Published
November 28, 2022
Updated
August 4, 2026
After a scam, contact the bank or payment company immediately, secure affected accounts, preserve evidence, and report the incident to the agencies that handle the type of fraud involved.
What Should You Do Immediately After a Scam?
Stop communicating with the suspected scammer and contact the bank, card issuer, payment app, wire service, gift-card company, cryptocurrency platform, or delivery company involved. Explain that the transaction was fraudulent and ask whether it can be stopped, recalled, disputed, or reversed.Acting quickly can help, but recovery is not guaranteed. Never pay a “recovery service” upfront to release or retrieve money.
First Step
Contact payment provider
Ask whether the transaction can be stopped or reversed
Federal Report
ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Helps investigators identify patterns
State Help
Consumer protection office
Find the correct office through USA.gov
How Should You Secure Your Accounts?
Change exposed passwords, beginning with email and financial accounts, and do not reuse the new password. Turn on multi-factor authentication, review account recovery settings, revoke unknown sessions, and tell the relevant provider if a scammer gained remote access to a device or took control of a phone number.Where Should You Report the Scam?
Report consumer fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Internet-enabled crime can also be reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. If identity information was exposed, use IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan. Local police may be appropriate when there is theft, threats, or an immediate safety issue.How Can a State Attorney General Help?
State attorneys general and consumer protection offices accept complaints, identify patterns, investigate businesses or fraud networks, and sometimes mediate consumer disputes. Filing a complaint does not guarantee an individual refund or private legal representation. USA.gov provides the current state-by-state directory.What Evidence Should You Save?
Preserve receipts, bank records, transaction identifiers, emails, text messages, social-media profiles, website addresses, advertisements, shipping records, and a timeline of events. Keep original files where possible and avoid editing screenshots in ways that remove dates or account information.How Can You Avoid a Recovery Scam?
Be wary of anyone who unexpectedly promises to recover lost money, claims to be a government agent, or demands a fee through gift cards, cryptocurrency, cash, a wire, or a payment app. Look up an agency or company independently rather than using contact information supplied by the caller.Sources
• FTC: What To Do if You Were Scammed• USA.gov state consumer protection offices
• FTC fraud reporting portal
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
• Federal identity-theft recovery portal
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Immediate Action
Contact the payment provider and secure accounts
Federal Consumer Report
ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Internet Crime
IC3.gov
Identity Theft
IdentityTheft.gov
State Directory
USA.gov consumer protection offices
