Press is one route but I agree with those who say not to do that yet. That kind of thing can burn bridges and while you may feel like doing that it’s a last resort.
You’re engaged with the fraud team currently.
Have you raised an official complaint?Both related to the initial view you were given regarding a refund and also regards the banks position given this seems to be a sophisticated attack, as opposed to handing out your details.
You can’t approach the financial services onmusbusman until you have been through the bank complaint process.
You need a letter from the bank with what they state is their final response to the complaint. Until then the onmusbusman won’t even look at it.
Also you want to step through your options one at a time to ensure you give each the chance to work.
Complaints are handled far quicker for example than a request to the ombudsman. If the ombudsman can’t help then the press and your MP are the only options, so only go there when you need to.
A complaint is highly defined for a bank. They have to follow a process, they have to report it to the FCA if it’s still open after 24 hours etc.
You need to make sure you are in that process. If you haven’t used the words I want to make a complaint then the bank may be treating the exchange as a grumble i.e. Not a reportable complaint.
I had this with a credit card fraud, after about a week of me chasing them I used the magic word complaint. From that point forward everything changed. I was read a printed script and then passed to an entirely new team who picked up and sorted my complaint and phoned me daily.
If you do go to the press then a number of the Sunday papers have consumer / money sections that often champion customer complaints. Money box on radio 4 is another. Again though these are last resorts for me.
Good luck, shocking position to be put in.