Someone Else’s Money Was Sent to Your Bank Card: How to Return It and Avoid Becoming a Money Mule

In Brief

• A transfer from a stranger and a request to “send it back to another card” is a classic scheme. The money is often stolen from a third party, and you become part of the chain.
• Do not spend or transfer this money yourself. Notify the bank through its official chat.
• Under the law, the recipient of an erroneous transfer must return the money within three business days after notification from the bank. It should be returned to the sender through the bank, not using the details sent in a messenger.
• The bank cannot debit the money without your consent, but you cannot keep it either: it is unjustly acquired property.
• On October 28, 2026, the Rada passed a money mule law: after it enters into force, participating in moving other people’s money will already carry criminal liability.

The scenario is familiar to thousands of Ukrainians. UAH 3,000 or UAH 15,000 arrives on a card from a stranger. A few minutes later, there is a call or message: “Sorry, I entered the wrong card number, please send it back. Just transfer it to my wife’s card, mine is blocked.” Wanting to do the right thing, the person makes the transfer. A week later, the bank blocks the card, and the app shows a request for proof of the funds’ origin. Let’s look at why this happens and how to act correctly.

How the “mistaken” transfer scheme works

Most often, one of these schemes is behind the “error”:

The common feature of all schemes is a request to return the money not to the sender, but to different payment details, along with urgency. An honest person who made a mistake will go to their bank.

What the law says

• Article 88 of the Law “On Payment Services”. The recipient whose account was mistakenly credited with funds must, within three business days, initiate a payment for an equivalent amount. The period is counted not from the moment of the transfer and not from the sender’s call, but from the moment when the bank notified you of the error.
• Article 1212 of the Civil Code. A person who received property without sufficient legal grounds must return it.
• The bank does not debit the money without your consent. It notifies you and asks for your consent to the refund. If you do not return it, the sender may go to court, and courts require the money to be returned together with legal costs.

This is also confirmed by the PrivatBank help guide: money should be returned through the bank, rather than responding to requests to send a “repeat” transfer.

What to do if someone else’s money arrives: step by step

1. Do not spend or transfer anything. Even if the amount is small and you really want to “just return it and forget about it.”
2. Do not return it at someone’s request in a messenger app or over the phone. Especially not to another card, another number, or a “wife’s account.” Do not click links or disclose your card details.
3. Notify your bank through the official chat. Write: “A transfer from an unknown person was credited to my card (date, amount, sender). Please verify the transaction and initiate a return to the sender.”
4. Keep the evidence. Screenshots of messages, phone numbers, call times. If you were threatened, keep that too.
5. Return the money only upon notification from the bank and using the method the bank specifies. Usually, this is a return to the same account from which the money was sent.
6. If they pressure or threaten you, contact the cyber police. A report can be submitted online on the cyber police website.

If you trade on P2P and the money came from a person who does not match the buyer on the exchange, do not release the cryptocurrency. Open an appeal and return the money only through the bank. Learn more in our breakdown of the money mule law.

If you have already transferred money to another card

1. Immediately notify your bank that you transferred money at the request of a stranger, and attach the correspondence.
2. File a report with the cyber police. Specify both cards: the one that received the money and the one to which you sent it.
3. Do not send anything else, even if the “sender” says the money did not arrive and you need to “repeat” the transfer.
4. Respond to the bank’s request about the source of funds if one arrives. Explain the situation and attach evidence. How to respond to such requests is covered in the article PrivatBank Requested Proof of Source of Funds.
5. If your card was blocked — follow the plan in the article Monobank Blocked the Card After P2P: the unblocking procedure is similar at all banks.

If you made a mistake and sent the money to the wrong place

1. If you know the recipient — contact them, explain the situation, and ask them to return the money.
2. If you do not know them — contact the recipient’s bank (its name is listed on the receipt). The bank must accept your application and notify the recipient.
3. After the notification the recipient has three business days to initiate the refund.
4. If the recipient refuses — the only option is court. A claim is filed so that the bank discloses the recipient’s details, and then the money is recovered under Article 1212 of the Civil Code.

What not to do: do not send the recipient a second small amount with a request to return the first one. Banks warn that this is how scammers operate, and the recipient will think it is them.

Risks

• The money may have been stolen from another person. In that case, returning it “to another card” makes you part of the scheme and may become subject to review under the new money mule law.
• Card blocking. The victim’s bank and your bank can see the movement of stolen funds through your card.
• Phishing disguised as a refund. Links “for returning funds” and calls “from the bank” steal card details.
• Pressure and threats. Scammers intimidate you with the police so that you act quickly. The real sender will go to the bank.

FAQ

I received someone else’s money on my card. Can I spend it?

No. Money received without legal grounds must be returned under Article 1212 of the Civil Code. If you spend it, the sender may recover the amount through the courts together with legal costs.

The sender asks to return the money to a different card. What should you do?

Do not transfer them. This is the main sign of a fraudulent scheme. Notify your bank about the incoming funds and return the money only in the way the bank instructs — usually to the same account they came from.

How much time do you have to reverse an erroneous transfer?

Under Article 88 of the Law “On Payment Services,” the recipient must initiate a refund within three business days after the bank notifies them of the erroneous transfer.

Can a bank withdraw money from my card on its own?

No. The bank notifies the recipient and requests consent for the return. It cannot debit the money without the client’s consent. If the recipient refuses to return it, the sender goes to court.

I have already transferred money to another card at a stranger’s request. Will I be punished?

If you were misled, the main thing is to immediately notify your bank and the cyber police and keep the correspondence. Acting in good faith and reporting it quickly protects you best. If there is a threat of criminal prosecution, contact a lawyer.

How can you tell that an “accidental” transfer is a scam?

Signs: a request to return the money not to the sender but to different account details, urgency, calls “from the bank” or “the police,” links “for the refund,” threats. An honest sender contacts their own bank.