Fraud awareness

5. APP Fraud Policy

APP Fraud Reimbursement Policy: What You Need to Know

If you are a victim of APP Fraud, there are specific rules that govern how this type of fraud is dealt with by financial institutions.

Introduction to APP Fraud

What is APP Fraud? APP fraud occurs when a customer is tricked into authorising a payment to a fraudster. This often happens through deceptive communication, such as phone calls or emails. We are committed to protecting our customers and ensuring that you have the information you need to recognise and report fraud.

Coverage Under the APP Fraud Reimbursement Policy

All consumers are covered under the APP Fraud reimbursement rule. A consumer is defined as:

  • A natural person acting on their own behalf
  • Charities with an annual income of less than £1 million
  • Micro-enterprises, which are defined as businesses with fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover and balance sheet total of no more than EUR 2 million

What is not covered?

  • Payments made before the 7th of October 2024
  • Civil disputes
  • Fraudulent actions by the customer
  • Unlawful payments
  • Case reported more than 13 months after the final payment
  • Payments that are not Faster Payments

From 7th October 2024, you are protected by new rules from the Payment Systems Regulator. They mandate Payment Service Providers such as WhitesPay to refund customers who are victims of APP scams.

Here’s how we keep your transactions safe and assist you if you become a victim of a scam:

  • Quick Reimbursement: If you fall victim to APP fraud, we will reimburse you up to £85,000 within five business days. In some situations, we may need extra time to investigate, but this will not exceed 35 days.
  • Limited Exceptions: Reimbursement may be denied if you have acted with gross negligence and failed to take reasonable steps to protect yourself. However, we also consider whether you were in a vulnerable position at the time, which could have affected your ability to avoid the scam.
  • Support for Vulnerable Customers: We follow the FCA’s guidelines for vulnerable customers and take our obligations seriously. If your vulnerability played a role in the scam, you would still receive full protection.
  • Shared Responsibility: We take a joint approach to fighting fraud. If a scam occurs, the payment firms sending and receiving the money share the cost of reimbursing victims equally.
  • Comprehensive Protection: With uniform protection standards, most APP fraud victims will be reimbursed within five days, ensuring you recover quickly. Vulnerable customers are given extra safeguards to protect them from scams.

Making a Claim

If you think you need to submit a claim for reimbursement, please get in touch with APPFraudReporting@whitespay.com or call +44 (0) 20 8154 3174. We strive to reply by 5 PM on the next business day.

Inquiries from non-customers

If you are not a WhitesPay customer but believe WhitesPay played a role, please contact the payment provider or bank that processed the transaction.

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