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What should you do if someone wants you to withdraw cash for them?

USPublished 6 October 2026 · Written by BuyMeWhiskey Editorial Team · How we check facts

Do not withdraw or forward cash for a stranger who says money was deposited to you, especially for a promised fee. The payment may be fraudulent or later reversed, leaving you out of pocket and potentially involved in a money-mule scheme.

Next question: Is someone asking to move money through my account a scam? →

Use the FTC scam-recovery guidance if you have already moved money or shared banking information with someone who may be a scammer.

Get FTC scam-recovery steps

Why an unexpected cash-withdrawal request is a red flag

A common scam pattern is simple: money appears in your account, someone contacts you and says it was sent by mistake, and you are asked to withdraw or transfer cash somewhere else. You may be told that you can keep a small amount for helping.

The problem is that the incoming payment can be fraudulent, unauthorised or later reversed. Moving the money does not turn the original transaction into legitimate funds. You may end up sending your own money when the bank removes the original credit.

What is a money mule?

A money mule is a person used to receive, move or transfer money obtained through fraud. Sometimes the person knows exactly what is happening; sometimes they believe they are helping with a legitimate job, relationship or payment problem.

You do not need to understand the criminal scheme to create risk for yourself. The safest response to an unexplained deposit is to leave the money alone and ask your bank to investigate it.

Why withdrawing cash makes the situation worse

Cash is hard to trace and recover compared with a normal account correction. A scammer may tell you to withdraw money because it creates distance between them and the original transaction.

The CFPB lists requests for money, pressure to act quickly, impersonation and unusual payment methods such as wire transfers or cryptocurrencies among classic scam warning signs. A request that combines several of those features deserves an immediate stop.

What if the incoming money came from a check?

Check scams can be especially confusing because a bank may make funds available before the financial institution ultimately determines that the check is invalid. Availability of funds is not proof that the payment has cleared permanently.

That is why a stranger saying “the money is already in your account, so just withdraw it” is not a safe instruction. Let the bank handle any returned or disputed payment.

What should you do instead?

Do not withdraw or forward the money.
Do not send the scammer your account login, one-time code or debit-card details.
Contact your bank using a trusted number and explain exactly what happened.
Save the messages and payment records including names, phone numbers, account details and screenshots.
Report the fraud to the appropriate US reporting service.

If you have already withdrawn cash or sent funds, do not try to negotiate with the scammer or solve it by moving more money. Tell the bank what you did and when.

What if it came through a job or romance relationship?

The story around the payment does not change the basic risk. A fake employer may say you are being paid for processing transactions; a fake romantic partner may say they cannot access their own account. In both cases, being asked to receive and move money is a major warning sign.

A legitimate employer should not require you to use your personal bank account as an informal transfer hub. A person you have not met independently should not need you to withdraw cash on their behalf.

What can the bank do?

Your bank can review the transaction, identify whether the credit was returned or disputed and tell you what steps are available. The CFPB encourages consumers to contact providers quickly when there is a transfer problem.

Do not be alarmed by a temporary hold or account review. Banks have fraud controls, and the important part is to cooperate honestly and stop moving suspicious funds.

If you already sent the cash

Act quickly. Contact the bank, explain that you believe the transaction was connected to a scam and provide the recipient information. If the scam involved an online marketplace, job offer or social platform, preserve the account name and messages.

Use the FTC’s scam-recovery process for additional reporting and identity-theft steps where relevant. You should not send more money just because the scammer says the first amount needs to be “unlocked”, “verified” or “returned”.

The safest rule

If money you do not recognise appears in your account, do not move it for someone else. Let your bank investigate and correct the transaction. The promise that you can keep a fee for helping is not a reason to take the risk.

Worked example

Illustrative scam calculation: imagine an account shows an unexpected $1,000 credit. The sender asks the account holder to withdraw $800 in cash and send it back through another channel, while keeping $200 as a “thank you”.

Cash requested: $800.
Amount supposedly kept: $200.
Total described by the scammer: $800 + $200 = $1,000.

All amounts are illustrative. If the original $1,000 later proves fraudulent and the bank removes the credit, the account holder may be left without the $800 sent out and without the supposed $200 reward. The key point is that an account credit does not become safe to move merely because it is visible in the balance.

The fact that the first $1,000 appears in the balance does not make the scheme legitimate. The account holder should leave the funds untouched and let the bank investigate the transaction instead of treating the supposed reward as earned income.

Someone deposited money into my account and wants me to withdraw it. Is that a scam?#

It can be, and the pattern is a serious warning sign. Do not withdraw or forward the money. Contact your bank and explain that the deposit is unexpected so the bank can investigate the source and any dispute. Tell the bank exactly what happened if money moved.

Can I keep part of a payment for withdrawing cash for someone?#

Do not assume you can. A “fee” can be part of a money-mule or fake-payment scheme. If the original funds are fraudulent, the account credit may be removed while the cash you sent is already gone. Tell the bank exactly what happened if money moved.

What if the money came from a check that appeared to clear?#

Funds can be made available before a bank finishes processing a check. If the check later proves invalid, the credit can be reversed. Do not withdraw or forward the money because someone says it has already cleared. Tell the bank exactly what happened if money moved.

What should I do if a stranger asks for my bank account to receive money?#

Do not provide access or agree to act as an intermediary. A legitimate payment should not require you to receive money and pass it elsewhere for a stranger. Contact your bank if you have already shared details. Tell the bank exactly what happened if money moved.

I already withdrew the cash. What now?#

Tell your bank immediately and explain exactly what happened, including the amount, date and recipient. Keep all messages and transaction records. Do not send more money or try to fix the situation by following the scammer’s next instructions. Tell the bank exactly what happened if money moved.

Could I get in trouble for moving scam money?#

Moving fraudulent funds can create serious financial and legal complications, even where a person says they did not know the whole scheme. That is why the safest step is to stop moving the money, tell your bank the truth and preserve evidence.

Keep reading

Next question →Is someone asking to move money through my account a scam?

Sources

Figures were checked against these sources before publication. If a rule changes, we update the page and show the new date.

General information, not personal financial advice. Rules depend on your circumstances; check the official source or speak to a regulated adviser before acting.