Recover your Money for Free: Make a Claim by Yourself

If you have been scammed, you do not necessarily need a solicitor to try to get your money back. It is possible to make a claim yourself, entirely for free, by complaining to your bank and escalating to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) if needed.

This guide walks you through exactly how to do that, step by step.

That said, it is worth knowing upfront: the process can be more complicated than it first appears. Banks do not always make it easy, and the rules around what you are entitled to are not always applied correctly. Many people who start the DIY route find that having expert support makes a significant difference to the outcome and the amount recovered. But if you want to try it yourself first, here is how.

Step 1: Complain to Your Bank

The first step in recovering your money is to make a formal complaint to your bank.

How to contact your bank

Different banks have different complaint procedures. Some accept complaints by email, some only list a telephone number, and others offer a live chat option through their app. If your bank still has branches on the high street, you may be able to visit in person.

Whatever method you use, make sure you have a written record of when you complained and what you said. This is important if you need to escalate later.

What to include in your complaint

Your complaint should set out clearly what happened, including:

When the scam took place. Include the date or dates of any payments made.

How much you lost. Give the exact amount or amounts transferred.

How the scam happened. Explain how you were deceived, including any pressure tactics used, who you thought you were paying, and why.

What you want. State clearly that you are requesting a full refund under the APP fraud mandatory reimbursement rules, which came into force in October 2024.

Evidence. Attach everything you have — screenshots, emails, texts, transaction records, and any other documentation connected to the scam.

What happens next

Your bank has up to 15 working days to respond if the complaint relates to a payment, or up to eight weeks for other complaints. If you are lucky, your bank may offer to refund all or part of your loss at this stage.

If you are unhappy with their response, or they do not respond within the relevant timeframe, you can escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Note: If your bank rejects your complaint, do not assume that is the end of the matter. A rejection from your bank is not final, and this is where many people benefit from expert help. CEL Solicitors can review your case and build a compelling complaint before escalating to the FOS on your behalf.

Step 2: Escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service

If your bank rejects your claim or fails to respond within the required timeframe, your next step is to take your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

The FOS was set up in 2001 as a free, independent service for customers with complaints against financial service businesses, including banks and payment providers. Using the FOS costs you nothing.

How to submit a complaint to the FOS

You can submit a complaint online via the FOS website. You must do this within six months of receiving your bank’s final response letter.

Before you submit, make sure you have:

Your bank’s final response letter. The FOS will need to see this before they can consider your case.

A clear account of what happened. The same detail you included in your bank complaint, ideally with the same supporting evidence.

Any further evidence. If you have gathered additional information since your bank complaint, include it here.

The initial assessment

Once you have submitted your case, a case handler at the FOS will carry out an initial assessment. They will examine your claim based on the evidence provided and their understanding of the situation, and they will decide what money, if any, should be returned to you.

If both you and your bank are happy with the case handler’s decision, you can accept it and close your complaint.

The ombudsman’s decision

If either you or your bank refuses to accept the case handler’s terms, the case can be escalated to an ombudsman for a final binding decision.

The ombudsman will re-examine your case and give both parties time to gather more evidence and make final representations before a ruling is made. Once the ombudsman has concluded, both parties will be informed in writing. You must accept or reject the decision by a specified date.

If you are still unhappy with the outcome, the FOS will not be able to help further. At that point, you would need to seek legal advice.

Why This Process Can Be Harder Than It Looks

The steps above are straightforward enough to follow on paper. In practice, the process can be significantly more difficult.

Banks do not always respond promptly or fairly. The rules around gross negligence, what counts as adequate fraud warnings, and what a bank’s duty of care actually requires are complex, and banks sometimes use this complexity to their advantage when assessing claims.

Building a strong, well-evidenced complaint that accurately sets out how the bank failed in its duty of care takes time, knowledge of financial regulations, and an understanding of how the FOS operates.

This is something we see every day at CEL Solicitors.

Carol’s Story

Carol lost £150,000 to a scam. When she complained to her bank herself, they offered her £50 as an apology.

Carol refused to accept that and reached out to CEL Solicitors for help. We drafted a highly detailed complaint to her bank, setting out precisely how they had failed in their duty of care. Due to the strength of that complaint, Carol received £179,000 back from her bank — including additional compensation and interest on top of her original loss, highlighting how inadequate that initial £50 offer had been.

Carol’s case is not unusual. Many people who initially try to go it alone find that banks offer far less than they are entitled to. In some cases, having a specialist firm handle the complaint from the start results in a significantly better outcome.

When It Makes Sense to Get Help

There is no shame in deciding the DIY route is not for you. Here are some situations where getting professional support is likely to make a real difference:

Your bank has already rejected your claim. A refusal at this stage does not mean you have no case. It may simply mean your complaint was not framed strongly enough.

You lost a significant sum. The higher the amount, the more important it is to make sure your complaint is as strong as possible. The difference between a well-constructed complaint and a weak one can be tens of thousands of pounds.

You are not sure whether you have a case. You do not need to have all the answers before getting in touch. CEL Solicitors offers a free, no-obligation case review.

You find the process distressing. Going back through the details of a scam can be emotionally difficult. Our recovery teams handle all the complicated and distressing parts on your behalf, so you do not have to.

How CEL Solicitors Can Help

At CEL Solicitors, we see hundreds of scam claims every day. We know exactly how banks operate, what arguments they use to reject claims, and what the Financial Ombudsman Service needs to see to decide in a victim’s favour.

We have recovered over £120 million for scam victims across the UK, including many clients who initially tried to go it alone and received far less than they were entitled to. We work on a no-win, no-fee basis — so there is no financial risk to finding out whether we can help.

You are not alone. If the DIY route feels too much, or has already hit a wall, just tell CEL. We listen, we care, we win.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a scam claim myself without a solicitor? Yes. You can complain directly to your bank for free, and if they reject your claim, you can escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service at no cost. However, the process can be complex, and the strength of your complaint has a significant impact on the outcome. Many people find that professional support leads to a better result.

How long does my bank have to respond to a scam complaint? Your bank has up to 15 working days to respond to a complaint about a payment, or up to eight weeks for other types of complaint. If they do not respond within this timeframe, you can escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

What if my bank rejects my claim? A bank rejection is not final. You can take your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free within six months of receiving your bank’s final response. Alternatively, CEL Solicitors can review your case and advise whether the rejection was justified.

How long does the Financial Ombudsman Service take? Timescales vary depending on the complexity of the case. Simple cases can be resolved within a few months, but more complex cases can take considerably longer. The FOS will keep you updated throughout the process.

What is the time limit for complaining to the Financial Ombudsman Service? You must submit your complaint to the FOS within six months of receiving your bank’s final response letter. Do not wait too long after receiving that letter, or you may lose the right to escalate.

Is it worth using a solicitor instead of going to the FOS myself? It depends on your circumstances. If your bank has already rejected your claim, or you lost a significant sum, having a specialist firm build and manage your complaint can make a substantial difference to the outcome — as Carol’s story shows. CEL Solicitors works on a no-win, no-fee basis, so there is no financial risk in finding out whether we can help.