If you received a Pix that you don't recognize and, shortly afterwards, someone asked to “return” the money in another key, do not make a new Pix for that key. First confirm on the statement whether the credit has actually been received. If the amount is in the account and needs to be returned, the Central Bank's guidance is to open the transaction received and use the return function linked to it.
This detail makes a difference: the refund made by the transaction itself sends the money back to the originating account. Transferring the same value to a key informed by message creates a new operation, independent of the Pix received — precisely the scenario explored in the so-called wrong Pix scam. The Central Bank itself warns not to accept refund requests to an account other than the one in which the deposit was made.
What to do when you receive an unexpected Pix
- Check your statement via the bank's official app or website. Don't just consider prints, messages or receipts sent by the person who contacted you. The Central Bank warns that even a receipt presented as evidence may be false; What matters is checking whether the credit actually appears in your account.
- Do not use the amount until the situation is clarified. Receiving money by mistake does not make the amount of money available for free use.
- Do not click on links or create a new Pix for the key sent by the alleged sender. If the person says that the originating account is blocked, that the key has changed or that they prefer to receive in the name of a third party, do not improvise a transfer.
- Open the Pix received on your statement and look for the option to return the transaction itself. The Central Bank allows full or partial refunds using this functionality. If you cannot find the option or have any questions about the credit, contact your institution's official customer service before moving the money.
- Keep a record of the return. The receipt linked to the transaction helps demonstrate how the amount was refunded if a dispute arises later.
CAIXA published the same guidance when explaining a real case of Pix received by mistake: the return must be made by the function associated with the original operation, and not by a new Pix to the sender.
Why returning it to another key can turn into a scam?
In this type of fraud, the Pix that appears on the statement may be real. The problem starts later.
The scammer transfers an amount, gets in touch claiming an error and tries to convince the recipient to send the amount to another key. If the person does this, there will be a second transfer, separate from the first. The fraudster may then attempt to contest the original transaction by claiming fraud and seek a refund through the Special Return Mechanism, the MED. This is why the Central Bank expressly recommends not returning to an account other than the paying account.
This does not mean that an allegation to the MED automatically produces another debt. There is an analysis of the institutions involved. Furthermore, the Central Bank clarifies that a Pix sent to the wrong person due to the payer's own error is not, in itself, a situation covered by the MED. The mechanism is intended for cases of fraud, scams, crimes and certain operational failures.
Precaution remains important because, when making a new Pix for another key, you stop simply returning the operation received and start carrying out a transfer on your own initiative.
Returning a Pix and activating the MED are different things
The Return function is used by those who received the Pix and want to refund that payment for the transaction itself. This is the path the Central Bank recommends when someone actually received money by mistake.
MED, on the other hand, is a dispute mechanism triggered by the payer who claims to have been a victim of fraud, scam or crime. Currently, the Central Bank informs that the request can be presented to the institution within 80 days of the transaction, although acting quickly increases the possibilities of blocking and recovering resources. The order is subject to analysis and there is no guarantee of a refund.
This difference also helps you understand why you shouldn't try to “correct” a received Pix by creating another transfer.
Can I just keep Pix if no one shows up?
Not a good option. Article 876 of the Civil Code establishes that anyone who received what was not due to them is obliged to pay it back. Article 169 of the Penal Code also provides for the appropriation of someone else's property that came into the person's possession through error, unforeseeable circumstances or force of nature. Criminal application to a specific situation depends on the circumstances and conduct involved, but the mere fact that the payment was made in error does not give the recipient the right to appropriate the amount.
Therefore, if you have recognized that the credit is not yours, the prudent course of action is to preserve the value and arrange the return in a way that is traceable by the operation itself or, if there is any difficulty, deal with the case directly with the bank.
What if I already returned it to the other key?
If you followed the advice of a stranger and made a new Pix for the indicated key, contact your bank as soon as possible. Keep a record of the Pix you entered, the Pix you sent and the messages or calls related to the order.
If there is evidence that you were induced to make this second transfer as part of a scam, ask the institution to analyze the exit transaction as possible fraud and check the possibility of triggering the MED. The Central Bank also recommends filing a police report when a person is a victim of a scam.
At this point, also consult our content on when MED applies to fraud, which explains the mechanism from the perspective of those who sent the money and realized they fell for a scam.
If, after that, your bank informs you that there is a block or dispute related to the original Pix, deal with the matter only through the institution's official channels and present the transaction records. Do not send additional amounts to those who contacted you.
The rule of thumb is simple: did you receive a Pix by mistake? Return your own Pix, don't make another one. And if the person insists that the money goes to a different key, stop the conversation and confirm the procedure directly with your bank.
