What to Do If You've Been Scammed: A Step-by-Step Recovery Guide
Key takeaways
- Act fast: contact your bank or card provider immediately, because a payment can sometimes be stopped or reversed if you're quick.
- Secure your accounts next, change passwords, turn on two-factor authentication, and freeze your credit to prevent further damage.
- Report the scam to the authorities; it creates a record you may need and helps others, even if recovery isn't certain.
- Watch for follow-up 'recovery' scams: anyone who contacts you promising to get your money back for a fee is almost always a second scam.
If you’ve just been scammed, take a breath: acting calmly and quickly in the next hour or two matters more than anything you did or didn’t do before. This is the order I wish someone had given me. Work through it step by step.
1. Stop the money
Contact your bank or card provider immediately. If the payment is recent, they may be able to stop or reverse it, or freeze the account before more goes. Tell them exactly what happened. The faster you call, the better your chances.
2. Secure your accounts and identity
- Change passwords on any affected account, and on any other account using the same password.
- Turn on two-factor authentication everywhere you can.
- Freeze your credit with the major bureaus to stop new accounts being opened in your name.
- If you shared personal details, follow an identity-theft recovery plan (see the references).
3. Report it
Report the scam to the authorities listed on our Resources page. A report creates an official record you may need for your bank or insurer, and it helps investigators track the scam. Recovery isn’t guaranteed, but reporting still matters.
4. Watch for the second scam
This is the part nobody warned me about. People who have been scammed are often targeted again by “recovery” scams, someone contacts you claiming they can get your money back for a fee. It’s a trap. Legitimate authorities never charge to investigate. Treat any such offer as another scam.
5. Be kind to yourself
Being scammed is not a sign of stupidity, these operations are professional and deliberately target good, trusting people. What matters now is the steps above, not blame.
For how these scams work and how to avoid the next one, see online scams and fraud and how to spot a scam.
This is general information, not advice for your situation.
References
- What To Do if You Were Scammed, FTC Consumer Advice.
- Identity Theft Recovery (IdentityTheft.gov), US Federal Trade Commission.
- Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first after being scammed?
Contact your bank or card provider immediately and explain what happened. If a payment is recent, they may be able to stop or reverse it. Speed matters more than anything else in the first hours, so make that call before doing anything else, then secure your accounts and report it.
How do I protect my identity after a scam?
Change the passwords on any affected accounts and any others that share a password, turn on two-factor authentication, and freeze your credit with the major bureaus to stop new accounts being opened in your name. Monitor your statements and credit report closely for anything you don't recognise.
Someone offered to recover my lost money for a fee, is that real?
Almost certainly not. 'Recovery' or 'refund' scams deliberately target people who have already been scammed, promising to get the money back for an upfront fee, and then take more. Legitimate authorities and your bank never charge a fee to investigate. Treat any such offer as a second scam.
How quickly do I need to act after a scam?
As fast as possible, ideally within minutes to hours. Contacting your bank or card provider quickly gives the best chance of stopping or reversing a payment before the money is gone. The first call matters more than anything else, so make it before doing anything else, then secure your accounts and report it.
Will reporting a scam get my money back?
Reporting does not guarantee a refund, but it still matters: it creates an official record you may need for your bank or insurer, and it helps investigators track the scam and protect others. Your best chance of recovering money comes from contacting your bank fast, separately from reporting.
Written by David Mercer. Reviewed by Dana Whitaker, CFE.
Our guides are written from personal experience and reviewed by a qualified fraud and security professional for accuracy. Read our editorial policy.