Romance Scam Bank Refund — Recovering Money Lost to Online Fraud

Romance scams — where fraudsters build an emotional relationship online before requesting money — cause devastating financial and emotional harm. Under the PSR's mandatory reimbursement rules, your bank may be legally required to refund the money you transferred, even though you believed you were helping someone you cared about.

Quick Answer: Romance-scam bank transfers qualify as APP fraud: from 7 October 2024, UK banks must reimburse victims up to £85,000 within 5 business days under the PSR's mandatory rules. UK Finance recorded 3,270 romance-scam cases and £36.5 million in losses in 2023. Source: PSR APP Fraud Reimbursement Rules 2024; UK Finance 2024.

How Romance Scams Work

Romance scammers typically operate across dating apps, social media platforms and WhatsApp. The pattern is consistent:

Contact made through dating app, Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp — often from an attractive, seemingly successful profile
Relationship built over weeks or months — the fraudster becomes emotionally significant to the victim
An emergency or investment opportunity is introduced — medical bills, a business opportunity, customs fees or crypto investment
Money transferred by the victim — often multiple times and in increasing amounts
The fraudster disappears — the profile is deleted, calls go unanswered

Your Bank's Duty Under the PSR (October 2024)

From 7 October 2024, all UK banks and payment providers must reimburse victims of Authorised Push Payment fraud — including romance scams — up to £85,000, unless the bank can show the customer acted with gross negligence. Generic fraud warnings are not sufficient grounds to refuse reimbursement.

Banks also have duties under Consumer Duty (July 2023) to maintain adequate systems to detect and prevent romance scam payments. Where a bank fails to implement these systems and you suffer loss as a result, they may be liable for the full loss regardless of the PSR cap.

Emotional Manipulation and "Gross Negligence"

A key defence banks attempt to use is that victims acted "gross negligently" by ignoring warnings. The FOS has consistently rejected this argument where psychological manipulation is demonstrated. Romance scammers are highly sophisticated — the FOS recognises that victims are often in a state of emotional dependency that impairs rational judgment. Courts have held that this reduces or eliminates any contributory negligence finding.

What Evidence Helps Your Claim?

Screenshots of all messages, emails and social media communication with the fraudster
The fake profile (photograph, name, claimed occupation)
Bank statements showing all transfers made
Any correspondence you had with your bank about the transfers
Any fraud report reference from Action Fraud or your local police

Frequently Asked Questions

I feel embarrassed about what happened — do I have to explain everything?

We handle all cases with complete discretion and without judgment. You are the victim of a sophisticated criminal operation. Our sole focus is recovering your money.

My bank says I ignored their warnings — is my claim defeated?

Not necessarily. The bank must show they issued specific, targeted warnings about romance scams — not generic fraud notices. The FOS regularly upholds romance scam claims against banks that gave insufficient warnings, particularly where psychological manipulation is demonstrated.

Does 'gross negligence' apply to romance scams?

The PSR rules allow a bank to refuse reimbursement only where the victim acted with gross negligence — a very high bar. The FOS has consistently held that emotional manipulation in romance scams does not amount to gross negligence.

Can I claim if the transfer was made months ago?

Yes — you have up to 13 months from the last authorised payment to raise the claim under the PSR rules. Older losses may still be recoverable via FOS complaint or civil action.

Talk to us — confidentially

Call 01228 272 395, email info@edwardamaury.co.uk, or start your claim online. Related: APP fraud claims, investment scam refunds.