The Financial Ombudsman Service has published details on protecting your personal information and what to do if you have a complaint about a fraud or scam, and don’t think you’ve been treated fairly by a financial business. 

Every year we see thousands of complaints involving fraud and scams. The circumstances are wide-ranging, from disputed card transactions and cash-machine withdrawals to online banking fraud and identity theft. The type of complaint is constantly evolving too, as fraudsters develop new – and increasingly sophisticated – methods, or seek to exploit events, like the current impact of Covid-19.

Some fraud and scams can be very convincing – for example, using fake websites that look identical to banks’ online systems, or text messages that to look like they’re from someone’s bank.

We’re sharing what we see in complaints about fraud and scams to help consumers protect their personal information. We also explain how we can help if consumers have a complaint and don’t think they’ve been treated fairly.

Latest news

Financial Ombudsman Service received over 140,000 complaints in the second half of 2024

6 May 2025

Data published today shows how many complaints we received about financial businesses in the second half of 2024.

H2 data Press release

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Financial Ombudsman Service sets ambitious targets for case resolution in 2025/26

3 April 2025

We will address significant demand and improve the efficiency of our case resolution processes, according to plans for the year ahead published today.

Plans and budget Press release

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Charges for professional representatives to refer cases to the Financial Ombudsman Service come into force today

1 April 2025

From 1 April 2025, professional representatives will be charged £250 to refer a case to our service due to our new charging regime.

CMC

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