"Wrong Transfer" Scams — Refund Requests That Aren't
A stranger's money lands in your account, followed by an urgent, polite request to send it back — except the money that arrived was never real to begin with.
What this scam looks like
You get a notification that money has been credited to your account "by mistake," followed by a call, SMS, or app message asking you to return it to a different UPI ID. Feeling like you're doing the honest thing, you send the amount back — only to later discover the original "credit" was fake, reversed, or never actually settled, and the money you sent back is a real loss from your own account.
Why it works
This scam exploits basic honesty. Most people want to correct an apparent mistake quickly, especially when the other side sounds distressed or grateful. Variants include a fake screenshot of a "credit" that never actually happened, or a real but reversible transaction (like a cheque or NEFT that later bounces) that gets reversed after you've already sent a UPI refund that can't be undone.
Red flags to watch for
- Unsolicited claims that money was sent to you "by mistake," especially with urgency attached
- Being asked to refund via UPI (irreversible) rather than the original payment method
- Pressure to act before you've verified the credit actually reflects in your real bank balance — not just an app notification or screenshot
- A different UPI ID or account requested for the "refund" than the one the money reportedly came from
How to protect yourself
Before refunding anything, log into your bank app directly (not just a payment app notification) and confirm the amount is genuinely reflected in your available balance, not just a pending or provisional entry. If it is genuine and you want to return it, do so through your bank's formal reversal process, not a UPI transfer to a UPI ID the caller provides.
If this has already happened to you
Follow the steps on our "I've Been Scammed" page right away.
This article is general awareness information, not legal advice. See our disclaimer for details.