How do I get my money back after I discover an unauthorized transaction or money missing from my bank account? | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (2024)

FAQs

How do I get my money back after I discover an unauthorized transaction or money missing from my bank account? | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? ›

File a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). If the bank won't refund your money, the CFPB will investigate. The CFPB will follow up, and most companies respond within 15 days.

The bank/credit union will put your money back into your account after they receive a signed affidavit certifying that the charges in question were not made by you. Return the affidavit through certified mail/return receipt requested so that you have proof of when and that it was delivered.

Let's say you lost your debit card or it was stolen. If you notify your bank or credit union within two business days of discovering the loss or theft of the card, the bank or credit union can't hold you responsible for more than the amount of any unauthorized transactions or $50, whichever is less.

Once a potential fraudulent transaction is flagged, banks deploy specialized investigation teams. These professionals, often with backgrounds in finance and cybersecurity, examine the electronic trails of transactions and apply account-based rules to trace the origin of the suspected fraud.

To request a refund of an unauthorised transaction:

Immediately ring your bank. They must have a priority number so you can easily report unauthorised transactions and security breaches. Tell them that there is an unauthorised transaction on your account.

For more details, give a missed call on 14440. If someone has fraudulently withdrawn money from your bank account, inform your bank immediately. When you notify the bank, remember to take acknowledgement from your bank. The bank has to resolve your complaint within 90 days from the date of receipt.

Yes, there are a few things you can do to try to recover your scammed money if you have the scammer's bank account details. Contact your bank: Your bank may be able to help you track down the scammer and recover your money.

Some situations are successfully resolved over time, but many consumers are not as fortunate. If you have notified your financial institution about unauthorized transactions, but your bank won't refund stolen money, you may need a consumer fraud lawyer to protect your rights. .

Getting my stolen money back

Provided you've done nothing to compromise the security of your account, you should get your money back. But this isn't guaranteed. Refunds can be delayed or refused if the bank has reasonable grounds to think you've been grossly negligent, such as telling someone your PIN or password.

You Have A Right To Sue Any Bank That Unlawfully Keeps Your Money, Or Who Fails to Follow Your Instructions For Disbursing It. Banks owe you a duty to only give out funds that you authorize, and to only give out funds in the manner that you instruct them.

Can banks find out who used your card? ›

Can You Track Someone Who Used Your Credit Card Online? No. However, if you report the fraud in a timely manner, the bank or card issuer will open an investigation. Banks have a system for investigating credit card fraud, including some standard procedures.

If you've transferred money to someone because of a scam

Your bank or building society should reimburse you if it's registered with the Lending Standards Board under their Contingent Reimbursem*nt Model Code (CRM Code).

Did a scammer make an unauthorized transfer from your bank account? Contact your bank and tell them it was an unauthorized debit or withdrawal. Ask them to reverse the transaction and give you your money back.

The first thing you should do is contact your bank or payment service provider to explain what's happened. You should tell them about a suspected scam or a disputed payment as soon as you can. We share more detail about common types of fraud and what to do if you think you have been affected by a scam.

If either a consumer or a vendor notices something is wrong with the payment, they can contact the bank to stop the transaction going through. This is typically the payment reversal type which involves the least hassle for both customers and businesses.

Initiate a dispute online or by phone

To dispute a credit card charge with Discover online, log into your account and go to the "Activity and Statement" page under the "Activity" dropdown at the top of the page. From there, select the transaction or transactions you want to dispute and click "Dispute This Charge."

In general, when a bank is notified about an unauthorized electronic transfer, it must investigate the situation and report to the account holder in a specific amount of time. If the transaction is unauthorized, the bank must refund all or part of the money depending on how quickly the account holder notified the bank.

If you've transferred money to someone because of a scam

Your bank or building society should reimburse you if it's registered with the Lending Standards Board under their Contingent Reimbursem*nt Model Code (CRM Code).

Your bank can only refuse to refund an unauthorised payment if: it can prove you authorised the payment. it can prove you acted fraudulently. it can prove you deliberately, or with 'gross negligence', failed to protect the details of your card, PIN or password in a way that allowed the payment.