Fraud and mental health
If you were experiencing mental health difficulties at the time you were scammed — depression, anxiety, grief, or any other condition — the law recognises this as a vulnerability factor that strengthens your claim and triggers enhanced bank obligations.
Check if you can claim →Free, no-obligation eligibility check. Takes 5 minutes.
Mental health as a vulnerability factor
Under PSR rules and FCA Consumer Duty, mental health conditions are a recognised vulnerability factor. This includes diagnosed conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar disorder, as well as situational factors like grief, emotional distress from a relationship breakdown, or the emotional manipulation inherent in romance scams.
You don’t need a formal diagnosis. If your mental state at the time affected your ability to recognise the scam or resist the fraudster’s pressure, this is relevant.
How this strengthens your claim
If mental health made you more susceptible to the specific scam, your bank must reimburse you regardless of whether you met the consumer standard of caution. The £100 excess cannot be applied.
Your bank is also expected to have detected signs of vulnerability — for example, unusual transaction patterns, distressed behaviour in branch, or account activity inconsistent with your normal pattern. Failure to act on these signs strengthens your claim.
Sensitive handling
We understand that discussing mental health in the context of fraud can be difficult. Our team is trained to handle these cases with complete sensitivity and confidentiality.
We never require more detail than is necessary, and we work at your pace. If you’d prefer to communicate through a family member or friend, we can arrange that.
If you need emotional support beyond what we can provide, organisations like Mind (0300 123 3393), Samaritans (116 123), and Victim Support (0808 168 9111) offer free, confidential help.
Key points
- Mental health conditions are a recognised vulnerability factor under PSR rules
- Enhanced protections apply — no £100 excess, lower caution threshold
- You don’t need a formal diagnosis — situational mental health counts
- Banks should detect and respond to signs of vulnerable customers
- We handle every case with complete sensitivity and confidentiality
Common Questions
Fraud and mental health FAQ
No. While medical evidence can support a vulnerability claim, it’s not required. We document your circumstances at the time based on what you tell us. If medical evidence would significantly strengthen your case, we discuss this with you sensitively before requesting anything.
No. Your bank has a duty to proactively detect vulnerability, not just respond to it when disclosed. If your transaction patterns or account activity should have raised concerns, this is a failing on the bank’s part regardless of whether you told them about your mental health.
We operate on a no-win, no-fee basis under a Damages-Based Agreement. If your claim is unsuccessful, you pay nothing. If we recover funds for you, our fee is a percentage of the amount recovered. The exact percentage is clearly explained before you sign anything, as required by SRA regulations.
The PSR mandatory reimbursement scheme applies to payments made within 13 months. For older cases, the Financial Ombudsman can consider complaints up to 6 years from the event, or 3 years from when you became aware. We can assess your eligibility during the free initial review.
Fraud and mental health?
We can help.
Free eligibility assessment. No obligation. Takes 5 minutes.
Check your eligibility →