It dialed the phone numbers on each bank's website for reporting current account fraud - only a handful of which are dedicated hotlines. Monzo was excluded from the game, because it told people to use an in-app chat function. Six of 11 banks' helplines charge a fee. It was said.
The call to be answered the fastest lasted only 10 seconds. It was made to First Direct, a bank designed to communicate with customers over the phone. First Direct had the shortest average call waiting time of 16 seconds.
The feeling of being scammed is already stressful for victims, without having to wait for long periods to get through to your bank, according to the director of policy and advocacy.
Victims are told to contact their bank immediately because every second counts. Some firms taking longer than half an hour to answer victims' calls shows the lack of support that certain banks have been given to fraud victims for far too long. He got through, after three or four attempts, including waiting for over an hour. He tried to find the same phone number on the web-chat system.
A spokeswoman for UK Finance, who represents the banking industry, said firms always respond to calls in good time because they know the devastating impact that fraud can have on victims.
Since fraud cases are complex, a certain amount of time needs to be spent on each call to make sure customers get the right support, which can have an impact on call times. The Queen's Speech should mean that there is a consistent approach to refunds in the future. It will be up to the Payment Systems Regulator to frame those rules, after banks were unable to do so between themselves.
Some banks have signed up to the 159 pilot scheme. It encourages customers to hang up from a phone call that might be a scam, for example one that asks for personal information or money, and dial 159 to speak to their bank.