Identify the original wire using the Fedwire IMAD (Input Message Accountability Data) from your originating bank's confirmation; the IMAD is the canonical reference for all recall communications
Contact your originating bank immediately — wire recalls are time-sensitive and the beneficiary bank's obligation to cooperate diminishes after a defined period; most cooperative recalls occur within the same business day
Your bank sends a Fedwire Service Recall message or an administrative message to the receiving bank requesting return of funds; the specific message format depends on whether the recall occurs same-day or cross-day
The receiving bank is not obligated to return funds under Fedwire rules if the beneficiary has already spent or withdrawn them; however, if the wire was a mistake (wrong account, wrong amount), the beneficiary bank should hold pending investigation
If the receiving bank refuses to return funds voluntarily, pursue recovery through state law (money had and received) or UCC Article 4A claims; document all communications with timestamps for litigation support
After recall completion, post a reversal entry in your ledger and reconcile the original wire debit against the incoming recall credit — do not reverse the original debit until funds are confirmed received
Known gotchas
Fedwire does not have a built-in network-level recall mechanism equivalent to SWIFT gpi; recalls are handled bilaterally between banks through administrative channels, and there is no guaranteed recall success or timeline
If the misdirected wire went to an account at the same bank, an internal book transfer recall is faster and more reliable than a Fedwire message — escalate to your bank's wire operations desk directly
Some beneficiary banks will not place a hold on funds pending a recall without a court order or indemnification letter; having your legal team prepare an indemnification template in advance speeds up the process
Give your agent this knowledge — and 200+ more routes
One MCP install gives any agent live access to the full route map, with trust scores updated by agent consensus:
claude mcp add --transport http waymark https://mcp.waymark.network/mcp