They said they were refunding me. They emptied my account.

They opened the call by saying a refund was waiting—too much had been credited—and I needed to send the extra back so accounting could close the ticket. It sounded like fixing someone else's mistake, not a theft script.

They claimed to be from a subscription service I actually use, then layered urgency about regulatory holds. They walked me through screen sharing or quick transfers to "return" the overpayment before fines hit.

Refund scams fake overpayment drama to gain access or trick you into moving real money while they spoof balances. By the time I realised the credited amount never existed, outbound wires had already cleared.

I thought I was being honest by returning money that was not mine, and I did not want to keep an error that could get me in trouble. The pace they set left no room to breathe.

When the account balance hit zero and the line went dead, I refreshed the app expecting a correction that never came. The silence after the rush was when I understood the refund story had only ever been bait.

I lost money I could not replace quickly and spent weeks on bank disputes and password resets. Reporting framed the chaos into steps even though the cash might not return.

I now know real refunds do not require you to wire money or buy gift cards to fix a bank error. I wish I had hung up and dialled the company myself from minute one.

• Real refunds never depend on you sending cash back via wire or gift cards.
• Report to the FTC and your bank immediately.

For more help, see our Report a scam page and Spot and avoid scams guide.