Sent money to the wrong UPI ID or bank account? How to get it back in India — UPI app complaint, bank and NPCI dispute, RBI Ombudsman, when the receiver refuses (Contract Act s.72, BNS s.314) (2026)
Plain step-by-step guide for anyone who typed a wrong UPI ID, mobile number or account number and paid the wrong person, or whose UPI money was debited but never reached the receiver: what to do in the first hour, how to complain in the UPI app, to your bank and to NPCI, when the RBI Ombudsman can help, and what the law says if the receiver will not return the money. Educational only — not legal advice. Adhiwakta does not contact banks, NPCI or the receiver for you.
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First, check which problem you have
There are three different situations. (1) Failed or pending transaction — your account was debited but the receiver did not get the money: this is usually reversed automatically, and RBI rules (failed-transaction circular of 20 September 2019) say a UPI debit that did not reach the beneficiary should be reversed by the next working day (T+1), with ₹100 per day compensation for delay after that. (2) Wrong transfer — the payment succeeded but went to the wrong person because of your typing or selection mistake: this guide is mainly about this. (3) Fraud — someone tricked you into paying (fake buyer, fake KYC call, task scam, ‘send ₹1 to receive’ request): call 1930 immediately and report on cybercrime.gov.in; see our UPI fraud guide.
In the first hour — note the details and stay calm
Take screenshots of the transaction: amount, date and time, UTR / transaction reference number, the UPI ID or account number you paid, and the name shown on the payment screen. Check your bank statement to confirm the debit. If the wrong number belongs to someone you can identify, you may politely message them asking to return the amount — but never share your UPI PIN, OTP or card details, never install any app they suggest, and do not accept a ‘collect request’ from them. Speed matters: the earlier the bank is told, the easier it is to trace the receiver.
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Write in Hindi or English · general guidance, not legal advice
Step 1 — Complain inside the UPI app
Open the payment in your UPI app’s history and use ‘Raise dispute / Report issue / Help’. Choose the option for money sent to the wrong person or ‘incorrectly transferred to another account’ and attach the screenshot. NPCI’s dispute redressal mechanism says a UPI complaint goes first to the app (TPAP), then the PSP bank behind the app, then your own bank (where your account is), and then NPCI. Save the complaint number and every reply.
Step 2 — Give a written complaint to your bank
Call your bank’s official customer care number (from the bank’s website or passbook — never from a web search result) and also give a written complaint at the branch or through net banking / email. Ask the bank to raise a request with the receiver’s bank for reversal, giving the UTR, amount, date, the wrong UPI ID / account number and the correct one. For NEFT, RTGS or IMPS to a wrong account number, the same branch complaint applies. Banks generally cannot take money out of another customer’s account on their own: the receiver’s bank usually contacts the receiver and returns the money only with their consent or a legal order. Keep the acknowledgment.
Step 3 — NPCI complaint and RBI Ombudsman
If the app and bank do not resolve it, you can lodge a complaint on NPCI’s UPI dispute redressal page (npci.org.in) — choose ‘Person to Person’ and ‘Incorrectly transferred to another account’, with the UTR and your bank details. If your bank rejects the complaint, gives an unsatisfactory reply, or does not reply within 30 days, you can complain under the RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021 at cms.rbi.org.in (or call 14448), generally within one year of the bank’s reply. The Ombudsman examines whether your bank and the receiver’s bank handled the request properly; it cannot force a private person to pay.
If the receiver refuses to return the money
Under s.72 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, a person to whom money is paid by mistake must repay it. If the receiver knows the money is not theirs and still keeps or spends it, a police complaint for dishonest misappropriation of property (BNS s.314, old IPC s.403) may be possible; many people first give a written complaint to the local police or cyber cell with the bank’s reply showing the receiver refused. For larger amounts, a legal notice and a civil suit for recovery, or a pre-litigation Lok Adalat through the District Legal Services Authority, are other routes. Time limits apply to civil claims (generally three years), so do not delay.
Beware of the ‘I sent you money by mistake’ scam
If a stranger calls saying they sent money to you by mistake and asks you to return it to another number, first check your own bank statement — fake SMS screenshots are common. If a genuine wrong credit has come into your account, tell your bank and let it reverse the amount through the banking channel to the original sender; do not send money to any new UPI ID or number given on a call.
Prevention for next time
Before you pay, check the receiver’s name shown on the UPI screen; scan QR codes instead of typing long numbers; send a ₹1 test payment for a new big payee. For NEFT and RTGS, RBI directed banks to offer a beneficiary-name check from 1 April 2025 — read the name before confirming. Keep notifications on so you see debits immediately.
How Adhiwakta can help
We do not contact your bank, NPCI, the Ombudsman, the police or the receiver, and we do not file complaints. Adhiwakta is a facilitation platform, not a law firm. We do not file cases, appear before any authority, or promise any result. Use Ask Adhiwakta to describe your situation for general guidance from an independent advocate, or start with the AI helper to organise your facts and papers. Educational only — not formal legal advice.
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Frequently asked questions
- I sent money to the wrong UPI ID. Can I get it back?
- Often yes, but it is not automatic. Raise a dispute in the UPI app at once, give a written complaint to your bank with the UTR, and escalate to NPCI and the RBI Ombudsman if needed. The receiver’s bank usually returns the money only with the receiver’s consent or a legal order.
- My account was debited but the receiver did not get the money. What happens?
- That is a failed transaction, not a wrong transfer. Under RBI’s 2019 failed-transaction rules, a UPI debit that did not reach the beneficiary should be reversed by the next working day (T+1); for delay beyond that, ₹100 per day compensation applies. Complain to your bank if it is not reversed.
- How do I complain to NPCI about a wrong UPI transfer?
- On NPCI’s UPI dispute redressal page, choose ‘Person to Person’ and ‘Incorrectly transferred to another account’, then enter the UTR, amount, date and your bank details. Complain to the app and your bank first; NPCI is the later escalation level.
- When can I go to the RBI Ombudsman?
- If your bank rejects your complaint, you are not satisfied with the reply, or it does not reply within 30 days. File at cms.rbi.org.in or call 14448, generally within one year of the bank’s reply.
- The person who got my money refuses to return it. What can I do?
- Money paid by mistake must be repaid (Indian Contract Act s.72). If they dishonestly keep it, a police complaint for dishonest misappropriation (BNS s.314, old IPC 403) may be possible, and you can send a legal notice, try Lok Adalat, or file a civil recovery suit.
- Someone says they sent money to me by mistake and asks me to return it. Should I?
- First check your own bank statement — fake credit SMS are a common scam. If a real wrong credit came in, ask your bank to reverse it to the original sender. Do not send money to a new number or UPI ID given on a call.
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