'I sent money to your account by mistake': the fake credit alert
What the message looks like
Someone says they transferred money to you in error and begs you to send it back, sometimes after a fake credit alert.
How to tell it's a scam
You get an SMS that looks like a credit alert, then a call or message: 'I sent money to your account by mistake, please send it back.' The alert is fake, and the money never arrived.
Check your balance in your bank's own app, not the SMS. If there's no new money in your account, there's nothing to send back. If money really did arrive by mistake, let your bank handle returning it.
The tell: Check your balance in your bank app, not the alert. If there really was a mistake, let your bank reverse it. Never send it yourself.
Got one? Check it in seconds
Paste the message into Alice's free scam checker. It shows the warning signs and the exact words that set them off, and the check runs on your own device.
Check a messageAlready clicked, paid or shared details?
If you've sent money or shared your PIN or OTP, call your bank at once on the number on your card and ask them to block the account. Anyone who asks for a fee to recover your money is a second scam.
Where to report it in Nigeria
- Report fraud or a scam (free): the EFCC at efcc.gov.ng (Submit Petition, or the EFCC Eagle App), hotline +234 809 332 2644, info@efcc.gov.ng
- In danger now: call 112
- More support lines in Nigeria: findahelpline.com/countries/ng
Contacts checked on each organisation's own website, September 2026.
What to do with a message you're not sure about
- Don't click the link, reply, or call the number in the message.
- Check for yourself: open the company's own app, or type its website address yourself.
- If it claims to be family, call them on the number you already have.
- Report it (below), then delete it.
Warn your family or group chat
Scams work best on people who haven't seen them before.
Not sure? Ask Alice
Paste the message into a chat and choose "Is this a scam?". Alice lists the warning signs she can see, gives a verdict, and tells you where to report it. Leave out your own account numbers — she never needs them.
General guidance, not legal or financial advice. If money has already gone, contact your bank first.