How to Get Money Back From a Wrong Bank Transfer in Pakistan

Sent money to the wrong account in Pakistan? Call your own bank's helpline straight away, give the transaction ID, and follow up in writing the same day. State Bank of Pakistan rules tell the receiving bank to reverse a transfer immediately once its customer reports the wrong credit. Speed matters, because the money is easiest to stop before it is spent.

One wrong digit in an IBAN or a mobile number is all it takes. We read the State Bank of Pakistan's Electronic Fund Transfers Regulations and its complaint rules for banks, so the steps below follow what banks are actually required to do, and they also show where the rules stop.

Call your bank within the first hour

Your own bank is the only party that can start the recovery. Call its helpline as soon as you notice the mistake, ask it to contact the receiving bank, and get a complaint number. Waiting even a day gives the receiver time to withdraw the money.

Have these ready before you call:

• The transaction ID or reference number from the receipt or SMS.
• The date, time and exact amount.
• The account number, IBAN or Raast ID you typed by mistake.
• The correct account you meant to pay.
• A screenshot of the confirmation screen.

The numbers for every major bank are listed in our bank helpline numbers list. Use the number printed on your card or on the bank's own website, never one from a social media comment. Scammers watch for posts about wrong transfers.

What the State Bank rules require from both banks

SBP's Electronic Fund Transfers Regulations say the receiving bank shall reverse the transfer immediately if its customer tells it about an incorrect credit. Your bank must give you a complaint number the same day and pass the case on. Neither bank can simply ignore it.

The Electronic Fund Transfers Regulations, issued by SBP's Payment Systems Department in 2018, cover transfers through mobile banking, internet banking, ATMs, call centres and branchless banking. We read three duties in them that matter here.

One honest limit. The reversal rule is written around the receiver reporting the wrong credit. We did not find any SBP rule that lets a bank take money out of a stranger's account without that person agreeing. In practice, the receiving bank contacts its customer and asks for consent.

Follow the steps in this order

Call first, then write. A phone call starts the clock, but a written complaint gives you proof. Then wait for the receiving bank to reach its customer, and escalate to the Banking Mohtasib only if your bank fails to act or reply in time.

1. Call your bank's helpline. Report the wrong transfer and get a complaint number.
2. Send a written complaint the same day. Use the bank's app, email or a letter at your branch. Quote the complaint number and attach the screenshot.
3. Ask your branch to write to the receiving bank. Ask for a copy or reference of that request.
4. Do not contact the receiver through strangers. Let the banks handle it. If someone calls you claiming to help, do not share your PIN or OTP.
5. Escalate if needed. If your bank does not resolve the complaint or does not reply, take it to the Banking Mohtasib.

If you paid through Raast by mobile number, the same steps apply. Raast is still a bank transfer, and our explainer on using Raast shows how the ID links to one account.

Bank deadlines for answering your complaint

SBP's complaint rules for banks set firm timelines. Your bank must acknowledge your complaint within 48 hours. A simple case needs a final reply within 7 working days, and any complaint must be disposed of within 15 days.

We read these in SBP's Consumer Grievances Handling Mechanism for banks. Where a case needs detailed checking, the bank sends an interim reply after 10 working days explaining the delay. Fraud cases get up to 30 days. The full ladder is set out in the deadlines banks must meet.

SBP's own complaint portal FAQ says that if the bank does not respond within 45 days, or you are not satisfied with its answer, you can complain to the Banking Mohtasib Pakistan. The process is explained in how to complain to the Banking Mohtasib.

When the receiver refuses to return the money

If the receiver will not agree, the bank may tell you it cannot reverse the transfer. You still have options. Keep every reference number, ask for the bank's final answer in writing, and consider the Mohtasib or legal advice for a civil claim.

• Ask for the refusal in writing. A written reply is what the Mohtasib will want to see.
• Check whether the bank did its part. If your bank never contacted the receiving bank, that is a service failure you can complain about.
• Talk to a lawyer for larger sums. A court claim against the person who kept the money is a civil matter, and a lawyer can tell you whether it is worth the cost.
• If it was a scam, report it as fraud. A "wrong transfer" request from a stranger asking you to send money back is a known trick. See how to report a scam call or SMS.

Stop it happening again

Most wrong transfers come from a typed account number or a saved beneficiary picked in a hurry. Check the name shown before you confirm, send a small test amount to a new payee, and save trusted payees once so you are not typing numbers every time.

If your app shows the receiver's account title before you confirm, read it every time. A 24 digit IBAN is easy to mistype, and our note on how to check an IBAN explains what each part means.

Common questions

Can my bank reverse a wrong transfer on its own?

Not usually. SBP rules tell the receiving bank to reverse once its customer reports the wrong credit. We found no rule letting a bank take money from someone's account without their consent.

How long does a wrong transfer refund take in Pakistan?

It depends on the receiver. If they agree, the reversal can be quick. Your bank must reply to your complaint within 15 days under SBP's complaint rules.

Is a Raast wrong transfer handled differently?

No. Raast is a bank transfer between accounts, so you report it to your own bank in the same way.

Should I call the person who received my money?

It is safer to let the banks contact them. Never share your PIN, OTP or card details with anyone who calls about the transfer.

Where do I go if my bank does nothing?

The Banking Mohtasib Pakistan. SBP says you can go there if the bank does not respond within 45 days or you are unhappy with its answer.

Someone says they sent me money by mistake. What should I do?

Do not send money back yourself. Tell your bank. If the credit is real, the bank can reverse it properly. Many such calls are scams.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 1 October 2026. We read SBP's Electronic Fund Transfers Regulations (Payment Systems Department, 2018) on SBP's archive site for the same day complaint number, the immediate reversal duty on the receiving bank, the one business day correction rule, bank cooperation and the five year record rule. We read SBP's Consumer Grievances Handling Mechanism for the 48 hour, 7 working day, 10 working day, 15 day and 30 day timelines, and the SBP Sunwai portal FAQ for the 45 day route to the Banking Mohtasib. No SBP document we read sets a fixed number of days for a receiver to consent, so we have not given one.