Mysterious payment

[shouldhavecalleditoatabix]

So £500 has appeared in my bank account today. It is showing in a current account that I only use to pay bills. I have literally no idea where it came from. The bank say it was an electronic payment but cannot tell me anything about where it came from. It has an 11 digit reference beginning with a 7 and no other information.

I've asked family members. I've searched for the reference number. I've checked everything I can think of. I have no idea where it came from! Ideas?

Anonymous Christmas present?

I'd err on the side of it being like monopoly 'bank error in your favour' lol.

I personally wouldn't spend it as I'd be afraid someone would come looking for it back!

Merry Christmas!

if its the account for your bills then couldit be a refund on electric or gas because you are too much in credit? or if you are on a low income is it the winter payment?
Log into your untility bills and look at your account to see if that could be the payment.

@BrieAndChilli I doubt it's a refund from energy company because I have been very lax about giving them a reading! Plus I haven't had any notification of the refund coming.

I might check my bank now

🤞🤞

Was it £500 exactly? This wouldn't happen to me so I'd assume if it did that it was someone else's bank transfer gone wrong. The bank should in theory be able to check and if that person realises, should be able to match up your payment with it - but they won't.

Could it be a work bonus?

Overpaid council tax - you’ve paid over 12 months not 10?

I would leave it in the account for now in case it’s an error.

Fingers crossed for you @Riv12345 !

Normally when I receive money there is a name attached to it. There is just no explanation of where or why?! I am a control freak. I HATE not knowing where it came from!!

Oh how exciting, I'd put it to one side for a while, and then if nobody comes asking for it back....

@Mangerfield it was exactly £500. You have to know the name of the bank account holder now don't you to do a transfer which makes accidents a lot harder. The bank say if it was a mistake then the owner has to contact my bank and request the return of the money. The bank then contact me before releasing the funds.

@Rainbowshine , not overpayment of ctax. It's all done by DD and the reference doesn't match.

Not a work bonus as I am public sector. Never happens without awareness and it would be paid with wages.

@BrieAndChilli Check energy company. Not them.

I’d be going mad trying to figure out where it was from, how frustrating! And yes, seconding the advice to not spend it for a good couple months at least in case it’s wanted back... But I hope it’s a mysterious gift to you!

Only that a crook who has your bank account details might transfer money out of it just as easily :-(

Oh well, I suppose sit on it! Does anyone have those bank a/c details other than yourself?

I was going to suggest that it was the Scottish governments payment of £500 to frontline workers? But of course that only applies if you're in Scotland and a frontline worker. Does England have the scheme?

Normally it's the teenagers who receive £500 on their accounts from "friends" who are into money laundering.

The winter fuel payment is £140 and not paid until the spring, at least it is with my energy supplier.

Rent rebate?

‘Scammers paid £1,000 into my account so I told my bank - but that’s just what they wanted me to do’

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/scammers-paid-1000-account-told-15853749

[quote Carolofthebellies]‘Scammers paid £1,000 into my account so I told my bank - but that’s just what they wanted me to do’

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/scammers-paid-1000-account-told-15853749[/quote]
Interesting article. I've not had any calls about it yet and i suppose I have no way of knowing if it's a payday loan if they haven't contacted me.

My first step was to call the bank but they seemed very uninterested!

@DreadingSeason2020sFinale

I was going to suggest that it was the Scottish governments payment of £500 to frontline workers? But of course that only applies if you're in Scotland and a frontline worker. Does England have the scheme?

I'm in England. I haven't heard about the payment albeit if they do it here I would probably qualify I suppose.

Not rent rebate.
Reference number begins with 7 and is 11 digits long. Not council tax.

Premium bond win?

I had this in an old savings account that i didnt use. It was a few little amounts and I rang the bank everytime, but they couldn't do anything about it. Then there was a large amount, and the person obviously noticed that it was missing and their bank retrieved the payment pretty quickly. They didnt need my permission to get the money back because i had already phoned them and there was a note on my account, so it meant the poor person got their money back without hanging about.

I don’t think you HAVE to have the right name to transfer money - I have two accounts and one has a slightly different name on than the other (shortened version) and when I transfer money from one to the other it flashes up with a warning to check as the names don’t match, but it still lets me make the transfer as long as I click to say I know that the names are different.