"I sent you money by mistake, please send it back": the refund scam

"I sent you money by mistake, please send it back": the refund scam

A WhatsApp message, a text or a call from a number you don't know: "Sorry, I sent you €150 on Revolut by mistake, I typed the wrong number, could you send it back?" It sounds polite and believable, and it plays on something very human: you don't want to keep money that isn't yours. That's the hook. With instant payments now everywhere in Ireland (Revolut, instant transfers between bank accounts, payment links), this scam comes in several versions, and in every one of them the person who ends up losing money is you. The golden rule: never send back money "sent by mistake" yourself; check it in your banking app and let your bank or payment provider handle it.

How does the "money by mistake" scam work?

There are three variants, and the opening conversation is almost identical in all of them:

• The money doesn't exist: it's a disguised request. The scammer hasn't sent you anything. What you get is a payment request (Revolut and some banking apps let users request money from each other), and in the chat they push you to "accept the refund" or "confirm you got it". If you approve that request, the money leaves your account and goes to theirs. It works because many people can't tell at a glance whether they're being paid or charged.
• The money doesn't exist: it's a fake screenshot. They send you a screenshot of a supposed receipt, or a text made to look like it's from your bank ("You have received €150.00"). None of it shows up in your account, but the message is convincing enough for you to send the money "back".
• The money is real, and that's the problem. In the most elaborate version, the payment is genuine: it comes from a hijacked account or a stolen card that will later be disputed. They ask you to return it, but to a different account or number ("it's my brother's", "my account is frozen"). If you do, two things happen: when the real owner disputes the payment, the money is taken back out of your account and you've lost what you sent; and you've moved money of criminal origin, which can unknowingly make you a money mule for a criminal network.

How can I tell it's this scam?

1. A stranger tells you about a mistake only you can "fix". People who genuinely make a mistake usually contact their own bank, not a stranger.
2. You've got a payment request, not a payment. A request appears as something you must approve or decline. Receiving money never requires you to approve anything or enter your PIN.
3. The "proof" is a screenshot or a text, not a transaction you can see in your account.
4. They want it sent back to a different account or number from the one that supposedly paid you.
5. There's pressure if you hesitate, or increasingly upset voice notes.
6. The amount doesn't add up: "I meant to send €15 but typed €150, send me back the difference."

If even one of these fits, stop and check before moving a single euro.

What should I do right now?

1. Don't rush and don't approve anything. If there's a pending payment request, decline it. Nothing bad happens if you don't answer the chat.
2. Open your banking or Revolut app yourself, without tapping any link in the message, and check your transactions. Is there a real payment or not? Trust only what you see in your account, never screenshots or texts.
3. If there's no payment, it's a scam: block the number and report it.
4. If the payment is real, don't send it back yourself. Not to the person messaging you, not to another account. Don't keep it either: it isn't yours. Ring your bank on its official number (in the app, on your card or on its website) or use the in-app support chat, and explain that you received an unexpected payment and a stranger is demanding it back. They can return it to its source properly, with a record.
5. Keep evidence: screenshots of the chat, the number, voice notes and any request you received. If there was a real payment, note the date, time and amount.
6. Report the number in the spam numbers directory.

If someone you do know tells you they made a mistake, the answer is the same minus the suspicion: check the transaction in your app and, if it's real, send it back to the same person who sent it, never to a new account.

What if I've already sent money or approved the request?

Don't blame yourself: the trick is designed to exploit good faith. Act fast:

• Ring your bank or contact your payment app's support as soon as possible. Explain it's fraud and ask them to try to stop or recall the payment. Instant payments can't always be recovered, but the sooner you report it, the better the chances.
• If they asked you for passwords or codes during the conversation, change your banking passwords and tell your bank: there may be further attempts.
• Report it to the Gardaí at your local Garda station, with screenshots, the number and the receipt. The bank will often ask for the report reference.
• If you received a real payment and forwarded it, say so to your bank and in your Garda report. Helping without knowing doesn't make you guilty, but explaining it early protects you.

If your bank won't refund you and you disagree, complain to the bank formally; after that, you can go to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO).

Where do I report it and who can help?

• An Garda Síochána, at your local station; in an emergency or if there's an immediate threat, call 112 or 999.
• Your bank or payment app, always on the official number or in-app chat, never a number the scammer gives you.
• NoCall, in the spam numbers directory.

The CCPC's guide to financial scams explains how money mule recruitment works, and the banks' FraudSMART campaign has more on payment scams.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know whether I'm receiving money or being asked to pay? If the app asks you to approve, confirm or enter your PIN, you're paying. Receiving money never needs any action from you.

What if I keep the money that arrived? Don't: it isn't yours, and if it came from fraud it will probably be taken back. Contact your bank so it can be returned properly.

Can the person who "made the mistake" get it back without me? Yes. Someone who genuinely paid the wrong person can ask their own bank to recover it. There's no need for you to send anything directly.

In short

A stranger who says they paid you by mistake and wants it back, quickly and to another account, is almost always running a scam. Decline any request, check your account in the app, and if the money is real, let your bank return it. If you've already sent money, ring your bank and report it to the Gardaí. And report the number in the NoCall directory.