AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Report a wrong transfer to Sterling Bank immediately on 0201 888 8822 or 0700 822 0000, or through its complaints form, with the session ID, amount and both account numbers. If the mistake was yours, CBN rules on instant transfers mean the money can only be returned with the recipient’s consent; the receiving bank can place a lien on the funds for up to two weeks while it seeks that consent.
First, the rule that decides everything
Under the CBN’s Regulation on Instant (Inter-Bank) Electronic Funds Transfer Services of 2018, as summarised by the law firm G. Elias on Mondaq in July 2025, there are two kinds of wrong transfer:
| Type | Who made the error | What the rules allow |
|---|---|---|
| Bank error | Sterling or the payment system (for example a duplicate debit or a system fault) | Reversed without the recipient’s authorisation; request within 14 working days, reversal within one business day |
| Customer error | You (wrong account number, wrong amount, wrong bank) | Returned only with the recipient’s consent; the receiving bank may place a lien for up to two weeks; if there is no consent, internal auditors mediate within two weeks |
Most wrong transfers are customer errors. That means Sterling cannot simply pull the money back from another person’s account, even if it is at Sterling. What Sterling can do is raise the request fast, contact the receiving bank, and follow up. The faster you report, the more likely the money is still in the recipient’s account.
Steps to take straight away
- Do not send a second transfer to “fix” it, and do not delete the transaction from your history.
- Get the receipt from OneBank or the SMS for a *822# transfer. Note the amount, date, time, the account number and bank you sent to, the name shown, and the session ID or reference.
- Call Sterling on 0201 888 8822 or 0700 822 0000, or message +234 916 120 1000 on WhatsApp. Say clearly that it is a wrong transfer caused by your own error, and ask for a complaint number.
- Follow up in writing through the complaints form at sterling.ng/complaints, quoting the complaint number and attaching the receipt.
- If you know the recipient, contact them politely, explain, and ask them to approve the return when their bank contacts them, or to send it back themselves.
- Keep a record of every call, message and name.
What Sterling can and cannot do
What Sterling can do
- Log the complaint and send a recall request to the receiving bank (or to its own team, if the recipient also banks with Sterling).
- Ask the receiving bank to place a lien on the amount while consent is sought.
- Reverse a debit that was caused by its own error, such as a duplicate charge, without the recipient’s consent.
- Give you written updates and, if the recipient refuses, explain the next options.
What Sterling cannot do
- Take money out of another customer’s account without consent, a bank error or a court order.
- Guarantee the money is still there; if the recipient spent it before the lien, recovery depends on them.
- Give you the recipient’s private contact details.
If the recipient refuses or cannot be reached
When consent is not given, the rules summarised on Mondaq provide for the banks’ internal auditors to mediate within two weeks. If that fails, you have three routes:
- Escalate to the CBN Consumer Protection Department in writing, after Sterling has had two weeks, with your complaint number and evidence of every step. The CBN’s CPD page sets out what the letter should contain.
- Report to the police if you believe the recipient is acting dishonestly; keeping money you know was sent by mistake can raise legal issues.
- Recover the money through the courts, usually after a lawyer’s letter. Court action can lead to an order directing the bank to release the funds.
Worked example
Example: on a Monday morning you send ₦150,000 from OneBank to an account one digit off your landlord’s. The OneBank transfer fee is zero, and ₦50 stamp duty was deducted because the amount is ₦10,000 or more, so your account fell by ₦150,050. You call Sterling within the hour. The receiving bank places a lien on ₦150,000 and contacts its customer, who agrees; the ₦150,000 comes back. The ₦50 stamp duty is a tax on the original transfer and may not be refunded, so ask Sterling about it.
If the wrong account is also at Sterling, the same consent rule applies, but the request stays inside one bank, which can make contact with the recipient quicker.
If someone wrongly sent money to you
The reverse also applies. If an unexpected credit lands in your Sterling account, do not spend it, and do not send it to a number that calls you; that is a common scam. Tell Sterling and let the banks handle it. Read someone sent money to your account by mistake? before you act.
Where Pryme fits
When you send money with Pryme, check the name the app shows before you approve; that pause prevents most wrong transfers. For other banks’ processes, see GTBank wrong transfers and Sterling’s customer care contacts.
Questions people ask
Can Sterling Bank reverse a wrong transfer?
Only with the recipient’s consent, if the mistake was yours. If Sterling or the system made the error, it can reverse it without consent under CBN rules.
How long does a wrong transfer reversal take at Sterling?
Sterling does not publish a timeline. Under the CBN rules the receiving bank can hold the funds for up to two weeks while consent is sought, and bank-error reversals should happen within one business day of a valid request.
I sent money to the wrong account on Sterling OneBank. What do I do?
Call Sterling at once on 0201 888 8822 or 0700 822 0000 with the receipt and session ID, then follow up through the complaints form.
What if the person refuses to return my money?
The banks’ auditors mediate first. After that, escalate to the CBN Consumer Protection Department, report to the police if there is dishonesty, or take legal action.
Sources
- Mondaq (G. Elias): CBN rules on reversal of erroneous instant transfers (8 Jul 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- Sterling Bank: Contact us · accessed Oct 2026
- CBN: Complaints management, Consumer Protection Department · accessed Oct 2026
- Sterling Bank: Service Charges and Interest Rates (modified 24 Sep 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.