DEAN DUNHAM: I lost £780 to a very credible fraudster… but now the bank says it’s my fault

Last week I received a call from a caller claiming to be a member of Metro Bank’s fraud protection team.

She informed me that my account had been compromised and that they needed to verify how much had been fraudulently withdrawn from my account.

The lady then said she had to go over my security questions.

She asked personal questions, including asking me for my 12-digit customer number, security number and my magic word.

She then said she needed to access my account and therefore asked me to confirm my account details.

Rejected: Metro Bank is refusing to refund the £780 a reader lost to a phone scammer, suggesting they were negligent

Although I found this strange, I was so convinced that I had already been scammed that I simply gave up all the information.

It turns out the call was a scam and I lost £780 from my account to scammers.

I have told my bank but they tell me that they will probably find that I was negligent and therefore won’t be able to help me. What can I do?

Debra Green, via email.

Dean Dunham replies: Many banks, including Metro, have signed up to the Contingent Reimbursement Model Code for scams that involve transferring funds to fraudsters in the UK.

Banks that have signed up to the code are obliged to compensate their customers if they fall victim to a fraud in which they transfer money to a fraudster’s account, unless they conclude that they had should have known that it was a fraud and could have prevented the fraud by exercising proper care.

In this regard, you are expected to heed any fraud warnings from your bank and think carefully before transferring money to someone you have not yet paid.

If you fail to do this, you will be deemed to have acted negligently, giving your bank a good reason to deny your claim.

If Metro Bank determines that you have acted negligently and denies your claim, you can lodge a complaint with the Financial Ombudsman Service.

It has been clear in the past that the bar for “negligence” is high and goes well beyond mere carelessness.

The Ombudsman also recognizes how convincing sophisticated fraudsters can be and will not quickly find you have acted negligently unless you were clearly negligent. Based on the facts you shared with me, I believe it would be in your favor.

What rights do I have as a season ticket holder in the event of a train strike?

I have a season ticket for work in London so I am affected every time there is a train strike. What rights do I have?

Richard Jacobs, via email.

Dean Dunham replies: As a season ticket holder, you can request compensation for the strike dates on which you were unable to arrive using the so-called “Delay Repay” regulation.

Passengers with Advance, Anytime or Off-Peak tickets can have their ticket refunded free of charge if the train for which the ticket was booked is cancelled, delayed or postponed.

If the rail operator rejects your complaint, you can file a complaint with the rail ombudsman. To be eligible, you must either have received a deadlock letter from the service provider (i.e. a letter setting out the final position on your complaint) or at least 40 working days must have passed without your complaint being resolved.

You must also submit your complaint to the Ombudsman within 12 months of the service provider’s final response.

• Write to Dean Dunham, Money Mail, Scottish Daily Mail, 20 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6DB or email d.dunham@dailymail.co.uk. The Daily Mail accepts no legal responsibility for the responses.