"I paid money into your account by mistake, please send it back": the fake refund scam

"I paid money into your account by mistake, please send it back": the fake refund scam

A WhatsApp message, an SMS or a call arrives from a number you do not know: "Sorry, I paid R1 500 into your account by mistake, I typed the wrong number, please can you send it back?" Sometimes it comes with a screenshot of a proof of payment, or with an SMS that looks exactly like your bank's deposit notification. It sounds polite and believable, and it plays on something very human: you do not want to keep money that is not yours. That is the hook. The golden rule is simple: never send back money "paid by mistake" yourself; check your balance in your banking app and let the bank handle it.

How does the fake refund scam work?

There are three variants, and it helps to know all of them because the first message is almost the same:

• The money does not exist: a fake proof of payment. This is the most common version in South Africa. They send you a screenshot of a supposed proof of payment (POP), or an SMS that imitates your bank ("Absa: R1 500.00 paid into acc ...", "FNB: You received ..."), sometimes from a number that looks like a bank short code. None of it shows up in your actual balance, but the message is convincing enough for you to send the money "back" yourself.
• The money does not exist: a disguised request. Instead of paying you, they send you a payment request through a banking app, an instant payment service or an e-wallet, and in the chat they push you to "accept the refund" or "confirm receipt". If you approve it, the money leaves your account and goes to theirs.
• The money is real, and that is the problem. In the most elaborate version, the deposit is genuine: it comes from a hacked account or a stolen card that will later be reversed. They ask you to return it, but to a different account or a different cellphone number ("it's my mom's", "my account is frozen"). If you do, two things happen: when the real owner disputes the payment, your bank can take the money back out of your account and you will have lost what you sent; and you will have moved money from a crime, which can turn you into a money mule without you knowing.

In every case the script repeats: friendliness, a touch of urgency ("I need it for rent today") and a request that you act yourself, quickly, and outside your bank's channels. The same trick is used on people selling things online, where the "buyer" sends a fake POP for more than the price and asks for the difference back.

How can I tell it's a fake refund scam?

These are the signs that should make you stop:

1. A stranger tells you about a mistake that only you can "fix". Someone who genuinely makes an error usually contacts their own bank, not a stranger.
2. The "proof" is a screenshot, a PDF or an SMS, not money you can see in your available balance.
3. You receive a payment request, not a deposit. A request appears as something you have to approve or decline. Receiving money never requires you to approve anything or enter your PIN.
4. They ask you to send it to a different account or number from the one that supposedly paid you.
5. There is pressure or insistence if you hesitate, or increasingly upset voice notes.
6. The amount does not add up: "I meant to send R150 but typed R1 500, send me back the difference."

If even one of these signs fits, stop and check before you move a single rand.

What should I do right now?

1. Do not rush to reply and do not approve anything. If you have a pending payment request, decline it. Nothing bad happens if you do not answer the chat.
2. Open your banking app yourself, without tapping any links in the message, and check your transactions and available balance. Is there a real deposit or not? Trust only what you see in your account, never screenshots or SMSs. Bear in mind that a normal EFT from another bank can take time to clear, which is exactly the gap scammers use.
3. If there is no deposit, you know 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 keep it either: the money is not yours. Call your bank on its official number (the one in the app, on your card or on its website) and explain that you received an unexpected amount and a stranger is demanding it back. The bank can trace it and return it to its source through the proper channel, with a record.
5. Keep evidence: screenshots of the chat, the number, the voice notes, the fake POP and any request you received. If there was a real deposit, note the date, time and amount.
6. Block and report the number in the spam numbers directory so that others recognise it.

One important note: if someone you do know tells you they made a mistake, the solution is the same, without the suspicion: check the transaction in your app and, if it is real, send it back to the same person who paid you, never to a new account.

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

Do not blame yourself: this trick is designed to exploit good faith. Act fast:

• Call your bank's fraud line as soon as possible, explain that you have been defrauded and ask them to try to stop or recall the payment. Instant payments go through immediately and cannot always be recovered, but the sooner you report it, the better the chances.
• If they asked you for passwords or an OTP during the conversation, change your banking passwords and tell your bank about that too: there may be further attempts.
• Open a case at your nearest police station (SAPS) with the screenshots, the number and the proof of the payment you made, and ask for the case number. Your bank will usually ask for it.
• If you received a real deposit and forwarded it to another account, say so in your case and to your bank. Having helped without knowing does not make you guilty, but explaining it early protects you.

You will find more about getting money back on our blog.

Where do I report it and who can help?

• SAPS: open a case at your nearest police station. If there is a threat or immediate danger, call 10111, or 112 from a cellphone.
• Your bank, always on its official number, never the one the scammer gives you.
• The National Financial Ombud Scheme, if you have complained to your bank in writing and are not happy with its answer.
• SABRIC, the banks' risk information centre, publishes warnings about fake proof of payment and money mule scams that are worth sharing.

Frequently asked questions

Can someone take money from me just because they have my account number or cellphone number? Not on their own. Money only leaves your account if you send it, approve a request or give away your login details or an OTP. That is why the scam needs you to act: declining requests you were not expecting and never sharing codes is the best defence.

Someone really did pay money into my account. Isn't it more honest to send it back directly? The honest thing is not to keep it, and the safe way not to keep it is through your bank. Sending it back yourself, especially to another account, can mean losing your own money when the original deposit is reversed, and unknowingly taking part in moving stolen money.

Someone claiming to be from my bank is calling to "help me return" the payment. Can I trust them? Be careful. It is a common combination: after the "mistake" message comes a call from a fake bank official. Hang up and call the official number yourself. We explain how to check whether a call from your bank is real.

What if the message comes from a friend's number? Phone them before doing anything. If their WhatsApp account has been stolen, the scammer will write in their name.

In short

When you get an "I paid you by mistake", the order is: approve nothing, check your real balance in your app, decline any request, never send money to another account yourself, and let your bank handle it. If you have already fallen for it, bank first and police case 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: your warning could stop the next person from falling for it.