On 12 March, an app update for Lloyds Banking Group’s mobile services caused many customers of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to see other people’s current account transactions in their own apps.
Up to 447,936 customers were affected, and around 114,182 of those tapped into the incorrect transaction entries, which may have revealed additional account details such as sort codes and account numbers.
The bank says it has found no evidence of fraud or financial loss linked to the incident but customers have been complaining. The group issued goodwill payments averaging about £40 to those who raised concerns.
The banks have paid out a combined £139,000 so far
The group has disbursed just over £139,000 split across roughly 3,625 people, which works out to about £38–£40 each on average.
Payments are being handled individually under the bank’s existing policy for distress and inconvenience. That means the bank evaluates whether you experienced a direct impact before agreeing a payment.
If you report financial loss, the bank says it will consider loss-related claims separately and aim to resolve them quickly.
How to complain if you were affected
Think you're eligible for the goodwill payment? Do this:
- Report the issue through the bank’s official support channels and keep records (screenshots, timestamps, reference numbers).
- The bank will review your complaint and, if appropriate, confirm a goodwill payment to address distress or inconvenience.
- If you incurred monetary loss, the bank will assess and handle compensation for that specifically.
Examples reported publicly show variation in amounts and timing:
- Some customers received about £40 after contacting the bank.
- Others were offered smaller sums (for example, £25) or slightly higher amounts (for example, £50), sometimes within an hour of reporting.
If you have not yet contacted the bank, raise the issue promptly and retain evidence of how this impacted you.
If the bank deems your case eligible for distress payments or financial compensation, it will notify you of the decision and any next steps.
If the initial contact does not resolve things, submit a formal complaint using the bank’s complaint process. Use the bank’s online complaint form or send a letter to their complaints department.
In your formal complaint, outline the impact, the evidence you’ve collected, what remedy you want (for example, a specific financial sum or an apology) and a reasonable deadline for a response.
The bank should acknowledge your complaint and investigate. If the bank offers compensation and you accept it, that usually closes the matter under the bank’s standard policies, though it does not remove your statutory consumer rights.
Consider whether the proposed settlement reasonably covers your demonstrated loss, distress or inconvenience before accepting.
If you do not receive a satisfactory response within eight weeks, or you reject the bank’s final decision, you can take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
Still worried about your data? What to try next
Check your accounts regularly for any transactions you don’t recognise and report them to your bank immediately. Prompt reporting helps banks block cards or freeze accounts to limit potential loss.
Be extremely cautious about unexpected calls, texts or emails that claim to be from your bank. Do not click links or give personal details in response to such messages.
Instead, find your bank’s phone number or web address independently and contact them directly.
You can raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights were breached.
The ICO can investigate and take regulatory action, though it does not award individual compensation.
Treasury Committee cals it an "alarming breach of confidentiality"
The Treasury Committee chair pressed Lloyds for a full explanation after a banking app error exposed customers’ account details to others. Dame Meg Hillier described the event as an alarming breach of confidentiality and demanded clarity on how it happened.
What actually happened?
Many customers of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland reported unexpected entries (including salary credits, school payments and benefit deposits) appearing alongside their own activity.
Within hours the issue went viral. A social-media post prompted thousands of replies, and by early afternoon more than 3,000 people had shared similar experiences, indicating the problem affected a large number of users rather than isolated accounts.
The banks acknowledged the fault on their official channels. They said some customers were shown other people’s transaction information in internet and mobile banking, apologised, and stated the problem was identified and fixed quickly.
The messages emphasised that there had been no access to customers’ accounts themselves, and that a review would follow to prevent a repeat.
