If a bank transfer you didn't authorize appears in your account, call the bank's fraud department immediately. Ask it to secure the account, open an error or fraud claim, and attempt the appropriate ACH return or wire recall.

The facts matter. A transfer initiated by an intruder may qualify as an unauthorized electronic fund transfer under Regulation E. A payment you personally approved after a scam may be treated differently, even though you should still report the fraud and request a recall. Tell the bank exactly what happened.

This information is for U.S. consumers and consumer accounts. Business accounts, international remittances, wires, checks, and payments made through apps can follow different rules or contracts.

Identify the transfer type

ACH is a payment network. EFT is a broader legal category that can include electronic debits and credits. A wire may be electronic in everyday language but still fall outside the standard consumer EFT error-resolution process.

When Regulation E may apply

Regulation E is the main federal consumer protection for many electronic fund transfers, but it isn't a universal refund rule for every bank transfer. For a covered EFT from a U.S. consumer account, the Federal Reserve's Regulation E liability guidance sets important notice rules:

• Report an access-device loss quickly. If you notify the bank within two business days after learning that an access device was lost or stolen, liability for unauthorized transfers is generally limited to the lesser of $50 or the amount transferred before notice.
• Watch the 60-day statement deadline. An unauthorized transfer or other covered EFT error shown on a periodic statement should generally be reported within 60 calendar days after the statement was sent.
• Late notice can increase liability. If you miss the two-business-day period but report within the statement deadline, liability can rise to as much as $500 under the applicable formula.
• Missing the statement deadline can have further consequences. You may be responsible for later unauthorized transfers that could have been prevented by timely notice.
• Ask about provisional credit. In a qualifying error investigation, Regulation E may require temporary credit while the bank investigates. Ask whether that applies and whether the bank needs written confirmation.

These deadlines address potential liability; they don't guarantee that the bank can retrieve the money. Recovery depends on whether the payment is pending, whether the receiving account still holds the funds, and how quickly the institutions act.

Regulation E doesn't automatically cover every payment. Business accounts, many wire transfers, paper checks, and some transactions handled through third-party services can follow other rules. For a payment app, both the app's terms and the protections for the linked bank account may matter.

What to do now

1. Call through a trusted channel

Use the number on your bank statement, debit card, or the bank's official website. Don't use a number from a suspicious email or text message.

Give the representative:

• the date, amount, and payment rail;
• the account from which the money was sent or withdrawn;
• whether you initiated or approved the transaction;
• why you believe it was unauthorized or fraudulent;
• whether the transaction is pending or posted; and
• the destination account, recipient, or provider, if known.

For an unauthorized ACH debit, ask about an unauthorized EFT claim, an ACH return, and a block on future debits. For a wire, use clear terms such as urgent wire recall, fraud hold, and receiving-bank contact.

Write down the case number, the representative's name or identification number, and the instructions for sending written notice. Don't wait for a police report or an IC3 report before notifying the bank.

2. Secure the account and connected services

Ask the bank whether it should:

• restrict online banking or replace access credentials;
• block additional ACH debits or outgoing transfers;
• replace a compromised debit card;
• remove unfamiliar linked accounts or payees; and
• add or reset transaction alerts.

Change the bank password and the password for the email account connected to it. Use a device you believe is secure, turn on multifactor authentication, and sign out of unfamiliar sessions. If a scammer had remote access to your computer or phone, have the device checked before using it for banking again.

3. Preserve the evidence

The IC3 financial-fraud resources advise victims to save documents and electronic transmissions connected to the loss. Keep copies of:

• account statements and transaction alerts;
• confirmation pages, reference numbers, and recipient details;
• emails, texts, voicemails, and chat messages;
• the original payment instructions and any changed banking details;
• screenshots of websites, profiles, invoices, or caller information;
• a timeline showing when you received instructions and contacted the bank;
• police, bank, employer, or platform reports; and
• fees or other expenses directly related to the loss or investigation.

Don't send your password, one-time passcode, full login credentials, or remote-access details as evidence. Redact unrelated account information where practical, but leave the transaction date, amount, and reference numbers visible.

4. Report cyber-enabled fraud

File a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center if the transfer involved online impersonation, account takeover, a hacked email account, or another cyber-enabled crime. IC3 shares reports with law-enforcement partners, but it says it can't respond directly to every complaint. An IC3 report doesn't replace the bank claim and doesn't guarantee a refund.

Use only the official IC3 website. The FBI warns that criminals impersonate IC3 and may promise recovery in exchange for another payment.

Financial fraud can cause fear, shame, hopelessness, and other intense reactions. If a loss puts you in an immediate emotional crisis in the United States, the IC3 resource page directs you to call or text 988.

5. Notify other affected parties

If the transfer involved a home purchase, employer payroll, vendor, or payment platform, contact that organization through a known phone number or other trusted channel. Ask it to preserve records and alert its own bank or fraud team.

Don't negotiate with a suspected scammer or send another payment to "unlock" a refund. If you sent money to the wrong legitimate recipient, tell the bank that clearly and let it handle the contact.

Deadlines that matter

A bank may ask you to confirm a telephone report in writing. Send that confirmation promptly and keep proof of delivery. If the bank gives you a case deadline, put it on your calendar.

Before ending the call, ask:

1. Is the transfer pending or settled?
2. Has the bank opened an error, unauthorized EFT, or fraud case?
3. Has it sent an ACH return or wire recall?
4. Does it need a written statement, affidavit, or police report?
5. When should you expect the next update?
6. Does provisional credit apply, and under what conditions could it be reversed?

Write a factual dispute statement

Keep the statement short and accurate. Include the transaction details and distinguish between a transfer initiated by someone else and a payment you approved after deception.

For a transaction initiated by someone else:

I am reporting an unauthorized electronic fund transfer from my consumer account. The transfer posted on [date] for [amount] under reference number [number]. I did not initiate or authorize it. I notified the bank on [date] and request an investigation, protection against further transfers, and any available return or recovery action.

For a payment approved after a scam:

I am reporting a fraud-induced transfer sent on [date] for [amount]. I approved the payment after receiving instructions from a person who impersonated [person or organization]. I request an urgent recall, receiving-bank contact, and a review of the circumstances.

The second statement doesn't guarantee coverage. It gives the bank an accurate basis for investigating the claim.

ACH disputes

An ACH dispute may involve:

• an ACH debit you never authorized;
• a duplicate, incorrect, or missing electronic payment; or
• a payment you authorized but now want refunded because of a merchant dispute, contract issue, or scam.

For the first two situations, describe the specific error and ask the bank which Regulation E and ACH procedures apply. ACH network return deadlines can vary by the reason for the return and the roles of the banks involved, so don't assume that every ACH dispute has the same 60-day window.

A stop-payment request may prevent a future debit, but it doesn't necessarily undo a debit that has already posted. Ask for both future-payment protection and a dispute of the transaction already taken.

A merchant disagreement isn't automatically an unauthorized EFT. If you authorized a subscription or purchase and the merchant failed to deliver, request a refund from the merchant and keep the response. The bank may evaluate the matter under a different error or contract process. Credit-card billing-dispute rules don't automatically apply to an ACH debit.

Wire transfer recalls

A domestic wire generally requires a recall request, not a card chargeback. Call the sending bank's wire or fraud department and ask it to contact the receiving bank immediately.

The sending bank may be able to stop a pending payment. Once a wire has settled, the receiving bank may need to locate the funds, and the recipient's cooperation or another legal process may be necessary. A recall request is not a promise that the money will return.

Ask the sending bank:

• whether the recall was sent;
• when it was sent and under what reference number;
• whether the receiving bank acknowledged it;
• whether the funds were credited or moved; and
• what additional statement or law-enforcement request it needs.

International transfers and remittances

For a SWIFT payment or another cross-border transfer, contact the sending bank or remittance provider and request cancellation or recall. Ask whether the transfer is pending, deposited, picked up, or forwarded through an intermediary bank.

Some U.S. international remittances can be subject to separate federal remittance-transfer rules. Other cross-border wires may be governed mainly by provider terms, bank agreements, and the laws of the countries involved. Don't automatically apply the domestic ACH 60-day rule to an international payment.

Check the receipt and prepayment disclosures for cancellation and error instructions. Give the provider the recipient's name, account or wallet details, destination country, reference number, and exact reason for the request. Currency conversion, intermediary banks, foreign privacy rules, and the recipient's cooperation can all affect recovery.

If the bank denies the claim

A denial doesn't necessarily end the process:

1. Request the decision in writing. Ask why the bank classified the transfer as authorized, outside Regulation E, late, or otherwise not payable.
2. Correct factual errors. Send a concise timeline and evidence addressing the stated reason for denial. Ask what transaction-authentication information the bank can provide.
3. Request reconsideration. Follow the bank's internal appeal or executive-review process and keep the case number.
4. File a regulator complaint. A CFPB complaint may be appropriate for many consumer banking issues. If the bank identifies a different federal or state regulator, use that agency's complaint route. A complaint may prompt review, but it doesn't guarantee recovery or replace the original dispute deadline.
5. Report the crime separately. Use IC3 and local law enforcement for online fraud or account takeover. Those reports support the record but don't guarantee that a bank will reverse the payment.
6. Get targeted help for a major loss. A lawyer or legal-aid organization may help with court orders, commercial agreements, or serious financial hardship. A nonprofit credit counselor may help if the loss makes it difficult to keep up with bills.

If the loss affects rent, mortgage, utilities, or other bills, contact those creditors early. The IC3 resources also suggest asking creditors or a nonprofit credit-counseling service about reducing or modifying payments.

Business-account considerations

A business should notify its bank's commercial fraud team immediately and review the account agreement for ACH and wire notice requirements. Preserve invoices, approval records, vendor-change emails, call logs, device records, and evidence showing who approved the payment.

Consumer Regulation E rules may not apply to an account used primarily for business. A business should follow the commercial agreement and its bank's procedures rather than wait for a consumer-account deadline.

Preventing another transfer dispute

• Verify new payment instructions using a phone number or contact method already on file.
• Treat urgency, secrecy, unexpected account changes, and requests for one-time passcodes as warning signs.
• Turn on alerts for logins, new payees, ACH debits, wires, and large withdrawals.
• Use a separate account with limited funds for payments when appropriate.
• Review statements regularly instead of waiting for an annual tax or account review.
• Protect email, phone, banking, and payment-app accounts with unique passwords and multifactor authentication.
• For business payments, require two people to approve high-value wires and vendor-detail changes.
• Confirm the recipient, routing information, amount, and payment date before submitting the transfer.

Frequently asked questions

Can a wire transfer be reversed after it is sent?

Sometimes, particularly if the bank acts before settlement or the money remains in the receiving account. Ask the sending bank for an immediate cancellation or recall. There is no guaranteed reversal once a wire has settled.

Does Regulation E cover a transfer I approved after a scam?

Not automatically. The bank may distinguish a transfer initiated by an unauthorized person from one you personally entered or approved after deception. Coverage can depend on the account, payment service, and facts. Report the scam accurately and request a recall even if the Regulation E classification is uncertain.

How long do I have to dispute an ACH transfer?

Report it immediately. For a covered unauthorized EFT, notice within two business days generally provides the strongest liability protection when an access device was lost or stolen. An error shown on a statement should generally be reported within 60 days after the statement was sent. Other ACH return rules and account agreements can create different deadlines.

What should I do if the bank denies my transfer dispute?

Ask for the denial and reasoning in writing, submit a focused reconsideration, and complain to the appropriate regulator if needed. Keep the original bank notice and all deadlines. File an IC3 report separately when the transfer involved online fraud.

If the transfer just happened, call the bank through a trusted number now, request the appropriate return or recall, and write down the case number before gathering the rest of your evidence.