Mistaken wire transfer/payment error

ruggedmaker2, listen, what you’re talking about isn't even a mistake on your part.
You sent the money to the right account, plain and simple. The fact that his account is frozen or under some legal seizure? That’s his headache, not yours. I mean, seriously, why would he even give you his routing number if he’s got the IRS or some debt collector breathing down his neck? 🤔
He’s the one who messed up here, not you. This isn't some blunder on your end.

ruggedmaker2 said:ruggedmaker2, listen, what you’re talking about isn't even a mistake on your part.
You sent the money to the right account, plain and simple. The fact that his account is frozen or under some legal seizure? That’s his headache, not yours. I mean, seriously, why would he even give you his routing number if he’s got the IRS or some debt collector breathing down his neck? 🤔
He’s the one who messed up here, not you. This isn't some blunder on your end.

It's because we're friends, honestly, and since he had no clue whether that check from the contractor had actually cleared yet, he just needed the cash in hand rather than seeing it sit in a locked bank account.

Look, bottom line? You aren’t getting that money back. Period.
The only way that works is if the actual account holder steps in and proves it was some kind of protected deposit—which, let's be real, it isn't. So, yeah... nothing's happening there. All he's gonna see is his debt ticking up a little higher.

ruggedmaker2 said:Look, bottom line? You aren’t getting that money back. Period.
The only way that works is if the actual account holder steps in and proves it was some kind of protected deposit—which, let's be real, it isn't. So, yeah... nothing's happening there. All he's gonna see is his debt ticking up a little higher.

I'm pretty much on the same page there, honestly, though I had heard that filing a dispute through HP works without any hassle, so I was just wondering if it was worth even trying to chase it down.
Thanks for the heads up!

Hey

So here’s the situation: someone is expecting an international wire transfer into their US dollar account. According to the payment confirmation sent by the sender, the recipient's address is completely wrong—I'm talking a totally different street, even if the city is correct. It’s not just a typo; it's a different location entirely. Everything else looks solid, though: IBAN, SWIFT code, full name, all that stuff.

Is this going to cause issues with the funds clearing? And if things go sideways, who should we be hitting up—the bank or the sender?

mistywolf15 said:Hey

So here’s the situation: someone is expecting an international wire transfer into their US dollar account. According to the payment confirmation sent by the sender, the recipient's address is completely wrong—I'm talking a totally different street, even if the city is correct. It’s not just a typo; it's a different location entirely. Everything else looks solid, though: IBAN, SWIFT code, full name, all that stuff.

Is this going to cause issues with the funds clearing? And if things go sideways, who should we be hitting up—the bank or the sender?

It won't.
The IBAN and SWIFT are what actually matter.

Hey there!
A colleague sent money to my account $833 but used the wrong name. The routing number and account number are correct, though.
It’s a checking account over at Wells Fargo, but he was sending it from his account at Chase.
Do you think this will cause any issues? 🤷

Not gonna

(via Reddit)

My employer went ahead and paid the tax on my freelance fees last year—it could be an error, though it’s more likely just some backdated payment they finally cleared.
When I filed my annual tax return, I didn't include this amount because the company hadn't provided me with any official documentation regarding the income or the tax withheld... honestly, I wasn't even aware such a thing existed at the time.
Is it actually possible to ask the IRS to factor this tax into last year's totals and reprocess my return? We are talking about roughly $233 in taxes.

Let’s look at a hypothetical scenario. About two and a half months ago, a certain company owed me, say, 11 units of currency. We had an agreement where they’d settle 7 of those units immediately in cash—which they did—and the remaining 4 would be wired to my checking account.

Here’s the twist: instead of just sending the 4 units left on the balance, they went ahead and wired the full 11 units to my account. It’s been two and a half months now, and despite having all my contact information on file, nobody from the firm has reached out to mention the mistake. I’m curious, though—in a situation like this, what is the statute of limitations on claiming such funds?

Just to be crystal clear, and again, this is purely hypothetical: if they had contacted me right away, or if they were reaching out to me this very second, I would have returned the money immediately. Honestly, I would have told them to just come by and pick it up.

Help!

So, I just realized I totally messed up my transfers today. I accidentally sent a payment meant for my Diners Club account (which is through JPMorgan Chase) straight into my Bank of America account instead. Basically, I used the wrong template—I opened up my American Express info and typed in the reference number from my Diners Club statement. Total rookie move.
Do you think Bank of America is going to give me my money back, and if so, how long does that usually take?!!

It won't be Chase, it'll be their Visa, and they probably won't move an inch until someone actually calls them out and explains what went down.

Sent from my iPhone using Reddit

A friend of mine ran into a mess with her bank—they botched a transfer, and apparently, because the IRS flagged it as income, she lost her child tax credit benefits. It sounds wild, but that’s what she’s telling me. Fast forward about three or four months, and the bank calls her out of the blue demanding she pay the money back. Here’s the deal: it was supposed to be a simple refund from an online vendor. She bought something, it didn't show up, so they agreed on a refund. But instead of one transaction, two identical payments hit her account from the same seller. When she called him, he was actually pretty honest—he told her he only sent the money once. It looks like he tried to run a credit card reversal that failed, so he just sent a direct wire instead. The bank missed the error, processed both as valid deposits, and now they're coming after her for it. They aren't asking the vendor for the extra funds—just her. She already paid them back, but now she’s wondering: what if she hadn't? Would the bank have just sued her or frozen her accounts? And honestly, since this was clearly a massive banking blunder, shouldn't they be apologizing and covering the costs she incurred—like those lost benefits?

feraljackal2 said:A friend of mine ran into a mess with her bank—they botched a transfer, and apparently, because the IRS flagged it as income, she lost her child tax credit benefits. It sounds wild, but that’s what she’s telling me. Fast forward about three or four months, and the bank calls her out of the blue demanding she pay the money back. Here’s the deal: it was supposed to be a simple refund from an online vendor. She bought something, it didn't show up, so they agreed on a refund. But instead of one transaction, two identical payments hit her account from the same seller. When she called him, he was actually pretty honest—he told her he only sent the money once. It looks like he tried to run a credit card reversal that failed, so he just sent a direct wire instead. The bank missed the error, processed both as valid deposits, and now they're coming after her for it. They aren't asking the vendor for the extra funds—just her. She already paid them back, but now she’s wondering: what if she hadn't? Would the bank have just sued her or frozen her accounts? And honestly, since this was clearly a massive banking blunder, shouldn't they be apologizing and covering the costs she incurred—like those lost benefits?

In cases like this, a thorough investigation is conducted involving intermediary banks and all parties involved in the transaction. Because of the high volume of fraudulent claims, regulatory agencies often get involved. Until a full audit is complete, everything remains hearsay, and every digital footprint leaves a trail.
If the bank truly dropped the ball, she needs to file a formal complaint so a deep dive can be performed. If the bank's error is confirmed, there shouldn't be an issue resolving it.

It’s clearly the bank's mistake—there's no arguing that part. But what happens if their error causes someone to receive a deposit they weren't supposed to get, leading to actual expenses on their end? Who ends up footing the bill for those costs?

If the bank admits they messed up, they’ll reverse those charges.

It’s not even about the actual costs. But look—let's say Chase accidentally drops some extra cash into your account at Wells Fargo. A few months down the line, they call you up demanding it back. You tell them you have absolutely no idea what they're talking about—but if they really did make a mistake, wouldn't you just thank them for the unexpected summer vacation fund and ask them to stop calling since you're currently roaming abroad? What happens next?

The bank amount, even if it’s just $0.00, isn't something they're going to just hand over.
If someone refuses to return money that clearly isn't theirs, you hand the case over to the legal department—and from there, you know how that goes.
At any rate, the person who received the accidental deposit should have noticed it immediately.

It seems like the person who receives an accidental transfer ends up taking the hit more than the one who actually made the mistake.

I don't really get why someone who did nothing wrong should have to worry about someone else's blunder—especially if we're talking about, say, an elderly neighbor without online banking or just some dormant account. For instance, I have an old account at Chase that isn't officially closed, but since there’s zero activity, it just sits there—no monthly fees to worry about. If someone accidentally sends money to it, the account suddenly becomes active again, and then I'm stuck paying maintenance fees. Sure, it’s just a tiny amount—like $3.25 a month, or $10 over three months—but as you mentioned, the Bank won't even toss you a $0.00 in relief. Instead, it's the innocent party who is expected to "gift" the Bank something just because a teller messed up.

Employees are also held accountable for their own negligence, in accordance with the internal policies of the Bank 👍