Purchase Scams
Have you been scammed by a “too good to miss” deal?
Fraudsters advertise enticing deals on cars, holiday rentals, or electronics on online platforms, but then vanish once payment is made, leaving you out of pocket. If you have fallen victim to a fraudulent deal and paid for goods that never arrived, Complex Law can help you to pursue recovery through complaints or court action.
The Facts
What is a purchase scam?
Purchase scams involve criminals offering goods for sale that either don’t exist or are misrepresented – most commonly via social media, online sales or auctions, or fake versions of a trusted retailer’s website. Victims are usually pressured to make an upfront payment or transfer a significant deposit to “secure” the deal. Once the funds are transferred, the seller disappears, leaving the goods undelivered.
The law
Depending on the type of scam and how it was carried out, you may have several legal avenues available. These include Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud redress or civil claims against the perpetrators of the fraud or recipients of the funds. You may also be able to raise a complaint or bring a case against your bank under the CRM Code or Payment Services Regulation if they missed warning signs of fraud.
Your rights
Yes, in many cases, we can help victims of purchase scams recover part or all of their lost funds. Depending on the case, we may be able to trigger urgent payment recalls, obtain disclosure to identify the account to which your money has been transferred, and pursue the recipients or “money mules” involved in the transfer. We may also be able to secure reimbursement from your bank if they have failed to protect you adequately.
Next steps
It’s essential to act as soon as you’re aware that a purchase scam occured. Contact your bank to raise an APP fraud alert. Request recalls of any payments or chargebacks if a credit or debit card was used. Stop all contact with the scammer, and make no further payments. Gather the evidence you have – emails, texts, screenshots, wallet addresses or payment details and speak to Complex Law to plan the best way forward.
How Complex Law can help
We combine fast response with focused recovery tactics—bank recalls and complaints, platform disclosures, court orders for information and asset preservation, and targeted claims against recipients.
Rapid bank and platform engagement
Our experienced fraud team can assist you with freezing or recalling payments, drafting preservation letters to online marketplaces or payment processors, and collating and formatting evidence packs.
Disclosure, tracing, and injunctions
We may be able to use Norwich Pharmacal/Bankers Trust orders and injunctions to identify the accounts and individuals involved in the scam, or trace crypto transfers through exchanges and on-chain.
Claims against recipients and facilitators
We can represent you in claims against banks that have not followed proper anti-fraud procedures, or bring deceit, misrepresentation, or unjust enrichment claims against perpetrators.
Recovery strategy and cost control
We’ll help control costs by planning a recovery strategy that is proportionate to the funds at stake, with fixed or staged fees available depending on the details of your specific case.
Do you have a claim?
If any of the points on our checklist apply to you, or you’re in a similar situation, it may be advisable to seek urgent legal advice.
If that’s the case, speak to Complex Law to discuss your situation in more detail and explore the options available to you.
Claim checklist
You sent a bank transfer or crypto payment after seeing a discounted listing.
The seller asked to move off‑platform or refused secure payment methods.
The listing or website has disappeared, or communication has stopped.
Your bank either refused, delayed, or rejected your recall or complaint.
You’re being asked for extra “shipping,” “insurance,” or “release” fees.
Legal services tailored to your needs
Our practice is focused on three areas of law: Consumer Claims, Individuals, and Businesses (Complex 360), making it easy to match your legal issue with the right team and strategy.
Consumer Claims
If you’ve been missold a loan or targeted by fraudsters or scammers, you don’t have to face the fallout alone. We’ll represent you on a no-win, no-fee basis.
What Others Say
Hear from our past clients
We’re proud of our success rate. Over the last four decades, we’ve helped thousands of clients secure the judgments, compensation, settlements, or resolutions they were seeking.
Excellent rating
Paul W
Ridiculously easy to check and apply. All the searching is done for you in literally one minute. A soft credit check is required but doesn't impact your score. Go and claim what’s rightly owed!
Kathleen H
This is the first time I have contacted Complex Law. It was easy and I got a quick response. I was shocked how many finance companies they found within half an hour. There was no way I would have remembered these companies.
Sidali S
Really pleased with how easy it was to fill out the complaint form. The layout was clear, and the steps were simple to follow, which made the whole process quick and stress-free. It’s great to see such an efficient and user-friendly system in place.
Frequently asked questions
If you don’t find the answer to your question here, get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to help.
Yes – financial institutions are now required to reimburse customers who fall victim to Authorised Push Payment (APP) purchase scams in cases involving the Faster Payments and CHAPS systems. We can help you seek reimbursement via APP fraud complaints if your bank missed red flags, and if the bank’s response is unsatisfactory, escalate your claim to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which has the power to compel banks to compensate victims of purchase fraud.
Credit card payments may be protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, which applies to purchases between £100 and £30,000. You may also be able to recover funds if a credit or debit card was used, by following the chargeback process set by your card issuer or bank. PayPal payments can be disputed via the Resolution Center within your account dashboard. If you’re not confident on how to report a scam purchase, speak to Complex Law. We’ll advise on the quickest recovery route and handle any correspondence on your behalf.
Victims of purchase scams who made payments in cryptocurrency may worry that the nature of these digital currencies makes recovery unlikely. In fact, with the right evidence, we may be able to trace on‑chain flows, seek disclosure from exchanges, and apply for proprietary and freezing relief against wallets or exchanges. It’s therefore essential that you keep a record of any cryptocurrency exchanges or wallet addresses given to you by the scammer.
Yes, if the purchase scam occurred via an established online marketplace, recovery can be more straightforward, as the platforms can preserve data and, with the right justification, be compelled to disclose the seller's identity. We can help you draft and direct preservation requests and, if needed, seek court orders to obtain information relevant to your case.
In cases involving purchase scams, the more evidence that you can preserve, the higher the chances that you will be able to recover the funds or have them reimbursed. Typical evidence we can use to aid recovery includes screenshots of the original product or service listings, online messages or texts, URLs of the relevant websites, order confirmations, bank transaction details, wallet addresses, and any photos or videos used to promote the product or service you expected to purchase.
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