If you need to cancel a money order, there are a few different approaches you may take. You can easily cancel one if you are the original purchaser and it is still in your possession. You may also cancel one that has been lost or stolen as long as you still have the original money order receipt. In cases of fraud or a suspected scam, it may be possible to cancel money orders if the suspected crime is reported to law enforcement and is properly investigated before they have been cashed.
If you purchased a money order, but later decided not to send it, you can take it back to the retailer where it was purchased and request a refund. This method only works, however, if the money order is still intact. Both the actual money order as well as the receipt must be returned together.
If you need to cancel a money order once it has been sent, this is also possible. Primarily, this only applies to money orders that have been lost or stolen, though. In such cases, you must present the original receipt to the merchant where it was purchased and report it as lost or stolen. By tracking the unique series of numbers that identify a money order, it can be determined whether or not it has been cashed. If it has not been cashed, you can request to have the funds canceled and receive a reimbursement minus whatever fees are assessed for a lost or stolen money order.
If you need to cancel a money order that has been lost or stolen and it is a United States Postal Service (USPS) money order, a fee will still be charged for its cancellation if it has already been sent, but the recipient has not yet received it. In order to stop payment immediately, taking the money order receipt back to the exact postal location where it was purchased may be helpful. Be mindful that the cancellation request must also take place prior to the money order’s cashing and prior to its expiration date.
Depending on local laws, if you need to cancel a money order due to some form of fraud or if you suspect that you have been a victim of a money order scam, you may be able to stop payment on a money order that has been sent, but has not yet been cashed. This takes quick action on your part, as it is far more difficult to recoup the money order amount after it has been cashed, so it's important to contact law enforcement officials with proof of fraud prior to the recipient cashing the funds.