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Original poster

Money appeared in my bank account

288 replies

AlexaShutUp · 08/01/2022 12:11

Just under £3k has mysteriously appeared in our joint bank account. Dh knows nothing about it. Neither do I.

I will talk to the bank on Monday, but in the meantime, I'm speculating. Could this be something dodgy or a genuine mistake?

It's an Internet transfer from a bank in Swansea. Confused

OP posts:
Happyher · 09/01/2022 20:26

Do you have premium bonds bought through your bank account?

user1481840227 · 09/01/2022 20:30

Just read that article.
Can anyone explain what this means?

I laughed and hung up. That was ridiculous. I was so angry, I can't believe I fell for it for so long. I waited about a minute or so to make sure the line was clear and called my bank directly.

It is a myth that banks will never call you, some of them do, especially if there has been unusual activity on the account, but no real bank would ever have a problem with you hanging up and making the phone call yourself. You just have to make sure the line is clear first.

I never heard anything about making sure a line was clear before so I don't understand that...is this a stupid question lol?

KitKat1985 · 09/01/2022 20:42

Best guess is it was meant for someone with a similar account number?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General money
purplesequins · 09/01/2022 20:42

"You just have to make sure the line is clear first."

I never heard anything about making sure a line was clear before so I don't understand that...is this a stupid question lol?

when someone calls you if you hang up but they don'tthe connection still stands.
so the scammer calls you saying they are from the other bank and there was a mistake and you need to call your bank to rectify the mistake.
you then hang up to call your own bank. but because the scammer has not hung up when you dial your bank they can make it seem that you are talking to your bank's fraud department. they then get enough information from you to clear your account out.

NeverEndingFireworks · 09/01/2022 20:46

if the scammer rang you on a landline @user1481840227 then they "control" the landline until they hang up.

they wait for you to hang up - then play you a recording of the line sounding free - you think you are dialling out, but they have never hung up and just pretend to answer the call.

lifedecisionsarehard · 09/01/2022 20:47

Very curious of the outcome too!

ChesapeakeEmbarrassed · 09/01/2022 20:48

@AuntyBumBum

I'm not convinced at all by this! How does the OP's "scammer" guarantee they will get their £30k back?

The article tells you how they do it. Scams typcially work on the basis of two things - one predictability of human behaviour and two that if they try it on with enough people,a % of them will fall for it. They don't expect to make a 100% recovery. But look at it this way. If you scammed 100 people for £3k and 10% of them fall for it, that's still a lot of money.

The scammers make a fraudulent loan application in your name and it's paid into your bank account. Scammers wait a reasonable time for you to spot it on the basis that predicable human behaviour is that you will spot it and will call your bank. But even if you don't they could scam you on the call by telling you to check for the loan.

Then as per the article they try (posing as the bank) to persuade you to transfer it to another (their own) account.

If they are successful and you do transfer it, end result is
scammers £3k
you down £3k + in possession of a fraudulent £3k loan taken out in your name that you'll have to sort out.

I never heard anything about making sure a line was clear before so I don't understand that...is this a stupid question lol?

I think this only relates to landlines but I'm not so confident of that that I wouldn't call from another phone if I was called on a mobile.

Basically if you call a landline, once the call is answered the line is open to your phone. If the person puts the phone down but you don't, when they pick up the phone again the line is still open to you. It is only you as the caller putting down the phone that cuts the
connection.

What scammers do is they keep the line open and play a dial tone down the phone, they listen in and then when you pick up the phone to start dialling, they play appropriate sound effects and then answer as if they are the bank.

It's very clever and not a shock that many people fall for it.

user1481840227 · 09/01/2022 20:49

Thank you @purplesequins and @NeverEndingFireworks

So how do you make sure your line is free then?
Call from a different phone and see if it goes through ok?

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 09/01/2022 21:04

@user1481840227

Thank you *@purplesequins and @NeverEndingFireworks*

So how do you make sure your line is free then?
Call from a different phone and see if it goes through ok?

I posted this above but it is a long thread now so worth repeating. To check if the is clear you ring someone else e.g. your mum and if she answers you know it's fine, if the scammer answers pretending to be your bank then you know it wasn't clear.
janj2301 · 09/01/2022 21:10

Whenever I have to transfer money to another account, the first time I send £1 and when they confirm safe receipt I send the rest, a simple typo and my money could go to the wrong account and it can be difficult getting it back

annlee3817 · 09/01/2022 21:10

It does happen in error sometimes. I'll never forget working for a bank and accidentally transferring a very large amount of money into the wrong account, I had to recall it and send out apology letters.

My dad recently made a payment online and accidentally sent it to the cattery who looks after their cat occasionally instead of where it was meant to go, he called her and she refunded it immediately, so it could be someone that has had to pay you for something in the past and accidentally selected you instead of someone else.

user14943608381 · 09/01/2022 21:21

Do make sure you follow up on this OP, I work for a big bank and sometimes balls have been dropped x

DustyMaiden · 09/01/2022 21:34

HMRC tax refunds come from Swansea, at least mine do.

PerkingFaintly · 09/01/2022 21:34

@user1481840227

Thank you *@purplesequins and @NeverEndingFireworks*

So how do you make sure your line is free then?
Call from a different phone and see if it goes through ok?

Yes, make an unrelated call TO or FROM your phone, to check it can connect to some unrelated number of your choice.

If you call your mum but get "the bank"... then it's obvious the line hasn't been cleared.

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 09/01/2022 21:42

@DustyMaiden

HMRC tax refunds come from Swansea, at least mine do.
Do they say Swansea rather then HMRC on the statement? I've not had a refund fro HMRC, why do they put where they come from?
hohohooooo · 09/01/2022 21:53

This happened to me. Phoned bank - they insisted it wasn't an error and claimed it was a cheque I had paid in at a branch, I said I would remember paying in a £2k cheque.

I left the money in my account for about 9 months just in case and then I spent it. That was about 3 years ago.

AlwaysLatte · 09/01/2022 21:54

Have you checked other accounts to check there's nothing missing? We got scammed a couple of years ago: they pretended to be BT and as it happened when they called we were actually awaiting a call back from a complaint from us about our line speed. So we were very open (we think an employee probably tipped them off). After a long call they said they would refund us £30 to apologise for the issue. Then they called back to say they'd accidentally transferred £3000 and could we please check. We did, and saw the £3k but we got a little suspicious. Turned out they had transferred £3k from one of our own other bank accounts! Nationwide were great and also phoned us during this with their concerns but it was quite credible, particularly since we had raised the line speed issue with BT ourselves.

gerardsbutler · 09/01/2022 22:03

@AlwaysLatte

Have you checked other accounts to check there's nothing missing? We got scammed a couple of years ago: they pretended to be BT and as it happened when they called we were actually awaiting a call back from a complaint from us about our line speed. So we were very open (we think an employee probably tipped them off). After a long call they said they would refund us £30 to apologise for the issue. Then they called back to say they'd accidentally transferred £3000 and could we please check. We did, and saw the £3k but we got a little suspicious. Turned out they had transferred £3k from one of our own other bank accounts! Nationwide were great and also phoned us during this with their concerns but it was quite credible, particularly since we had raised the line speed issue with BT ourselves.
That’s quite scary.
SnackSizeRaisin · 09/01/2022 22:05

I once reported a debit card missing and then someone tried to use it the same day. The debit card later turned up safe and sound, so it must have been an inside job from the bank employee. Dodgy things can and do happen. Stay vigilant and trust no one

JanglyBeads · 09/01/2022 22:10

Swansea - DVLA? Just a thought.

A similar thing happened to me a few months ago. I was sure it was a mistake until a friend said "could it be anything to do with your late DB's will?"

Shock yes it was, had completely forgotten that I had filed in form to claim unpaid benefits following his death )he was disabled) and sent it to DWP a few weeks previously. Also I hadn't been expecting nearly that much and thought they'd get in touch before dumping it into my bank account!

Ijsbear · 09/01/2022 22:28

There is a gigantic amount of fraud going on in the last months/ couple of years, so I've been told by a Uk banking person.

Callaird · 09/01/2022 22:29

@AlexaShutUp

Thank you, I read the article and it is scary! I will insist on calling the bank myself and not accept any calls purporting to be from them.
Remember to use a different phone to call the bank if you do get a call from someone you do not know. They can lock your phone open for more than 10 minutes. If something seems to be a scam, hang up and call your bank fraud line, it could be the scammer still on the line. They can also call you back with your fraud line telephone number, that’s how they got me. £5k. Thankfully my bank were on it and called it back. I was without an account for 22 days, I could go to the bank with ID and a 10 digit number to withdraw money and all direct debits went through.
DustyMaiden · 09/01/2022 22:56

It did say Swansea on my statement. I think it depends where you live as there are different offices.

rka2017 · 09/01/2022 23:16

Very useful information, never heard hung up line and had to make sure line is clear