Fraud
The question
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to strengthen redress mechanisms for consumers who have been victims of fraud.
Answered by Rachel Blake
The Government takes the issue of fraud very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this appalling crime. In March 2026 the Government published a new Fraud Strategy, setting out a comprehensive approach to cutting fraud by disrupting criminal infrastructure, safeguarding vulnerable people and improving the system-wide response to harm.
The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has introduced a mandatory reimbursement regime for Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams taking place over the Faster Payments and CHAPS payment systems. Under the regime, in-scope payment service providers are required to reimburse victims up to the value of £85,000, with responsibility split equally between the sending and receiving firms. The PSR has publicly committed to reviewing the impact and effectiveness of its APP reimbursement regime and has commissioned an independent review of its rules.
Where an unauthorised payment transaction takes place, consumers are protected by the Payment Services Regulations 2017, which require payment service providers to refund unauthorised transactions, subject to some exceptions. Card scheme rules may also allow cardholders to request a refund through their card issuer in certain circumstances, including some cases of fraud.
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