Complaints about fraud and scams soar to nearly 3,000 in north-west England
Complaints about fraud and scams soar to nearly 3,000 in north-west England
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Complaints about fraud and scams are up by a third in the north west of England, according to new figures from the Financial Ombudsman Service. Nearly 3,000 complaints were lodged with the service from the North West between April and December 2024, up by a third on the same period in 2023. Around half of complaints were about authorised push payment (APP) scams, where people are tricked into transferring money to a fraudster’s account, believing they are making a genuine payment.
Scammers may, for example, pose as legitimate businesses to sell fake goods, such as cars, or promote non-existent services. The Financial Ombudsman Service helps people if they have lost money because of a fraud or scam, and their bank refuses to refund them. James Dipple-Johnstone, deputy chief ombudsman at the Financial Ombudsman Service, said: “Being the victim of a fraud or scam can be a life-changing experience – both emotionally and financially – but support is available. In recent years, as a result of our investigations into thousands of cases across the UK, more than £150m has been returned to those who have fallen victim to these crimes.
“Consumers should raise any suspicious transactions with their bank as soon as possible. If people don’t feel they have been treated fairly and are then unhappy with how their financial provider has handled their complaint, they can come directly to our service. Getting a fair answer is free and easy.”. The Financial Ombudsman Service assess complaints and makes a decision about what happened using evidence from consumers, the financial business and any relevant third parties.
It will then say whether it thinks the business treated someone fairly and can order the bank to reimburse someone if they find they have not. Consumers are warned a bank would never contact you and ask you to move money, and social media adverts offering spectacular returns on investments are most probably scams. Get our money-saving tips and top offers direct to your inbox with the Mirror Money newsletter.
