The Banking and Financial Ombudsman Annual Report for 2024
ABF received approximately 14,000 complaints in 2024. This figure points to a virtual stabilization in banking disputes, excluding recurring issues, such as salary-backed loans and postal savings certificates, which continued to decline. There was, however, an increase in complaints regarding more complex matters, such as those involving current accounts (+18 per cent) connected to inheritance issues, account closures or freezes, and unauthorized fraudulent transactions. In particular, disputes involving the fraudulent use of payment instruments continue to be an area of concern, even though they have decreased. These cases mainly involved phishing, spoofing, smishing, and vishing. Nevertheless, such incidents still represent a very small fraction of the total volume of non-cash payment operations.
In 63 per cent of cases, the outcome was substantially in favour of the complainant (including cases where the dispute was resolved through settlement before a decision was handed down). Approximately €16 million was awarded to complainants, of which nearly €10 million has already been returned to customers.
The average decision time, excluding suspension periods, was 114 days, down from the year before and well below the 180-day limit set by the regulations.
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18 June 2025
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18 June 2025
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