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uk Money & financial emergencies cash advance not mine • cash advance i didn’t do • cash advance on statement • unknown cash advance charge • unauthorised cash withdrawal • atm withdrawal i didn’t make • card used at atm • credit card cash withdrawal • cash withdrawal on credit card • statement cash advance fraud • suspected card skimming cash • cloned card cash withdrawal • pin compromised suspected • stolen card and pin • unexpected cash advance fee • cash advance interest charged • cash advance pending • mystery cash advance • cash withdrawl on statement • cash advnce on statement

What to do if…
your credit card statement shows a cash advance you did not make

Short answer

Contact your card provider immediately using the number on the back of your card (or in your banking app) and report the cash advance as unauthorised so they can stop further withdrawals and open a fraud case.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t call any “bank” number from a text/email about this—use the number on your card, your banking app, or your provider’s official website.
  • Don’t share your PIN, one-time passcodes, or “security codes” with anyone (including someone claiming to be your bank or the police).
  • Don’t wait to “see if it happens again”—cash withdrawals can repeat quickly.
  • Don’t cancel or close the account yourself before the provider has logged the fraud and told you what to do.
  • Don’t pay anyone who offers to “recover” the money or “speed up” a refund.

What to do now

  1. Call your card provider’s fraud team (official number only) and say: “Unauthorised cash advance.”
    Ask them to:
    • Freeze/cancel the card and issue a replacement.
    • Block cash advances (ask them to disable cash withdrawals on your account if possible).
    • Confirm the date, time, amount, and location/ATM operator they have on record.
    • Tell you what they need next (some providers ask for a form or a written confirmation).
  2. Treat your PIN and online access as potentially compromised.
    • Ask the provider to reset/replace your cash/PIN (or advise how to change it).
    • Change your banking app/online password from a trusted device, and remove any unfamiliar “trusted devices” if your app shows them.
  3. Check whether this is “card theft” or “account takeover.”
    • Physically check your card is still with you.
    • In your account settings, check whether your phone number, email, or address has been changed.
  4. Scan for other suspicious activity and turn on alerts.
    Look for any other transactions you don’t recognise and switch on instant transaction notifications if available.
  5. Save the evidence you can see right now.
    Screenshot/photograph the statement line and note the key details (amount, date/time, any reference/location shown). Write down the time you called and any case/reference number.
  6. Report the fraud to the right police channel for where you live.
    • England, Wales, Northern Ireland: Report to Report Fraud online, or call 0300 123 2040.
    • Scotland: Report to Police Scotland on 101.
      Keep any reference number and provide it to your card provider if they ask.
  7. If you’re worried new credit could be taken out in your name, consider adding an identity check flag.
    Consider Cifas Protective Registration if your personal details may have been exposed (for example: missing post, unknown new accounts, or multiple institutions contacting you unexpectedly).
  8. If you hit resistance, use the complaints route quickly.
    Tell the provider you want to make a formal complaint. You can usually go to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you get a final response you disagree with, or if 8 weeks pass without a final response.

What can wait

  • You do not need to work out how it happened before reporting it.
  • You do not need to contact the ATM owner yourself unless your provider asks you to.
  • You do not need to decide right now about longer-term identity products—focus first on stopping further loss and getting the fraud case opened.

Important reassurance

This is a common fraud pattern, and feeling shaken is normal. The fastest way to regain control is to get the card blocked, cash advances disabled, and the fraud case logged—everything else becomes easier after that.

Scope note

This guide covers first steps only: stopping further withdrawals, documenting what happened, and starting the right reporting/complaints paths. Later stages (investigations, timelines, refunds) vary by provider and circumstances.

Important note

This is general information, not legal or financial advice. If any instruction you receive feels odd or pressuring, end the call and contact your provider again using a trusted number from your card or official app.

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