Possible HSBC fraud/scam? Told to authorise transactions to make funds “safe” £2,000 now pending, what do I do?

I’m looking for some advice on a situation that happened today involving Financial Conduct Authority / Action Fraud and HSBC, and whether I have grounds to make a complaint / seek compensation.

Earlier today I received a text message claiming that my details had been identified in an Action Fraud report following a data breach. I called the number provided and was then forwarded to HSBC.

HSBC told me my details had been compromised and that they had blocked a £2,000 standing order from my savings account. From there, the call became very strange and stressful. I was kept on the phone for around 90 minutes and was asked to authorise transactions so they could supposedly make my money “safe”. I was also told that a woman called “Stephanie” was “rebooting her systems”, which didn’t make much sense to me and added to my concern. They said something about making it level 4 safety.

By that point I was extremely distressed, upset, and overwhelmed. I felt pressured and the whole thing was handled in a way that made me feel insecure and panicked, rather than reassured. I’ve been left angry, frustrated, and shaken by the experience.

I’ve now been told the transactions are “pending” and that the money should reappear in my account within an hour, but I’m still very worried.

My question: Has anyone experienced anything similar, and based on what I’ve described, does this sound like legitimate fraud prevention by HSBC or does it sound more like I may have been manipulated by a scammer? Also, if this was genuinely HSBC which I believe it was as I was never told to give my PIN etc how can I go about submitting a complaint due to how this was handled? I believe I’m entitled to compensation.

Any advice would be appreciated, especially on what I should do immediately while the transactions are still pending.