"I sent money to your account by mistake": the fake alert and wrong transfer scam

"I sent money to your account by mistake": the fake alert and wrong transfer scam

A call, an SMS or a WhatsApp message from a number you do not know: "Please, I mistakenly transferred ₦45,000 to your account, it was meant for my supplier. I beg you, send it back, it's my business money." Sometimes you have even received what looks like a credit alert. It sounds polite and believable, and it appeals to something very human: you do not want to keep money that is not yours. That is the hook. The golden rule: never send back "mistaken" money yourself; check your real balance in your bank app and let your bank handle any reversal.

How does the wrong transfer scam work?

There are three variants, and the opening conversation is almost identical:

• The money does not exist: it is a fake alert. The scammer sends you an SMS that imitates your bank's credit alert ("Credit: NGN45,000.00"), or a screenshot of a "successful transfer" receipt. Nothing has entered your account, but the message is convincing enough for you to transfer the money "back". Fake alerts are easy to produce, and a sender name in an SMS can be faked.
• The money does not exist: it is a disguised payment request. On some apps and wallets, the scammer sends you a request or a link to "confirm receipt". Approving it, or entering your PIN, sends money out of your account. Receiving money never requires your PIN.
• The money is real, and that is the problem. In the more elaborate version, the deposit is genuine: it comes from a hacked account or from another fraud victim. They ask you to return it, but to a different account ("my account is restricted, send it to my sister's"). When the real owner complains, the bank may trace and restrict your account, and you will have moved stolen money, possibly becoming an unknowing money mule for a fraud network.

In every case the script repeats: friendliness, some urgency ("I need it for my rent today"), crying voice notes, and a request that you act yourself, quickly, outside your bank's channels.

How can I tell it's a scam?

1. A stranger tells you about a mistake that only you can "fix". Someone who really makes an error usually goes to their own bank.
2. The "proof" is an SMS or a screenshot, not a transaction you can see in your account history.
3. You are asked to approve something or enter your PIN. Receiving money never needs that.
4. They ask you to send it to a different account from the one that supposedly paid you.
5. The pressure grows if you hesitate: calls, voice notes, threats to "report you to the police" or "EFCC".
6. The amount story does not add up: "I wanted to send ₦4,500 but typed ₦45,000, send me the difference."

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

What should I do right now?

1. Do not rush to reply and do not approve anything. If there is a pending request, decline it.
2. Open your bank app yourself, without tapping any link in the message, and check your balance and transaction history. Trust only what you see there, never SMS alerts or screenshots. If in doubt, call your bank.
3. If there is no deposit, it is a scam: block the number and report it.
4. If the deposit is real, do not send it back yourself, not to the number messaging you and not to another account. Do not spend it either: it is not yours. Call your bank on its official number (on your card, in the app or on its website) or visit a branch, and explain that you received an unexpected amount and a stranger is demanding it. The bank can process a reversal through the proper channel, with a record.
5. Keep evidence: screenshots of the chat, the number, the voice notes and the fake alert. For a real deposit, note the date, time, amount and sender name.
6. Block and report the number in the spam numbers directory.

If someone you do know says they made a mistake, the answer is the same without the suspicion: confirm the credit in your app and, if it is real, return it to the same account that sent it, never to a new one.

What if I have already sent the money?

Do not blame yourself: this trick exploits good faith. Act fast:

• Call your bank immediately on its official number, explain that you were defrauded and ask them to try to recall the transfer and flag the receiving account. Transfers are instant, so the sooner the better.
• If you shared a PIN, password or OTP during the conversation, change your banking passwords and tell your bank: there may be more attempts.
• Report it to the police, at a station or through the Nigeria Police Force's National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) e-reporting portal, and to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Bring the screenshots, the number and the transaction receipt.
• If you received a real deposit and forwarded it to another account, say so to your bank and in your report. Explaining early protects you.
• If your bank does not resolve your complaint, escalate it to the Central Bank of Nigeria's consumer protection department.

Frequently asked questions

Can someone take money from me just because they have my account number? No. Your account number is for receiving money. Money only leaves when you send it, approve a request or give away your PIN, password or OTP.

Someone really did send money to my account. Isn't it more honest to return it directly? The honest thing is not to keep it, and the safe way not to keep it is through your bank. Returning it yourself, especially to another account, can cost you your own money and drag you into a fraud case.

Someone from "my bank" is calling to help me return the payment. Can I trust them? Be careful: a fake bank call is a common follow-up. Hang up and call the number on your card yourself.

The message comes from a friend's number. What then? Call them before doing anything. If their WhatsApp has been hijacked, the scammer is writing in their name.

In short

When someone says "I sent you money by mistake": approve nothing, check your real balance in your bank app, never send money to another account, and let your bank handle it. If you already paid, call your bank first and report it second. NoCall helps you spot suspicious numbers before you answer, and if you have received one of these messages, report it in the NoCall spam numbers directory.