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URGENT RECOVERY GUIDE

What to do after you get scammed.

Q: Where should I report an online scam in the United States?

Report consumer fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and online crime at IC3.gov. If identity information was used, create a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov. Contact local police for threats, immediate danger, or when a report is required by a bank or insurer.

Published July 11, 2026 | By Rich Retards Editorial Team | Reviewed against FTC, CFPB, FBI, and IdentityTheft.gov guidance

Do this firstStop communicating with the scammer. Contact the bank, card issuer, payment app, exchange, gift-card company, wire service, or delivery carrier you used and report the transaction as fraud. Ask whether it can be stopped, recalled, reversed, or disputed. Then secure your email and financial accounts, save the evidence, and file the appropriate official reports.

Realizing you were scammed creates exactly the mental state a second scammer wants: panic, shame, and a willingness to pay anyone who promises to fix it. The first rule is to slow the situation down without delaying the calls that matter.

No checklist can promise your money back. Some payment methods offer stronger dispute rights than others, and a transfer you personally authorized may be treated differently from an account takeover. But acting quickly can stop another payment, preserve a bank's options, secure the accounts a scammer may still control, and create the paper trail you will need.

The first 30 minutes

End contact. Do not argue, announce that you are reporting them, click a refund link, or send one final "verification" payment.
Call the payment provider through a verified channel. Use the number on the back of your card, the official banking app, a recent statement, or a URL you type yourself. Do not use a number the scammer sent or a sponsored search result you have not verified.
Use direct language. Say: "I was deceived into sending money in a fraudulent transaction. I need the fraud department. Can you stop, recall, reverse, or dispute it?" Describe accurately whether you initiated it or somebody accessed the account.
Secure the email account first. If a scammer can reset your email, they can keep retaking other accounts. Change the password from a trusted device, sign out other sessions, and turn on multi-factor authentication.
Save the evidence. Preserve messages, receipts, transaction IDs, wallet addresses, usernames, phone numbers, websites, email headers, and dates before accounts or pages disappear.

Do not pay for guaranteed recovery. People who have already lost money are targeted by refund and recovery scams. An unexpected caller who knows the amount you lost is not proof of legitimacy. Victim lists are sold and reused.

Who to contact for each payment method

Contact the company immediately even if you think the payment is irreversible. The FTC recommends asking the company used to send the money whether there is a way to get it back.

Credit or debit cardCall the issuer's fraud department. Report the fraudulent charge and ask about a reversal or dispute. Lock or replace the card if its details were exposed.

Bank transfer or ACHCall the bank's fraud department. Ask whether the transfer can be recalled or the debit reversed. Give the destination account, time, and confirmation number.

Bank wireCall the sending bank immediately and request a wire recall. Ask it to contact the receiving bank's fraud team. A recall is not guaranteed, but delay only reduces the options.

Payment appReport the transaction inside the app and contact its fraud support. If the app pulled from a card or bank account, contact that issuer too.

Gift cardCall the card issuer using the number on the card or its official site. Keep the card and receipt. Report that the card was used in a scam and ask whether funds remain or a refund is possible.

CryptocurrencyContact the exchange or service used to send it. Provide the transaction hash and recipient address. Crypto transfers are usually irreversible, but an exchange may flag a destination or preserve account records for investigators.

Cash in transitContact the carrier immediately. For U.S. mail, ask the U.S. Postal Inspection Service about interception. For another carrier, use the official support channel.

CheckCall the bank and request a stop payment if it has not cleared. If it has cleared, report the fraud and ask what affidavit or dispute process applies.

Secure every path the scammer touched

Changing one password is not enough if the same password exists elsewhere or the scammer added a recovery method. Start with email, banking, payment apps, mobile carrier, and any account that stores a card or identity document.

Use a unique password for each affected account and save it in a reputable password manager.
Review recovery email addresses, phone numbers, devices, active sessions, forwarding rules, and authorized apps.
Turn on multi-factor authentication. An authenticator app or security key is generally stronger than text messages when available.
Call the mobile carrier if your phone lost service unexpectedly or a scammer may have moved your number.
Run a security scan if you installed remote-access software. Remove software you do not recognize and install operating-system updates.
Tell contacts if a compromised account may send messages in your name.

If personal information was exposed

If the scammer received a Social Security number, driver's license, tax document, account credentials, or enough personal data to impersonate you, use IdentityTheft.gov to create a recovery plan. Review all three credit files at AnnualCreditReport.com.

Place a free credit freeze with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion if new-account fraud is possible. A freeze does not undo fraud already on a report, so dispute any account or inquiry you do not recognize. Our three-bureau credit freeze guide keeps the official links and the lifting process in one place.

Build the evidence file

Create one folder and one timeline. Banks, platforms, police, and insurers may ask for the same information in different formats, so organize it once:

How contact began and every identity the scammer used.
Dates, times, amounts, payment methods, account numbers, and confirmation IDs.
Full screenshots and exported chats, not only cropped highlights.
Web addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, profiles, wallet addresses, and transaction hashes.
Names of every company contacted, case numbers, and what each representative said.
A short factual narrative with no speculation. Keep the original files unchanged and work from copies.

File the official reports

In the United States, report consumer fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Report online crime at the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. If the scam involves securities or an investment professional, also use the appropriate SEC, FINRA, state securities regulator, or commodities regulator channel.

Contact local law enforcement when there are threats, stalking, immediate danger, a local suspect, or when a bank or insurer asks for a police report. A report does not guarantee an investigation or reimbursement, but it creates a record and can connect your evidence to other complaints.

What not to do

Do not delete the conversation out of embarrassment.
Do not lie to the bank about how a payment happened. The distinction between an unauthorized transaction and an authorized payment induced by deception matters.
Do not send a tax, bond, unlock fee, gas fee, or insurance payment to release a refund.
Do not give a stranger remote access to a device or the seed phrase to a crypto wallet.
Do not post unredacted identity documents, transaction details, or case numbers publicly.
Do not assume the same scammer is gone because one profile disappeared.

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Frequently asked questions

Can a bank reverse money sent to a scammer?

Sometimes, but speed matters and no outcome is guaranteed. Contact the bank or payment company immediately, report the transfer as fraud, and ask whether it can be recalled, reversed, or disputed. Accurately explain whether you made the payment or somebody accessed the account.

Should I pay a crypto recovery company?

Do not pay an unsolicited recovery service or anyone promising guaranteed recovery. Recovery scammers target known victims and often demand an upfront fee, wallet access, or a payment to release supposed recovered funds.

Where should I report an online scam in the United States?

Use ReportFraud.ftc.gov for consumer fraud and IC3.gov for online crime. Use IdentityTheft.gov if personal information was misused. Contact local police for threats, immediate danger, or when a report is required by a financial institution or insurer.