When a payment claim comes with a demand
Someone sends a payment screenshot, then asks you to pay a “clearance”, “activation” or “release” charge before the money can arrive. Treat the demand as a reason to pause. Do not let a promised incoming payment become the justification for a new outgoing one.
A genuine bank charge should be explainable by your own bank through its established channels. The fact that fees exist does not authenticate a stranger’s invoice, wallet address or personal account. UETR.io does not release funds or collect a fee to unlock a transfer.
What a screenshot cannot establish
A logo, stamp, message field or correctly shaped UETR can be copied. An editable PDF can contain plausible banks and amounts. Even an authentic instruction records a different fact from a completed credit to the beneficiary.
Read a payment confirmation for its source, date and actual assertion. A format-valid reference establishes structure only. A match on this website reflects a registered record; it does not independently authenticate a bank document.
Verify the claim independently
- Open your bank’s app or use the telephone number on an existing statement or card. Avoid contact details supplied in the suspicious message.
- Ask whether the claimed incoming payment or fee can be identified. Give the original reference through the bank’s secure channel.
- Check any changed beneficiary instructions with a previously known contact, using a number you already held.
- For a sale or delivery, check the account entry and your bank’s explanation before relying on a screenshot as evidence of available funds.
Do not disclose a password or one-time security code to someone offering to “validate” the transfer. A request for remote access to your device deserves the same caution.
Look for the pattern, not just a spelling mistake
- Urgency, secrecy or instructions to avoid speaking with the bank.
- A last-minute account change, particularly in a familiar email conversation.
- An unexpected charge payable to an unrelated person or through cryptocurrency.
- A promise that a tracking code, certificate or recovery agent guarantees release.
One sign does not prove fraud. Several signs make independent verification more urgent. Polished writing and a genuine-looking email thread do not remove the risk of impersonation.
If you already sent money or credentials
Contact your bank immediately through its official fraud channel. Describe what happened, identify the affected payment and ask about a recall or other protective action. Do not wait for a website timeline to change. Recovery depends on the circumstances and cannot be promised.
Preserve the messages, documents, recipient instructions and relevant dates. Follow your bank’s directions for securing account access, and report the incident to the appropriate authorities in your country. Be cautious of unsolicited recovery services asking for another advance payment.
For the bank process, read cancellation and recall. Report a problem with this website separately through Contact.
Sources and scope
The FBI’s business email compromise guidance explains impersonated payment requests and independent verification. The US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency advises contacting the banks and requesting a recall after suspected wire fraud. Reporting channels and legal remedies differ by country.