“Oops, I Sent You Money by Accident” (Don’t Send It Back)

Your phone buzzes. Someone you don’t know just sent you $400 on Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, or Apple Cash. A minute later, a message: “So sorry, wrong person! Could you please send it back?”

You’re a good person. Of course you want to return it. That’s exactly what makes this scam work.

How it works

The money they sent you usually came from a stolen card or a hacked account. You send your own real money back to them. Days later, the real owner notices the theft and the original payment gets reversed, pulled right back out of your account.

Now you’re out the money you sent, and the scammer has clean cash. Sometimes the goal is also to use your account to move stolen money, which can land you in hot water with your bank.

What to do instead

• Don’t send anything back. Not through the app, not through a different app, not a gift card.
• Don’t spend it either. It isn’t yours, and it will likely disappear.
• Contact the app’s support or your bank and tell them you received a payment by mistake. Let them reverse it through official channels.
• Ignore the pressure. If they get pushy or say it’s urgent, that’s your confirmation. Urgency is the tell.

What about a friend?

This applies to people you know too. A “friend” asking you to receive money and forward it to another account is a red flag, even if you’ve known them for years. Their account may have been hacked, or they may be caught up in a scam themselves.