Indeed, most UK banks have signed up to a code of reimbursement — but according to many, this doesn’t go far enough. Crucially, there is a great deal more banks could do to leverage their data and the latest technology to prevent these attacks in the first place.

Social engineering increased during the pandemic, as more banking activity took place online. While enhanced technical controls have offset attacks of online services, individual consumers remain easy targets for fraudsters.

With more contextualised and dynamic services, bank customers can be empowered to become more attuned to nefarious activity. This may obviate the potential risk that consumer complacency can set in if the burden of responsibility lies solely with the banks.

That said, banks need to come away from any notion that friction is their customer service enemy. It isn’t. Important considerations for banks include verification of the person engaging with the customer, improved flagging of obviously anomalous transactions, real-time intervention when flags are raised, and greater protection of non-mobile channels, which arguably serve customers who may be more vulnerable to scams. Ultimately, the guiding principle is that banks must fashion themselves as a trusted communication source.

Sign up for this Finextra webinar, hosted in association with OneSpan, to watch our panel of industry experts as they discuss the following areas:

• What is the current state of APP fraud, and why are tougher measures being introduced?
• What are the different approaches to the prevention of such scams? Are banks making full use of the mobile technology they have at their fingertips?
• With the onus being on banks to exercise caution, how likely are we to see fraud levels increase still further?