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uk Money & financial emergencies

What to do if…
you sent money to the wrong person, payee, or account details

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Contact the bank or payment provider you sent the money from immediately and ask it to try to recover the payment. Say clearly whether you made an accidental mistake or were tricked or pressured into sending the money, because different processes may apply.

Do not do these things

  • Do not send another payment until you have independently confirmed the correct payee details.
  • Do not delete transaction records, messages, invoices, emails, or screenshots.
  • Do not share passwords, PINs, one-time passcodes, or full security details with anyone offering to recover the money.
  • Do not pay a recovery service or stranger who claims that returning the money requires another payment.
  • Do not threaten or repeatedly contact an unknown recipient.
  • Do not assume that a completed payment cannot be investigated or that recovery is guaranteed.

What to do now

  1. Contact your bank or payment provider through its official app, website, the number on your card or statement, or another verified contact route. Tell it that you made an incorrect or misdirected payment and ask it to begin recovery immediately.

  2. Provide the amount, date, approximate time, payment reference, recipient name, sort code and account number used, and the details you intended to use. Check the information against the payment confirmation before giving it.

  3. Ask what recovery process will be used, whether any fee may apply, and when you should expect an update. Record the case reference, the time you reported the problem, and what you were told.

  4. Save the payment confirmation and any relevant messages, invoices, emails, screenshots, or payee details. Keep the original files where possible.

  5. If you know and trust the recipient, contact them using details you already know are genuine. Calmly explain the error and ask them not to spend the money while your bank handles the recovery request. Do not rely on new contact details sent in an unexpected message.

  6. If someone deceived, impersonated, pressured, or misled you into making the transfer, tell your bank that this may be an authorised push payment scam rather than a simple typing error. Stop further payments and follow the bank’s fraud-reporting process.

  7. If the bank itself sent the payment somewhere other than the account details you supplied, state this clearly and ask it to investigate whether the payment was incorrectly executed.

  8. If you are dissatisfied with how the bank handles the matter, make a formal complaint to it. If the complaint is not resolved, or you receive a final response you disagree with, you may be able to take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

What can wait

You do not need to decide now whether to take court action, contact the receiving bank yourself, pay for legal help, or replace the money from another source. First give your bank the opportunity to trace the payment and explain what recovery steps are available.

Important reassurance

Incorrect payments are a recognised banking problem. UK payment providers must generally make reasonable efforts to recover money sent using incorrect account details, although recovery is not certain and the outcome depends on the circumstances.

Scope note

This guide covers only the immediate steps after an accidental or misdirected payment. Complaints, scam reimbursement, possible civil recovery, and other later decisions may require help from the Financial Ombudsman Service, MoneyHelper, or a legal adviser.

Important note

This is general financial information, not financial or legal advice. The process and protections available depend on the payment method, the providers involved, the reason the money went to the wrong recipient, and whether the transfer resulted from a mistake, fraud, or a dispute with the intended recipient.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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