# If money went to someone it shouldn’t have, start with the provider that moved it.

If something already happened · 02 · 8 min read

The first route depends on whether the payment is still pending, who initiated it, and how it moved.
Give the provider those facts in that order.

This page helps you

- Get the right first steps for how you paid
- Know the two facts to lead with when you call
- Keep a record if the provider says it cannot return the payment

This is general guidance drawn from official sources. The provider involved, or the official body
where you live, decides what happens in your case. If you are in immediate danger, contact your
local emergency services.

> If money has left your account, the provider that moved it is usually the first call. Some
> payments can still be stopped when it hears soon.

## Get the right steps for how you paid

Start with the provider that moved the money.

Set your region, then choose the closest payment method. The steps put the first call at the top. If
some payments are still pending, calling soon can matter more than gathering every detail.

### Region

#### United States

**U.S. context:** the CFPB describes Regulation E as covering some electronic transfers that someone
else starts without your authority, and says a transfer can still count as unauthorized when a
fraudster starts it using details obtained by deceiving you. A payment you sent or approved yourself
may be handled differently, so it helps to say who took the final step.
[CFPB Regulation E guidance](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/compliance/compliance-resources/deposit-accounts-resources/electronic-fund-transfers/electronic-fund-transfers-faqs/)

This describes how these rules generally work, not whether they apply to your payment. Your provider
decides that, and it may use other processes too.

These steps draw on official guidance, but they are not the only route. Some of the places that can
help: [ReportFraud.ftc.gov](https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/) ·
[FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)](https://www.ic3.gov/) ·
[FTC guidance by payment method](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed).
Recovery is not guaranteed and depends on the payment and circumstances.

#### United Kingdom

**UK context:** the Payment Systems Regulator describes reimbursement rules for some payments made
on or after 7 October 2024 through Faster Payments or CHAPS from one UK account to another,
including payments made after being deceived. It says card, cash, cheque, international, and
cryptocurrency payments fall outside those rules.
[UK Payment Systems Regulator reimbursement guidance](https://www.psr.org.uk/information-for-consumers/app-fraud-reimbursement-protections/)

This describes how these rules generally work, not whether they apply to your payment. Your provider
decides that, and it may use other processes too.

These steps draw on official guidance, but they are not the only route. Some of the places that can
help: [Report Fraud, in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland](https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/) ·
[UK Payment Systems Regulator reimbursement guidance](https://www.psr.org.uk/information-for-consumers/app-fraud-reimbursement-protections/)
· [159, a safe number for reaching many UK banks](https://stopscamsuk.org.uk/159). Recovery is not
guaranteed and depends on the payment and circumstances.

#### EU

**EU context:** the European Commission describes EU payment rules as treating an account or card
payment made without your permission differently from a payment you approved after being deceived.
For a payment you approved, what happens can depend on national law, the payment method, and the
provider. You can ask the provider which category and complaint route it is using.
[European Commission payment rights guidance](https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/financial-products-and-services/payments-transfers-cheques/index_en.htm)

This describes how these rules generally work, not whether they apply to your payment. Your provider
decides that, and it may use other processes too.

These steps draw on official guidance, but they are not the only route. Some of the places that can
help:
[European Commission payment rights guidance](https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/financial-products-and-services/payments-transfers-cheques/index_en.htm).
Recovery is not guaranteed and depends on the payment and circumstances.

#### Elsewhere

**Regional context:** what counts as an unauthorized payment, the timing, and the review route vary
by country and provider. You can describe who initiated the payment and ask the provider which local
rules it is applying.

This describes how these rules generally work, not whether they apply to your payment. Your provider
decides that, and it may use other processes too.

These steps draw on official guidance, but they are not the only route. Some of the places that can
help: [Scamwatch, in Australia](https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam) ·
[ReportCyber, in Australia](https://www.cyber.gov.au/report-and-recover/report). Recovery is not
guaranteed and depends on the payment and circumstances.

### Bank transfer

Your recovery steps: Paid by bank transfer

What recovery depends on: who initiated it, its status, the receiving bank, and local rules.

1. First: Check whether the payment is pending, scheduled, or complete. If it is still pending, ask
   whether it can be stopped or canceled.
2. Then: Say whether you sent or approved it after being deceived, or someone else initiated it
   without your approval.
3. Next: Call the bank through an official number and ask which recall, reimbursement, or
   error-resolution process applies.
4. Today:
   - United States: Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For fraud that happened online, including
     crypto, the FBI's IC3.gov also takes reports. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - United Kingdom: Report it to Report Fraud if you live in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland,
     or to Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - EU: Report it to your local police or national consumer-protection body, and keep any reference
     number. Your bank can also tell you which local route applies.
   - Elsewhere: Report it to your local police, cybercrime, or consumer-protection body, and keep
     any reference number. In Australia, Scamwatch and ReportCyber are two of the places that take
     reports.
5. Keep: Keep every message, receipt, and case reference in one place.

- United States: If someone else started an electronic transfer without your authority, you can ask
  whether the bank's Regulation E error-resolution process applies. If you started it after being
  deceived, say that instead and ask which review is available.
- United Kingdom: For a UK-to-UK Faster Payments or CHAPS transfer made on or after 7 October 2024
  after being deceived, you can ask the provider whether the APP reimbursement rules apply. The
  provider decides eligibility, and exceptions and limits exist.
- EU: For a transfer you approved after being deceived, recall and reimbursement can depend on the
  country, payment type, and provider. You can ask which process and timing apply. A transfer made
  without your permission may be handled under a different process.

What happens after you report: The bank can tell you whether it is treating this as an
authorized-by-deception payment, an unauthorized transfer, or another kind of dispute. That
classification, the payment's status, and local rules shape what happens next.

Illustrative. Recovery routes and reporting bodies vary by provider and country.

### Debit / credit card

Your recovery steps: Paid by card

What recovery depends on: who initiated it, whether it has posted, the card type, and issuer rules.

1. First: Check whether the payment is pending, scheduled, or complete. If it is still pending, ask
   whether it can be stopped or canceled.
2. Then: Say whether you sent or approved it after being deceived, or someone else initiated it
   without your approval.
3. Next: Call the number on the card and ask which transaction or account process applies.
4. Today: Note the date, amount, and merchant name, and ask what evidence is needed by which
   deadline.
5. Keep:
   - United States: Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For fraud that happened online, including
     crypto, the FBI's IC3.gov also takes reports. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - United Kingdom: Report it to Report Fraud if you live in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland,
     or to Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - EU: Report it to your local police or national consumer-protection body, and keep any reference
     number. Your bank can also tell you which local route applies.
   - Elsewhere: Report it to your local police, cybercrime, or consumer-protection body, and keep
     any reference number. In Australia, Scamwatch and ReportCyber are two of the places that take
     reports.

What happens after you report: The card issuer decides which dispute, chargeback,
unauthorized-payment, or account process applies. Ask what evidence it needs and when it will
communicate the result.

Illustrative. Recovery routes and reporting bodies vary by provider and country.

### Payment app · linked card

Your recovery steps: Paid through an app, from a card

What recovery depends on: who initiated it, its status, the app rules, and the linked card.

1. First: Check whether the payment is pending, scheduled, or complete. If it is still pending, ask
   whether it can be stopped or canceled.
2. Then: Say whether you sent or approved it after being deceived, or someone else initiated it
   without your approval.
3. Next: Report the payment through the app’s official support route.
4. Today: Call the card issuer, explain that the app funded the payment, and ask which review
   applies.
5. If needed: If someone accessed the app account or you shared its password or a one-time code,
   secure the account through the official app or site.
6. Keep:
   - United States: Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For fraud that happened online, including
     crypto, the FBI's IC3.gov also takes reports. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - United Kingdom: Report it to Report Fraud if you live in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland,
     or to Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - EU: Report it to your local police or national consumer-protection body, and keep any reference
     number. Your bank can also tell you which local route applies.
   - Elsewhere: Report it to your local police, cybercrime, or consumer-protection body, and keep
     any reference number. In Australia, Scamwatch and ReportCyber are two of the places that take
     reports.

What happens after you report: The app and card issuer may have separate review processes. Tell each
how the payment was funded, and ask how to coordinate them before opening duplicate claims.

Illustrative. Recovery routes and reporting bodies vary by provider and country.

### Payment app · purchase

Your recovery steps: Paid through an app for a purchase

What recovery depends on: who initiated it, its status, the app’s terms, and the payment label.

1. First: Check whether the payment is pending, scheduled, or complete. If it is still pending, ask
   whether it can be stopped or canceled.
2. Then: Say whether you sent or approved it after being deceived, or someone else initiated it
   without your approval.
3. Next: Check the receipt or payment details for purchase or buyer protection. Only use a purchase
   dispute if the app says this payment is eligible.
4. Today: Keep the listing, messages, receipt, and any tracking together.
5. Today: If a card was linked, ask the issuer whether a separate dispute applies before opening
   one.
6. Keep:
   - United States: Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For fraud that happened online, including
     crypto, the FBI's IC3.gov also takes reports. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - United Kingdom: Report it to Report Fraud if you live in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland,
     or to Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - EU: Report it to your local police or national consumer-protection body, and keep any reference
     number. Your bank can also tell you which local route applies.
   - Elsewhere: Report it to your local police, cybercrime, or consumer-protection body, and keep
     any reference number. In Australia, Scamwatch and ReportCyber are two of the places that take
     reports.

What happens after you report: Some apps offer purchase or buyer protection for eligible payments.
Others do not, and a friends-and-family transfer may sit outside that protection. The provider’s
terms and the payment label control this route.

Illustrative. Recovery routes and reporting bodies vary by provider and country.

### Payment app · to a person

Your recovery steps: Sent it to a person as “friends and family”

What recovery depends on: who initiated it, its status, the funding source, and provider rules.

1. First: Check whether the payment is pending, scheduled, or complete. If it is still pending, ask
   whether it can be stopped or canceled.
2. Then: Say whether you sent or approved it after being deceived, or someone else initiated it
   without your approval.
3. Next: Report the payment through the app’s official support route.
4. Today: Ask the bank behind any linked card or account which review applies.
5. If needed: If someone accessed the app account or you shared its password or a one-time code,
   secure the account through the official app or site.
6. Keep:
   - United States: Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For fraud that happened online, including
     crypto, the FBI's IC3.gov also takes reports. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - United Kingdom: Report it to Report Fraud if you live in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland,
     or to Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - EU: Report it to your local police or national consumer-protection body, and keep any reference
     number. Your bank can also tell you which local route applies.
   - Elsewhere: Report it to your local police, cybercrime, or consumer-protection body, and keep
     any reference number. In Australia, Scamwatch and ReportCyber are two of the places that take
     reports.

What happens after you report: The app or bank can confirm whether the payment is pending, complete,
or eligible for review. Report it through the official channel and keep the reference number.

Illustrative. Recovery routes and reporting bodies vary by provider and country.

### Gift cards

Your recovery steps: Paid with gift cards

What recovery depends on: whether a balance remains, who redeemed it, and the issuer’s process.

1. First: Call the issuer using the number on the card and ask whether the balance is unredeemed,
   partly used, or gone. If any remains, ask whether it can be held.
2. Then: Say whether you gave someone the code after being deceived or someone else obtained and
   redeemed it.
3. Next: Keep the physical card and receipt; the numbers matter.
4. Today:
   - United States: Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For fraud that happened online, including
     crypto, the FBI's IC3.gov also takes reports. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - United Kingdom: Report it to Report Fraud if you live in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland,
     or to Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - EU: Report it to your local police or national consumer-protection body, and keep any reference
     number. Your bank can also tell you which local route applies.
   - Elsewhere: Report it to your local police, cybercrime, or consumer-protection body, and keep
     any reference number. In Australia, Scamwatch and ReportCyber are two of the places that take
     reports.
5. Ongoing: Do not pay an unexpected caller who offers to recover it.

Guidance from the [FTC](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/avoiding-and-reporting-gift-card-scams)
suggests reporting a gift card scam to the card company right away, however long ago it happened,
and keeping the card and receipt.

What happens after you report: The issuer can check the card’s status and tell you whether any
balance or investigation process remains available. Keep the card and receipt.

Illustrative. Recovery routes and reporting bodies vary by provider and country.

### Money transfer, crypto ATM, or cash

Your recovery steps: Sent through a transfer service, crypto ATM, or cash

What recovery depends on: whether the money has been collected, confirmed, or delivered, and the
company’s process.

1. First: Contact the company that handled the money through its official number or site: the money
   transfer company, the operator named on the crypto ATM or its receipt, or the postal or delivery
   service that carried the cash. Say you were deceived into sending it and ask whether it can be
   stopped.
2. Then: Keep the receipt, transfer or tracking number, and any transaction ID or wallet address.
3. Today:
   - United States: Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For fraud that happened online, including
     crypto, the FBI's IC3.gov also takes reports. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - United Kingdom: Report it to Report Fraud if you live in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland,
     or to Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - EU: Report it to your local police or national consumer-protection body, and keep any reference
     number. Your bank can also tell you which local route applies.
   - Elsewhere: Report it to your local police, cybercrime, or consumer-protection body, and keep
     any reference number. In Australia, Scamwatch and ReportCyber are two of the places that take
     reports.
4. Ongoing: Do not pay an unexpected caller who offers to recover it.

United States: The FTC's
[guidance by payment method](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed) covers
money transfer companies, crypto ATMs, and cash sent by mail or courier.

What happens after you report: These payments can be hard to reverse once the money is collected,
confirmed, or delivered. The company that handled it can tell you whether anything can still be
stopped, and a report keeps a record either way.

Illustrative. Recovery routes and reporting bodies vary by provider and country.

### Crypto · exchange or custodial app

Your recovery steps: Sent crypto from an exchange or custodial app

What recovery depends on: who initiated it, whether it is internal or on-chain, its status, and
service rules.

1. First: Check whether the payment is pending, scheduled, or complete. If it is still pending, ask
   whether it can be stopped or canceled.
2. Then: Say whether you sent or approved it after being deceived, or someone else initiated it
   without your approval.
3. Next: Report it through the exchange or custodial service’s official support route, and save the
   transaction ID and receiving address.
4. If needed: If someone accessed the service account or you shared its password or a one-time code,
   use the official service to secure the account and review active sessions.
5. Today:
   - United States: Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For fraud that happened online, including
     crypto, the FBI's IC3.gov also takes reports. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - United Kingdom: Report it to Report Fraud if you live in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland,
     or to Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - EU: Report it to your local police or national consumer-protection body, and keep any reference
     number. Your bank can also tell you which local route applies.
   - Elsewhere: Report it to your local police, cybercrime, or consumer-protection body, and keep
     any reference number. In Australia, Scamwatch and ReportCyber are two of the places that take
     reports.
6. Ongoing: Do not pay an unexpected “crypto recovery service”.

What happens after you report: A custodial service controls the account but usually cannot reverse a
confirmed blockchain transfer. It can record the report, check whether an internal transfer is still
pending, review account access, and explain its investigation process.

Illustrative. Recovery routes and reporting bodies vary by provider and country.

### Crypto · self-custody wallet

Your recovery steps: Sent crypto from a self-custody wallet

What recovery depends on: the network status, who controlled the wallet, and whether wallet access
remains private.

1. First: Check the transaction in the wallet or a reputable network explorer. If it is pending, use
   only the wallet’s official guidance to learn whether that network supports canceling or replacing
   it.
2. Then: Say whether you sent it after being deceived or someone else used the wallet, and save the
   transaction ID and receiving address.
3. If needed: If someone else used the wallet or may have obtained its recovery phrase or private
   key, follow the wallet’s official compromise steps to protect any remaining assets.
4. Today:
   - United States: Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For fraud that happened online, including
     crypto, the FBI's IC3.gov also takes reports. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - United Kingdom: Report it to Report Fraud if you live in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland,
     or to Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland. Keep any reference number you receive.
   - EU: Report it to your local police or national consumer-protection body, and keep any reference
     number. Your bank can also tell you which local route applies.
   - Elsewhere: Report it to your local police, cybercrime, or consumer-protection body, and keep
     any reference number. In Australia, Scamwatch and ReportCyber are two of the places that take
     reports.
5. Ongoing: Never enter a recovery phrase or private key into a recovery offer, and do not pay an
   unexpected recovery service.

The FTC notes that cryptocurrency payments typically are not reversible. See its
[cryptocurrency and scams guidance](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-cryptocurrency-scams).

What happens after you report: No exchange or custodian controls a self-custody wallet transaction.
A confirmed on-chain transfer typically cannot be reversed by the wallet software maker. A report
can still preserve the transaction record for an official investigation.

Illustrative. Recovery routes and reporting bodies vary by provider and country.

Reviewed July 2026. Official sources are listed with each region’s steps.

## The first two questions

Two facts to lead with when you call.

A provider may handle a pending payment differently from one that is complete. It may also use a
different process when you sent money after being deceived than when someone else initiated the
payment without your approval. These questions do not decide the outcome, but they help the provider
open the right review.

### Lead with these two facts

**What does the payment show?**

- Pending or scheduled: The payment is pending or scheduled. Ask whether it can be stopped or
  canceled before it settles.
- Completed: The payment is complete. Ask which recall, dispute, reimbursement, or error-resolution
  process applies now.
- I cannot tell: You cannot confirm the status. Ask the provider to check it before choosing a
  recovery route.

**Who made the final move?**

- I sent or approved it after being deceived: You initiated or approved the payment after being
  deceived. Say that plainly. Calling it only “unauthorized” can point the provider to a different
  kind of claim.
- Someone else moved it without my approval: Someone else initiated the payment without your
  approval. Say you did not make or approve it, and ask for the provider’s unauthorized-payment
  process. If someone else may have obtained sign-in details or one-time codes, use the provider's
  official channel to secure the account. A password change is useful when access may be
  compromised; it does not reverse a payment.
- I am not sure: You are not sure who completed the final action. Describe the last action you
  remember taking and ask how the provider is classifying the payment.

This stays on this page. The provider decides which process and protections apply.

## Before you call

Gather what you have without delaying the call.

If you have it to hand, the person on the fraud line can act sooner. Don’t hold off calling to find
all of it, though; the timing matters more than the paperwork.

- When: The amount, the date, and the time you paid.
- To whom: Who it went to: an account name or number, a username, a wallet address, or a merchant
  name.
- How: How you paid, and from which account or card.
- Records: Any messages, receipts, or a reference number, kept together in one place.

## If the provider says it cannot return the payment

Before the call ends, turn the answer into a record you can follow.

A provider may say the payment is complete, cannot be recalled, or does not qualify for its first
review process. Those statements are different. Ask the provider to name the decision it made and
the route, if any, for challenging or escalating it.

**Turn the answer into a record**

1. Ask: Ask for the outcome and its reason in writing, with the case or reference number.
2. Ask: Ask which policy, reimbursement rule, or dispute process it used, and whether it needs more
   evidence by a deadline.
3. Ask: Ask for the provider’s formal complaint or escalation route. Where an ombudsman or regulator
   applies, ask when that route becomes available.
4. Record: Write down the date, the channel, and the name or team you spoke with. Keep each later
   response with the original payment record.

A complaint or escalation does not guarantee reimbursement. The available route and deadline depend
on the provider, payment, and place where you live.

## A firm boundary

**Don’t send more money to get your money back.**

An unexpected offer to recover the money may ask for a fee, a “release charge,” or a tax. Do not pay
the caller or message. Contact your bank, payment provider, or reporting body through its official
channel and ask it to confirm any fee before you act.

---

_Part of Identity Explained (by Persona).
https://explained.withpersona.com/your-identity-online/sent-money_