realise that they are a victim of a scam.

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Eligibility

If a client has been subject to a scam, the client may be eligible for reimbursement:

  • The Rules offer reimbursement to victims of APP fraud who made UK bank transfers: GBP payments to third parties at different UK bank accounts via CHAPS or Faster Payments Service (FPS)
  • The protections apply to individuals, microenterprises, and charities

The Rules

The new APP Fraud Rules, issued by the Payment Services Regulator, came into force on 7 October 2024:

  • The payment must have been made on or after 7 October 2024.
  • The client must report the fraudulent payment as soon as possible and within 13 months of the payment being debited from the client's account.
  • The client is currently entitled to a reimbursement of up to £85,000.
  • The client can expect to be reimbursed within 5 business days of making a claim.
  • In some cases, more time may be needed by the payment firm to gather information from victims to assess the scam.

In such cases, to make sure there aren't any delays in reimbursement, the payment firm must arrive at an outcome within 35 business days.

The client should report the scam to the police as soon as possible or consent to Breinrock UK to report it on their behalf.

Payments You've Made to Another Account You Control

  • The transaction is not eligible:
    • The Rules do not cover international payments or payments through other systems like SWIFT
    • Other payment types, including card, cash, and cheque have their own protections in place
    • The payment was made to another account that the client has control over — not to a third party
  • The client fails to report the fraudulent transaction within 13 months of it being debited from the client's account
  • The client was deemed to have acted with gross negligence, provided false information or was a participant in the APP scam

For further information, please visit the Payment Services Regulator website: www.psr.org.uk

If you think you have been a victim of an APP Scam, contact Breinrock UK immediately.
By Phone: 020 3150 0357
Monday to Friday (excluding UK Bank Holidays)
From 9am to 5pm – UK time
(If you are calling us from outside the UK: +44 20 3150 0357)
Calls may be recorded for monitoring & training purposes
By Email: [email protected]

Types of APP Fraud

The label 'APP Fraud' covers a broad spectrum of scams.

Here are some of the most common to look for:

• Impersonation Scams:

This is where criminals gain a customer's trust by impersonating trusted individuals or legitimate organisations such as banks, family, friends, HMRC, the police, delivery companies, retailers or tradespeople, to trick consumers into transferring them money.

Impersonating HMRC is a prominent scam, especially in the run-up to self-assessment deadlines. Fraudsters may cajole victims into sharing details through bogus fines or rebates. If you receive a text message claiming to be from a government department, get in touch directly to check whether it's legitimate, and avoid following any links contained in the message.

• Purchase Scams:

With a purchase scam, fraudsters offer goods and services that never materialise. This type of fraud is typically carried out online, often through social media or fake websites that mimic legitimate brands. These could be designer clothes, tech gadgets, holidays, and tickets.

As sales and special offers flood the market in the run-up to Christmas, this type of fraud is particularly prevalent.

If something feels too good to be true then it most likely is.

Always check the legitimacy of the seller and their reviews to see if they are genuine. If you're asked to transfer directly into an account this should alert you that something isn't right. If you're asked to pay straight away and the seller is being pushy, this is most likely a scammer.

• Romance Scams:

This is when fraudsters imitate or develop a fake persona and enter into an online relationship with their victim — usually a 'romance' — which is built on lies to gain sympathy and trust from their victims, before requesting money, often using a fabricated emotionally manipulative backstory.

The intent is to make their victims panic for the fraudsters' safety or health, resulting in giving away their savings and money to them.

• Investment Scams:

Criminals convince victims to 'invest' with promises of high or guaranteed returns. The investment could be in anything including property, cryptocurrency, or land. Scammers usually will not provide any documentation or legitimate contracts.

If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

• Loan Fee Scams:

Criminals charge victims an administration fee for a loan they never receive. It tends to be more prevalent during the summer months, when consumers may turn towards credit to cover extra costs such as holidays and summer childcare.

• Lost Pet Scams:

Scammers are claiming to have found missing pets, and demanding a ransom for their return. Criminals scour lost pet forums to find missing animals, before demanding payment from worried owners.

They often use images of the missing pet pulled from social media, websites or faked with artificial intelligence, in a bid to convince owners the animal has really been found.

If anyone demands money for the return of your pet, contact the police immediately rather than paying the ransom.