Recovery
If you were scammed
You are smart. Criminals are professionals, and they work in teams, with scripts, on thousands of people a day. Reporting it is the right move, and this page walks you through it one step at a time.
Call your bank or card company using the number on the back of your card. Banks can sometimes stop or reverse a payment when they hear about it early, so this call goes before any report. Every other step on this page can wait an hour.
If the scammer is still on the phone, in your email, or connected to your computer, hang up or disconnect first. You can end any conversation at any time.
How did you pay?
What you can recover depends mostly on how the money moved. Open the one that matches.
Bank transfer, debit card, check, or a payment app like Zelle
- Call your bank's fraud department using the number on the back of your card or on your statement. Say the words "I was the victim of a scam" and ask them to stop or recall the payment.
- If you wrote a check that has not cleared, ask the bank to stop payment on it.
- If you sent money through Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, or PayPal, report it inside the app as well as to your bank. Payments linked to a credit card go to the card company.
- Ask the bank whether your account should be closed and reopened with a new number.
Wire transfer
- Call your bank or the wire service (Western Union, MoneyGram, Ria) and ask for a wire recall. Have the date, amount, and any confirmation number in front of you.
- For a large wire, file a complaint at ic3.gov, the FBI's internet crime center. The FBI can sometimes freeze money that is still moving between banks, and it needs the bank details from your receipt to do it.
Credit card
- Call the number on the back of the card and dispute the charge. Credit cards carry the strongest protections of any payment method.
- Ask for a new card number so the old one stops working.
- Follow up in writing if the card company asks you to. Keep a copy.
Gift cards
- Call the company whose name is on the card (Apple, Google Play, Target, Walmart, and so on). The phone number is on the back of the card or the packaging. Ask them to freeze the card and refund anything left on it.
- Have the card numbers and your receipts ready. A photo of the back of each card works.
- Go back to the store where you bought the cards and tell them what happened. Some stores can help freeze cards bought there.
- The FTC keeps a list of fraud contacts for gift card companies.
Cryptocurrency, including a Bitcoin ATM
- If you used a Bitcoin ATM or kiosk, call the company that runs it. Its name and phone number are on the machine and on your receipt. Ask them to stop the transaction.
- If you used an app or exchange such as Coinbase, report it inside the app.
- File a complaint at ic3.gov and include the wallet address and transaction ID from your receipt. Crypto is hard to recover, and these details are what investigators use to trace it.
- File a report with your local police department.
Cash or gold handed to a courier or driver
- Call your local police right away if the pickup just happened. Couriers in these scams often come back for a second pickup, and police have made arrests at the door.
- Write down everything you remember about the person and the vehicle while it is fresh.
Cash or checks sent by mail, UPS, or FedEx
- Call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 and ask for a package intercept. Have the tracking number and the delivery address ready.
- For UPS or FedEx, call the carrier with the tracking number and ask them to hold or return the package.
I gave personal information, a password, or computer access
- Someone was connected to your computer. Turn off the internet connection or shut the computer down. From a different device, change the passwords for your bank and email. Have the computer checked by someone you trust before using it for banking.
- You shared a bank login or card number. Call the bank using the number on your card and tell them.
- You shared your Social Security number. Go to IdentityTheft.gov for a step-by-step recovery plan, and freeze your credit (below).
- You shared your Medicare number. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and watch your Medicare statements for services you never received.
Freeze your credit
A credit freeze stops anyone from opening a new account in your name. It is free, it does not affect your credit score, and you can lift it whenever you need to. Call all three:
Where to report it
Reports get used even when no money was lost. They are how investigators connect one scam to the same crew hitting other people.
People who have lost money are often contacted again by someone claiming they can get it back: a "recovery service," a lawyer, or someone posing as the FBI or the FTC. Government agencies never charge a fee to recover your money. Anyone who asks you to pay to get your money back is running a second scam, often the same people as the first.
Keep a record
Write down what happened while you remember it. Investigators and banks will ask for:
- Dates and times of every call, text, email, or visit
- Phone numbers, email addresses, websites, and names the scammer used
- How much you paid, how, and to whom, with receipts, tracking numbers, and card numbers
- Screenshots of any messages
- The name of everyone you talk to at the bank or police, and any report or case number they give you
Talk to someone you trust
Scams are designed to make people feel alone and embarrassed, because a person who stays quiet is a person the scammer can reach again. Telling a family member or friend takes that power away. People of every age and background are targeted, including doctors, lawyers, and a former director of the FBI.
If you would like to talk it through with a trained volunteer, the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline is free and open to anyone of any age: 1-877-908-3360.