Chase Bank Ignored My Scam Report. How I Escalated It and Got a Response

Chase Bank scam report ignored. What happens when a bank doesn’t listen?

If you’ve reported a scam to a bank and been told there’s nothing they can do, you’re not alone.

If you report a scam to a bank and they brush you off, it feels like a dead end. You’ve done the right thing, you’ve handed them everything they need, and still nothing happens.

This is a real case showing what actually happens when you don’t leave it there and push it further.

The scam

This one started with a text. The classic “Hey mum, are you busy?” message.

I played along, knowing exactly what it was. It didn’t take long before the ask came through. They needed money. Urgent. Problem with banking. Same script people fall for every day.

But this time, instead of blocking the number, I kept the conversation going ... there was one key piece of information I wanted from this scumbag who was trying to scam me out of my hard earned cash ... and it didn't take long ... I teased a littlemore and there it was ... they sent over bank details for the payment. A UK account. A real one.

That’s the key moment. Most people stop there. I didn’t.

Reporting it to the bank

I did a quick lookup online of the sort code and contacted the bank involved and passed over everything. The sort code, the account number, and screenshots of the conversation, I explained that the people who owns the bank account (from their bank, a Chase UK bank account), tried to scam me, now I know I'm not the only person on their list, so perhaps they scammed others and manage to get some funds into this account illegally!

This is where you expect things to kick into gear. Fraud team picks it up. Account gets reviewed. Maybe even frozen. Procecutions happen ...

But no, I was asked to call the bank, then informed that there was nothing they could do.

That was the response. No follow-up. No interest. Just a dead end.

I was fuming

This wasn’t about getting money back. No money had been sent. I knew it was a scam.

This was about stopping the next person from sending it, and potentially slowing down a scamming operation and better still, get the funds back to the victims.

If a bank is told one of its accounts is being used in a live scam, that should be enough to trigger action. At the very least, a proper review.

What I got instead was a brush-off.

Raising a formal complaint

At that point in my eyes it stopped being a fraud report and became a service issue.

I raise the issue with the Financial Ombudsman, I wanted to know if they could do anything, while sympathetic, they couldn't do anything until I had recieved a "final response" and if I was still unhappy with that outcome, then I could reopen the case with the Financial Ombudsman!

I submitted a formal complaint. Clear timeline. Evidence attached. Straight to the point.

The complaint was acknowledged, then… nothing.

No updates. No outcome. Just silence.

Eight weeks passed. That matters. That’s the point where you’re entitled to escalate.

Hitting the wall

Trying to chase it up didn’t help. Emails triggered automated replies. Calls went nowhere. It felt like the whole thing had just disappeared into a system.

This is where most people give up ...but once I get the bit between my teeth I don't give up, especially not when I know that something is wrong and it needs fixing.

So if you are ever in this situation, you have a decision to make. Leave it, or push it. I thin ou know what I did!

Escalating beyond customer service

Every bank has an executive or escalation route. It’s not advertised, but it exists.

These teams sit outside day-to-day support. They look at complaints differently. Less script, more common sense, a little bit of poking around in Google and I found the email address to the Chase Executive Complaints (chase.executive.complaints@chase.com), so I escalated the complaint directly.

This is where I softened actually, because I also found the email address to Kuba Fast, the Chase UK CEO and decided this time not to send it there *yeah, getting soft in my old age* - althought to be perfectly honest, these emails usually just go to the Executive Complaints Team anyway! 

Anyway, once I sent this email, things changed.

The outcome

The bank came back with a proper response. Thank you Michael.

They admitted the complaint hadn’t been handled correctly. They acknowledged that I hadn’t received the service I should have expected. They also confirmed that feedback would be given internally to improve how similar cases are handled.

They did not share what happened to the account. That’s normal. But when i pushed the point, they did hint that it was been investigated. Now thats the win I wanted.

But the tone had completely shifted. The issue had finally been taken seriously. They didn't make me sound like a mad man for persuing this.

AND a goodwill payment was offered as part of the resolution. That wasn’t the point, and it never was, but it was welcome all the same.

What actually made the difference

Not shouting. Not threatening. Not giving up.

The turning point was escalation to their senior team, not relying on their frontline staff (who probably have KPIs set for clearing queries as quickly as possible).

Once the issue reached the right level, it was looked at properly.

That’s the gap most people don’t realise exists.

What to do if a bank ignores your report

If you ever find yourself in the same position, a few things matter.

• Keep everything. Screenshots, messages, account details.
• Report it properly. Action Fraud, the bank, and any relevant channels.
• If you get brushed off, raise a formal complaint.
• If that stalls, escalate it beyond standard customer service.
• Stay factual. Stick to the timeline. Don’t overcomplicate it.

You don’t need to be a customer to raise a concern about how a bank handles fraud reports.

You just need to be persistent enough to get it in front of the right people.

The bigger point

Most scams (and scammers) rely on speed and silence.

Speed from the scammer. Silence from everyone else.

Breaking that pattern makes a difference. To be honest when I get any scam message I love to respond, it wastes the scammers time, and in my mind, the more time they waste the less time they have to scam someone else ... and every-so-often, they send their banks details so you can try to get them investigated.

In this case, one account was flagged, reviewed, and pushed through the system properly. That might stop someone else losing money. BIG WIN.

That’s worth more than any goodwill payment.

FAQ about reporting scams to banks

What should I do if I receive a scam message asking for money?

Do not send any money. Take screenshots, keep the number, and report it to your bank and Action Fraud. If bank details are provided, report those too.

Can a bank investigate a scam account if I’m not their customer?

Yes. While they won’t share outcomes with you, banks can and should review accounts reported as being used for fraud.

What if the bank says there’s nothing they can do?

Raise a formal complaint. If that doesn’t get a proper response, escalate it. Front-line answers are rarely the final position.

How long does a bank have to respond to a complaint?

Banks have up to eight weeks to issue a final response. If they don’t, you can escalate the complaint further.

Can I complain to the Financial Ombudsman if I’m not a customer?

Usually no. The Ombudsman typically only handles complaints from customers of the business involved, but for something like this, they might step in.

What is the best way to escalate a complaint with a bank?

Use formal complaints first, then escalate to executive or specialist teams. Keep your communication clear, factual, and focused on the timeline.

Will the bank tell me what happened to the scam account?

No. Due to data protection, banks won’t share details about other customers, even if action is taken.

Is it worth reporting a scam if I didn’t lose any money?

Yes. Reporting helps flag accounts being used for fraud and can prevent others from being targeted.