What to Do If You Get Scammed: The First 24 Hours

If you get scammed, stop talking to the scammer. Then call the company that moved the money. Use a number from the official app, your card, or a statement. Do not use a number the scammer gave you.

That first call may give you the best chance to stop a payment. Recovery is never promised, but speed can help.

The panic question is usually the same: "I got scammed, what do I do?" Here is the order that helps most right after being scammed.

What to do in the first hour

Stop all contact. Do not send more money.

Call the bank, card company, payment app, wire service, gift-card company, or crypto platform.

Ask what can still be stopped, recalled, reversed, or locked.

Secure the account, password, phone, or device that was exposed.

Save messages, receipts, account names, and transaction numbers.

Report the scam through the official site that fits.

Call the company that moved the money before you spend time filling out reports. Sources: FTC, IdentityTheft.gov, and FBI IC3, checked July 27, 2026.

Scammers use fear, love, shame, and fake authority to rush people. Getting fooled does not make you stupid. Take the next useful step.

If anyone is in danger, call 911 or local police first.

Call the payment company first

Tell the company exactly what happened. Say whether you sent the payment because of a lie or whether someone moved money without your approval. Those facts are different.

| How the money moved | Who to call | What to ask | | --- | --- | | Credit or debit card | The card company | Can it reverse the charge? Should the card be replaced? | | Bank transfer or withdrawal | The bank's fraud team | Can it stop or reverse the transfer? Should the account be locked? | | Bank wire | The sending bank | Can it recall the wire? | | Payment app | The app and the linked bank or card company | Can either one reverse or flag it? | | Wire-transfer service | The wire company | Can it cancel or reverse the transfer? | | Gift card | The card issuer | Can it stop the balance or issue a refund? Keep the card and receipt. | | Cryptocurrency | The exchange or company used to send it | Can it flag the transfer or account? Keep the wallet address and transaction ID. |

Write down the time, case number, and what the company tells you. Never move money to a "safe account" because an incoming caller says so. The FTC does not tell people to do that.

Secure only what was exposed

The fix depends on what the scammer got.

What they got | What to do
A password | Change it from a trusted device. Change it anywhere else you reused it. Turn on multifactor authentication.
Your email login | Secure email first. Email can reset many other accounts. Check forwarding rules and recovery details.
Card or bank details | Call the company. Ask whether the card or account should be locked or replaced.
Your Social Security number or identity papers | Start a plan at IdentityTheft.gov. Freeze all three credit reports.
Remote access to a computer | End the session. Run a security scan. Use another device for important password changes until the first device is safe.
Control of your phone number | Call the mobile company. Recover the number and change the carrier PIN. Check money accounts.
Only a strange message | Block and report it. You may not need to reset every password or freeze credit.

Multifactor authentication means a second step after your password, such as an app prompt or security key. It makes a stolen password less useful.

Freeze your credit if identity data was exposed

A credit freeze makes it harder to open a new credit account in your name. It is free. It stays in place until you lift it.

You must freeze each credit report on its own:

Equifax credit freeze

Experian credit freeze

TransUnion credit freeze

A freeze is useful if someone has enough data to apply for credit. It does not reverse a payment. It does not lock your bank account. It does not remove harmful software.

A fraud alert is different. It tells a business to check your identity before giving new credit. Contacting one bureau can place a one-year alert with all three. A freeze still requires three separate requests.

A freeze does not change your score. To see what actually moves it, read how a credit score works.

Save a simple record

Save what you already have. Do not keep talking to the scammer to collect more.

messages and email addresses;

phone numbers, websites, and user names;

receipts and payment details;

wallet addresses or transaction IDs;

what information or passwords you gave;

a short timeline;

case and report numbers.

Do not put your Social Security number or birth date in the story box of an IC3 report.

Where to report a scam

Use the door that matches the problem:

General scam or deceptive payment: ReportFraud.ftc.gov

Someone used your identity: IdentityTheft.gov

Internet or cyber crime: IC3.gov or the IC3 complaint form

An official report helps agencies see patterns. It does not promise a refund or a personal reply.

For a victim age 60 or older, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-372-8311. It is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time.

Call local police when there is danger or when your recovery plan or bank asks for a police report.

Watch for the second scam

Scammers often come back after a loss. The next caller may claim to be a lawyer, hacker, investigator, or government worker. They may know details about the first scam.

Do not pay an upfront fee to get money back. Do not share bank details with an unexpected recovery caller.

The FBI says IC3 does not ask for payment. It does not send victims to paid recovery firms. Look up every phone number or website yourself.

Not every bad deal is a crime. If you are trying to judge whether a financial product you were pitched is a scam or just aggressive, is infinite banking a scam or real shows how to tell the difference.

What these steps cannot promise

A fast call can help, but it cannot promise recovery.

Payment rules depend on how the money moved and what you approved.

A credit freeze protects against some new-account fraud. It does not fix every kind of identity theft.

A password change does not prove a remotely accessed device is clean.

FTC and IC3 reports do not promise an individual investigation.

This is a U.S.-focused checklist. Follow any direct instructions from your bank, payment provider, police, attorney, or security professional.

Sources

Federal Trade Commission, "What To Do if You Were Scammed" Accessed 2026-07-27.

Federal Trade Commission, "What are the signs of a scam?" Accessed 2026-07-27.

Federal Trade Commission, "Refund and Recovery Scams" Accessed 2026-07-27.

Federal Trade Commission, ReportFraud.ftc.gov Accessed 2026-07-27.

IdentityTheft.gov, official recovery steps Accessed 2026-07-27.

IdentityTheft.gov, "What To Do if Your Information Was Lost or Stolen, or Part of a Data Breach" Accessed 2026-07-27.

Federal Trade Commission, "Is a credit freeze or fraud alert right for you?" Accessed 2026-07-27.

Equifax, official credit-freeze path Accessed 2026-07-27.

Experian, official credit-freeze path Accessed 2026-07-27.

TransUnion, official credit-freeze path Accessed 2026-07-27.

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, "Stay Safer with Multifactor Authentication" Accessed 2026-07-27.

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, "Use a Password Manager to Create and Remember Strong Passwords" Accessed 2026-07-27.

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, official complaint guidance and form Accessed 2026-07-27.

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, "Business Email Compromise" Accessed 2026-07-27.

Federal Bureau of Investigation, "FBI Warns of Scammers Impersonating the IC3" Accessed 2026-07-27.

U.S. Department of Justice Elder Justice Initiative, "Find Help or Report Abuse" Accessed 2026-07-27.