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How do I stop or recall a wire transfer sent to a scammer
Use the free tool — Scam & Identity-Theft Recovery Plan
Call Your Bank Right Now
If you sent a wire transfer to a scammer, speed matters most. Call your bank's fraud or wire department before the transfer settles and ask for a wire recall. The bank's fraud line, called before the transfer settles, is the first clock that matters in this kind of case.
What a Wire Recall Can and Cannot Do
A wire recall asks the receiving bank to send the money back before the scammer withdraws it. It is not guaranteed. Transfers you authorized under deception — Zelle, wire, gift cards — are often not covered, even though banks sometimes reimburse and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has pressed them to.
Do every step anyway. The record you create matters for the bank, the credit bureaus, and any later claim.
The Clocks You Should Know
- Regulation E rights — 60 days from the statement date to dispute in writing.
- Chargeback window — if any part of the scam touched a card, the card network sets a chargeback deadline.
- Credit freezes and fraud alerts — put these in place before another account can be opened in your name.
These deadlines depend on your own dates. This is not legal advice — confirm every deadline with your bank and the agencies involved.
Reports That Open Doors
After the bank call, consider filing:
- An FTC identity-theft report at identitytheft.gov (free).
- A report to IC3, the FBI's internet crime complaint center.
- A police report if it is needed to support your bank claim or the FTC report.
- An IRS Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) if tax-related identity theft is possible.
The FTC report is often what unlocks the bank's and the credit bureaus' obligations to help you.
Florida and National Help
- Florida Attorney General: 1-866-966-7226.
- AARP Fraud Watch Helpline: 877-908-3360.
- FTC: identitytheft.gov (free).
What to Do Next
This page is general. Your case has its own dates and dollars. The free Scam & Identity-Theft Recovery Plan reads what you describe — how the money left, when, how much — and gives you the steps in order, with every deadline computed from your own dates: the bank and wire-recall scripts, the Regulation E written dispute, the chargeback window, credit freezes, the FTC and IC3 reports, the IRS IP PIN, the Florida AG, and the letters. It is free, available in English and Spanish, is not legal advice, and does not file anything for you — you use the scripts and letters yourself.
Scam & Identity-Theft Recovery Plan is an informational tool based on Regulation E (12 CFR 1005), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (§§605A, 605B, 609(e)), the Fair Credit Billing Act, card-network chargeback rules, and Florida Statutes 817.568 as of 2025–26. It is not legal or financial advice and does not file reports or disputes. Coverage of authorised-but-induced transfers depends on the bank and the network. It is not affiliated with any bank, bureau or agency.