Examples of Authorised Push Payment (APP) Scams

The fraudster pretends to form a romantic relationship with the victim, often online. Over time, they build trust and eventually claim to be in a financial, health or other crisis, asking the victim to transfer money to help them. The victim, believing they are helping someone they care about, sends the money to the fraudster. 

The fraudster pretends to be a friend or family member in urgent need of money, often claiming to be in trouble abroad. They might contact the victim through social media or a compromised email account, asking for money to be transferred quickly to help them out of a difficult situation. Trusting the request to be genuine, the victim sends the money, only to find out later that their friend or family member was never in trouble.

The fraudster convinces you to move your money to a fund that doesn't exist or to pay for a fake investment. The criminal will usually promise a high return. These scams include investment in items such as gold, property, carbon credits, cryptocurrencies, land banks and wine.