Bank Wire › What to do if you sent money to the wrong account
What to do if you sent money to the wrong account
A slipped digit or a wrong sort code is stressful, but you have options. The first rule is to act straight away.
Step 1: Contact your bank immediately
Use the number on your card, your banking app or 159 (the anti-fraud number many banks support). Say that you made a mistaken payment or that you think it was a scam. Give the date, time, amount, the details you entered and the details you meant to enter. The earlier you report, the more likely the money is still there.
Step 2: Understand what your bank can do
Your bank can contact the recipient's bank and ask it to try to return the money. Banks have processes for misdirected payments, which in practice usually mean asking the receiving bank to contact its customer, though practice differs between banks. Your bank cannot simply take money back. The money belongs to the account holder, and the receiving bank usually needs the holder's agreement to return it. If they agree, the money can come back. If they do not respond or refuse, the next steps are harder.
Step 3: Find out whether it was a mistake or a scam
If someone gave you the wrong account details, or you were told to pay a "safe account", it may be fraud. Say so clearly. If you think you were tricked, see APP fraud reimbursement, which may mean you are due a refund. If it was a genuine typing error, the APP scheme will not usually apply, but your bank should still help.
Step 4: Keep a record
- Screenshots of the payment and any messages.
- Times and names of calls with your bank.
- Reference numbers for any case.
Step 5: If the money is not returned
Ask your bank what progress has been made. If the receiving account holder refuses to return the money, you may be able to take legal action, for example through the small claims process in the county court for smaller sums. Take advice first from Citizens Advice or a solicitor. If you are unhappy with how your bank has dealt with the matter, you can complain, then go to the Financial Ombudsman Service free of charge if you are not satisfied.
If you receive money by mistake
Do not spend it. Tell your bank, which will contact the sender's bank. Money paid in error is not yours to keep, and spending it can create legal problems. If a stranger contacts you asking to refund it to a different account, be very careful: that is a known scam. Always use your bank to return funds.
Prevention for next time
- Use Confirmation of Payee and heed warnings.
- Check the sort code and account number twice.
- For large sums, send a small test payment first if practical.
- Use saved payees only after verifying them.
Different systems have different timings (see Faster Payments, CHAPS, Bacs), but acting fast is key for all of them.
How long will it take?
There is no fixed time for a mistaken-payment recall. It depends on how quickly the receiving bank reaches its customer and whether they agree. Ask your bank for a reference number and an expected timescale, and chase politely if you hear nothing. Some people get money back within days, others wait weeks, and some cannot recover it.
This is general information, not financial or legal advice. Rules, limits and fees differ between banks and change over time, so check with your bank and the official sources listed.
Frequently asked questions
Can my bank take the money back?
Not on its own. It can ask the other bank to request the money, but the account holder usually has to agree.
What if the person will not return it?
Ask your bank for an update, consider the small claims route with advice, and complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service if unhappy with your bank.
Is a mistaken payment covered by APP rules?
Generally not, unless you were tricked into paying a fraudster.