Common types of Authorised Push Payment scams include:

• Purchase scams, where criminals pretend to sell things that don’t exist, for example through second-hand marketplaces.

• Impersonation fraud, where criminals claim to be someone from a bank, the police or another trusted organisation to steal money. Criminals may pretend to be Triodos Bank to trick you into making payments into fraudulent accounts.

• Romance fraud, where victims are tricked into believing they are in a relationship, with the motive of stealing money and other personal information.

• Invoice fraud, where criminals are able to intercept genuine invoices or produce false invoices to redirect payments into fraudulent accounts.

How can I protect myself?

Before making a payment, follow the advice from Take Five.

• Take a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or personal information. It could keep you safe.

• Ask yourself, could it be fake? It’s okay to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.

• Do your research and be suspicious of any too-good-to-be-true offers or prices.

• Remember, your bank or the police will never ask you to transfer money to a safe account.

• If you’re unsure or are suspicious then talk to a trusted friend or family member before making your payment.

For more information, please visit the Take Five website.

If you receive a call, email or text message claiming to be from Triodos Bank, take a moment to think about if it's a genuine request. 

What happens if I'm the victim of an Authorised Push Payment scam?

Rules for reimbursement of Authorised Push Payments have been set by the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), the body that regulates payment systems in the UK. The rules only apply to payments made on or after 7 October 2024.

Triodos has updated your product terms and conditions to reflect your right to ask us for reimbursement whereby you authorise a payment via Faster Payment or CHAPS which turns out to be part of a scam. 

When is a fraudulent Authorised Push Payment covered?

The new rules mean that banks must reimburse Authorised Push Payment  scam claims which meet the below criteria. If you have authorised a payment which does not meet the below criteria, please still contact us as soon as possible on 0330 355 0355 (or +44 (0)1179 739339 if calling from abroad) to report this.

Here's a list of what is covered:

• Payments made within the UK. You are not covered for a payment sent overseas.
• Payments made using Faster Payments (a quick way of sending money between bank accounts).
• Payments made using CHAPS.
• Payments from personal accounts if they are not being used for trade or business.
• Payments made by micro-enterprises and certain charities.

Here's a list of what is not covered:

There are some situations where you won’t be able to get your money back. This includes if:

• You haven’t taken the steps needed to meet the Consumer Standard of Caution.
• You paid using cash, a cheque, or a credit, debit, or prepaid card.
• It’s a civil dispute: for example, if you've paid a genuine retailer or business but you aren’t satisfied with the product or service you’ve received.
• You have acted fraudulently yourself – including if you have lied or misrepresented your circumstances for financial gain.
• It’s a payment you have made to another account that you control.
• The payment you made is unlawful: for example, if the payment was for an illegal item.
• It is a payment to and from an account with a credit union, municipal bank, or a national savings bank.

If a payment is taken from your account by someone else without your permission it is called unauthorised fraud. For example, if your bank card is stolen and used to buy something in a shop or online. There are separate rules that cover this type of fraud. Contact us immediately if you spot any transactions that you do not recognise.

What if I am a victim of a scam which is not covered by these rules?

If you think that you have been a victim of a scam which is not covered by these rules, for example, you have authorised a fraudulent payment to another Triodos customer or a non-UK account, please still report this to us as soon as possible. We will investigate your case and provide you with further information on next steps.

Every claim will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. As part of the process, we will consider the evidence presented by you, any service providers involved and – where relevant – a third party, such as the police.

We may not reimburse money lost as the result of an Authorised Push Payment scam if you have not taken certain steps before and after you make the payment. These steps are known as the Consumer Standard of Caution, and are as follows:

• You need to follow our warnings, such as an alert that the payment you are making is fraudulent or could be fraudulent. You also need to follow any instructions from the police or the National Crime Agency.
• You must report the fraud as soon as you can, and no more than 13 months after the last fraudulent payment was made.
• We may ask you for additional information about your claim. You need to make sure you respond to these requests.
• Once you have made a claim, we may ask you to report the details of the fraud to the police.