Fraud and scam complaints hit highest level recorded by ombudsman service

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In the first quarter of this financial year, consumers lodged 8,734 gripes about fraud and scams, the Financial Ombudsman Service said. Nobody should be afraid to come forward Abby Thomas, chief ombudsman By comparison, in the same period in the first quarter of the 2023-24 financial year, 6,094 scam complaints were recorded. “No matter how complex a case is, people can come with confidence to our free, independent service and we’ll investigate their complaint.” We are currently receiving – and resolving – around 500 fraud and scam complaints a week Pat Hurley, FOS Many banks have signed up to a voluntary code which provides additional protection for consumers, and means they are reimbursed unless there are exceptional circumstances. However, the ombudsman service said it has seen a significant rise in complaints where people spot investment opportunities on social media and then inadvertently pay fraudsters using their debit or credit cards.