Table of Contents
- What the Case Was About
- What Banks Usually Do
- What Is Authorized Push Payment (APP) Fraud?
- What the Court Said
- Can Banks Refuse to Follow Instructions?
- What if someone else gave the instruction?
- When Should Banks Ask Questions?
- What Happens If the Customer Gave the Instruction?
- Why This Is Important for People in Pakistan
- Need Legal Help? Contact Muhammad Amin Advocate
1. What the Case Was About
A woman in the UK was tricked into sending money to scammers.
She told her bank to make the payment.
Later, she found out she had been scammed.
She tried to hold the bank responsible.
At first, the court rejected her case.
But the Court of Appeal allowed it to continue.
This ruling has made many people—even in Pakistan—wonder:
Can banks be held responsible when someone is scammed?
2. What Banks Usually Do
Banks follow your payment instructions.
If your account has money, they send it.
They usually don’t ask why.
They don’t check if it’s a scam.
3. What Is Authorized Push Payment (APP) Fraud?
APP fraud happens when someone tricks you into sending money.
You think you’re paying for something real,
But you’re actually sending money to a scammer.
You told the bank to pay, so they did.
4. What the Court Said
The court said:
Even if a customer gave the instruction,
a bank might still be responsible
if it had reasons to suspect fraud
and did nothing to stop it.
This is a big deal.
It means banks might have a duty to protect customers
in some scam cases.
5. Can Banks Refuse to Follow Instructions?
Yes—if their contract allows it.
Banks can write in their terms:
“We won’t make the payment if we suspect fraud.”
That would protect both the bank and the customer.
6. What If Someone Else Gave the Instruction?
Sometimes someone acts on your behalf, like a staff member or friend.
They tell the bank what to do.
If the bank thinks that person is cheating you,
They should check with you before sending money.
7. When Should Banks Ask Questions?
If the payment looks strange or risky,
The bank should pause and ask:
“Is this really what you want to do?”
This is called being “put on inquiry.”
It means the bank has reason to be suspicious.
8. What Happens If the Customer Gave the Instruction?
If you clearly told the bank to pay,
and everything looks normal,
The bank usually follows your order.
Even if it turns out to be a mistake,
they are not expected to stop you—
unless they saw clear signs of fraud.
9. Why This Is Important for People in Pakistan
People in Pakistan also face online scams and bank fraud.
Every day, people lose money to fake investment schemes.
fraudulent bank calls scam links sent through WhatsApp.
This case shows that banks could be held accountable—
but only if you take legal action.
You must prove the bank had a chance to stop the fraud
and failed to do so.
10. Need Legal Help? Contact Muhammad Amin Advocate
If you lost money in a scam or need legal advice,
Muhammad Amin Advocate can help.
He has experience handling fraud cases, banking disputes,
and consumer protection matters.
Visit him at Office No. 14, Zeb Plaza, University Road, Tahkal Payan, Peshawar.
Or call 0313 9708019 for a consultation.