Victims of rip off credit card charges are being tricked out of claiming compensation by banks that are falsely claiming that they have been given official sanction to shelve complaints.

According to Moneysavingexpert.com, a consumer website, card firms have been telling customers that a ruling that allows them to put bank charge claims on hold, also applies to credit cards. They have used this excuse to turn down thousands of customers seeking a refund of unfair penalty charges even though it is blatantly untrue.

Martin Lewis of Moneysavingexpert said: “The Financial Services Authority, the City regulator, made it plain the hold only applies to bank charges, yet banks’ lawyers are disgracefully trying to bully customers, using it as an excuse to suggest it applies to credit card cases too.”

Even judges are confused, with some falling for the banks’ line that the freeze on refunds applies to credit cards.

Lorraine Kelly, 39, tried to claim a £465 refund for penalty fees amassed on Monument credit cards and took her case to Warrington County Court.

She said: “The court came back saying there was a stay on the claim. I told them that it doesn’t apply to credit cards and they sent me a form saying that I had to pay to challenge the stay. It’s ridiculous. I don’t think they know what they’re doing.”

The FSA gave the banks the green light to suspend refunds for unfair current account charges in August after the Office of Fair Trading launched a test case against penalty fees. But it did not extend the freeze on payments to credit card claims.

At the time, the FSA said: “We are making this waiver by consent available only to providers of current accounts with overdraft facilities. The test case aims to establish legal certainty on the lawfulness and fairness of charges levied by current account providers for unauthorised overdrafts.”

The OFT has already ruled that credit card fees are unfair and forced the banks to slash charges from up to £35 to £12.

More than a million bank account customers have already downloaded a similar letter from the website to claim back current account fees.