Money left your account that shouldn't have? Reg E
Money left your account that you never sent. The next hours decide how much of it the law makes the bank eat versus you. Federal electronic-transfer rules tier your liability by reporting speed — fast reporters risk little, slow reporters risk everything. This page is the clock, the call, and the letter.
Read the video transcript
Money moved without you? Unauthorized transfers run on reporting windows.
Write the same day. Speed directly limits your liability.
Call first, then write — the letter is what protects you legally.
Liability tiers cap your loss by law. Know which tier you're in.
That letter is your shield. Send it provably, keep everything.
Our transfer guide has the windows. Free, link below.
Every hour of delay is a gift to whoever took it. Call the fraud line now; read the rest after.
Write the same day
Phone reports trigger action; written reports prove timing — and timing is the currency of these claims. After calling, send the written confirmation with every unauthorized transfer listed, keep the receipt with your case number, and calendar both investigation windows. Banks process thousands of these; the documented file gets the careful review. Educational only; no outcome promised.
Step by step
Reporting an unauthorized transfer
Step 1
Call immediately
The bank's fraud line, now. Lock the card or account during the same call.
Step 2
Follow in writing
Confirm the report in writing the same day. Oral reports start the clock; written ones prove it.
Step 3
List every transfer
Dates, amounts, merchants — everything unauthorized, even small test charges thieves use first.
Step 4
Track the investigation
Calendar the provisional-credit and resolution windows. Follow up the day each expires.
Questions
What people ask next
What counts as unauthorized?
Transfers you didn't make or approve — stolen card use, account takeover, forged signatures on electronic debits. Giving someone your credentials and regretting it is a harder case; report it anyway and let the bank decide.
How fast must I report?
Liability tiers reward speed: report within about two business days of learning of the loss for the lowest cap, and within about 60 days of the statement. Faster is always cheaper.
What will the bank do?
Investigate, generally within about 10 business days (with provisional credit in many cases), resolving within about 45. They must tell you the outcome in writing.
What if they deny my claim?
Demand the written explanation and the documents relied upon, then escalate: reassert with new evidence, complain to regulators, and consider counsel for larger amounts.
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Educational only — not legal advice. Not credit counseling. No score or timeline promises. Back to Journal.