Immediately notify the bank and identify by date and dollar amount the transactions that you did not authorize. The bank will review your claim and may ask you to complete an affidavit unauthorized use.
To avoid liability for any subsequent transfers by the same person, within 60 calendar days of the bank’s transmission of the statement you must report any unauthorized electronic transactions that appear on your account statement. Therefore, it is important to timely review your account statement upon receipt. If you believe the charges are related to a preauthorized electronic funds transfer agreement, see "How can I stop a pre-authorized debit from being paid from my checking account?"
If the charges have been ongoing for eight months, you may be liable for charges reflected on statements sent more than 60 days after the bank sent you the periodic statement reflecting the first unauthorized transactions by the merchant.
Review your account agreement for policies specific to your bank and your account.
Last Reviewed:April 2021
Please note: The terms "bank" and "banks" used in these answers generally refer to national banks, federal savings associations, and federal branches or agencies of foreign banking organizations that are regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Find out if the OCC regulates your bank. Information provided on HelpWithMyBank.gov should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion of the OCC.
FAQs
To stop payment, you need to notify your bank at least three business days before the transaction is scheduled to be made and your bank may charge a fee. The notice to stop the transaction may be made orally or in writing. A bank can require written confirmation of an oral stop payment request.
How do I block unauthorized payments? ›
Tell your bank or credit union right away if you see a payment that you did not allow or a payment that was made after you revoked authorization. Federal law gives you the right to dispute and get your money back for unauthorized transfers from your account, as long as you tell your bank in time.
How do I cancel an unauthorized transaction? ›
Contact your bank right away. To limit your liability, it is important to notify the bank promptly upon discovering any unauthorized charge(s). You may notify the bank in person, by telephone, or in writing.
How to stop unauthorized debit card charges? ›
A: Contact your bank immediately if you suspect unauthorized transactions on your debit card. If the transaction was made using a debit card or other electronic fund transfers, you may have additional protections under federal law.
Can you block a company from charging your account? ›
Yes, you can block a company from charging your credit card. You do this by contacting your bank and either revoking authorization for the payment or requesting a stop payment order.
How do I cancel unwanted transactions? ›
Canceling a pending transaction usually requires contacting the merchant who made the charge. Once a pending transaction has posted, contact your bank or card issuer to dispute it.
How do I stop Unauthorised transactions? ›
To request a refund of an unauthorised transaction:
- Immediately ring your bank. ...
- Tell them that there is an unauthorised transaction on your account.
- Put a 'stop' on your account (for example, cancelling the card or disabling internet banking or online money transfers) to prevent more loss.
If you authorized the bank to make the transfer to the merchant on your behalf, you need to revoke your authorization with the bank. You will need to notify your bank at least three business days before the scheduled date of the transfer and inform it that you wish to stop payment.
How do I block a transaction on a debit card? ›
Stopping a card payment
You can tell the card issuer by phone, email or letter. Your card issuer has no right to insist that you ask the company taking the payment first. They have to stop the payments if you ask them to. If you ask to stop a payment, the card issuer should investigate each case on its own merit.
Can banks find out who used your card? ›
Can You Track Someone Who Used Your Credit Card Online? No. However, if you report the fraud in a timely manner, the bank or card issuer will open an investigation. Banks have a system for investigating credit card fraud, including some standard procedures.
Contact the Merchant
To cancel an entire series of pre-authorized payments, you have to talk to the merchant. To cancel one payment from the series, you can talk to the merchant or submit a stop payment request online.
Do banks actually investigate unauthorized transactions? ›
Once a potential fraudulent transaction is flagged, banks deploy specialized investigation teams. These professionals, often with backgrounds in finance and cybersecurity, examine the electronic trails of transactions and apply account-based rules to trace the origin of the suspected fraud.
How do I block unauthorized transactions? ›
Report an Unauthorized Transaction
- Under 'ATM/ Debit Card Related', select 'Block Debit / ATM Card'
- Select your debit card, reason and click on submit to block the card.
Even if you have not revoked your authorization with the company, you can stop an automatic payment from being charged to your account by giving your bank a “stop payment order.” This instructs your bank to stop allowing the company to take payments from your account.
Does an ATM card get blocked if not used for 6 months? ›
Debit cards may remain inactive for as long as the bank will allow them to sit, and then they will get an administrative block on them which can be cleared by the customer proving their ID and saying they want that card active.
How do you block someone from charging you? ›
Contact the Vendor
Write to the vendor that's charging your card and request an end to your service or subscription. Ask for a response in writing. Send your letter by certified mail stating that you want no further money taken from your credit card account once any notice of termination period has expired.
Can I block a transaction on my debit card? ›
Stopping a card payment
You can tell the card issuer by phone, email or letter. Your card issuer has no right to insist that you ask the company taking the payment first. They have to stop the payments if you ask them to. If you ask to stop a payment, the card issuer should investigate each case on its own merit.
How do I block a pending charge? ›
To cancel a pending transaction, call the merchant or retailer on your statement. If you suspect fraud, call your issuer or bank immediately. To avoid transaction errors and fraud, regularly review your statement and shop only with secure websites, among taking other precautions.
How do I cancel a charge? ›
You may be able to cancel a pending credit or debit card transaction by contacting the merchant and asking them to cancel the sale. But the timing is important. Reaching the seller in the day or two before a pending charge posts to your account balance or before the item ships can help smooth the path.
