HELP!!!

[Ipsevenenabibas]

Hello lovely folks! Please help I am feeling very anxious after logging into my banking app to see a pending transaction 'CHAPSINTREF2026' for a credit into my account for £3.35!!

I've heard about this as some sort of scam and now I'm worried. I've called my bank fraud line who told me to keep an eye on it. They weren't interested as it's not a debit from my account. I've frozen my card and ordered a new debit card. But I'm spiralling! What's going on? Has someone got my details? I definitely don't recognise the transaction, it's so odd and stressing me out! Any ideas what else I can do? I get paid tomorrow and feel like I will wake up to find my account has been wiped! Thank you in advance!

I don't think freezing your card will make any difference as it wasn't a card purchase. But it's a small amount and incoming, so watching and waiting is probably the best way forward.....if it was a couple of grand and someone was asking you to transfer it out as it was an error, that would be a definite scam!

Yeah could be money mule or overpayment scam ... money in is typically wait and see unfortunately.

It's strange but I work in investigating scams and I can't see how it would lead to anyone accessing your account. It's maybe a mistake in an account number.

Scammers do occasionally pay money in but only to encourage you to pay more, mid scam!

It’s almost certainly an interest payment paid via CHAPS? That’s what CHAPS INT means? Were you due a small interest payment?

Do you have a savings account or ISA where the interest is set up to pay to your account rather than add to the savings account?

@WelcometomyUnderworldgreat minds 😆

No but thank you for trying to help me.

Garrrrrrr I can't handle the wait 😭

No I don't! Which is why I'm confused and certain it's some sort of scam! Or mistake I suppose. I hope it's a mistake!

I'm on the phone to my banks customer services. She says it is an aip payment but agrees it looks curious and has put me on hold whilst she speaks to her manager.

Sorry not aip but it was IAP whatever that means....

As above it looks like something paid through the Clearing House Automated Payments system.

Most likley it's yours but with a useless description; do you have any savings or investments that pay income?. Otherwise it may just be a fat finger issue by someone else.

I'm not sure what sort of scam can be facilitated by sending you a few quid unless there's follow up asking you to do stuff. If that happens go back to the bank.

Getting your bank details isn't that difficult - we used to pay people with cheques that had name, sort code and account number on every one of them....

Have you bought a house recently? The money usually moves by CHAPS so perhaps you're owed some interest from when the money was in the system?

Last time I bought a house was 2024. So don't think it is that.

When I ask AI on Google about potential risks with an unknown payment into a bank account it says this:-

• While sometimes benign, a small payment can be a precursor to a scam where a fraudster is verifying your account details are active before attempting larger fraudulent withdrawals.
• Cloned Cards: A small credit followed by, or appearing alongside, charges you do not recognise may indicate your card details have been compromised

Also the other weird thing is that whenever I receive money into my account I never see it in my 'pending' transactions. Its either in my account or not. So that's unusual.
I have only seen transactions in pending section when I've spent money...

This is talking about withdrawals, despire the first sentence. AI is easily confused and it hasn’t noticed the difference. You can’t test if a card still works by depositing a small amount through CHAPS. You’d need to spend a small amount on the card

Both of its situations are relating to small unauthorised withdrawals/spending, not random incoming payments.

Me tooo, I've got exactly the same and the same amount. Let me know if you figure it out as I have no clue

Oh interesting!

You need to check if you're with the same bank

You may have an answer to this now. I had the same, called my bank and it is a genuine refund for interest that was charged when we paid a fee for mortgage funds to be transfered. Apparently they have done this for lots of customers having realised the error.

That's so weird! Please update also if you find out before me!

Oh wow that's so reassuring. I'm so glad I posted here. Thank you mumsnetters you are a lovely bunch you know!

@Houseshouseshouses @Ellen25 do you both bank with natwest? Thank you 😊

Yes Natwest here too