I think I got scammed / I already paid

Scammers are professionals, and they fool careful people. What matters now is acting fast. Start with step 1.

Was it a scam? Quick signs

• You were told to pay by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or a payment app. The FTC says anyone who insists you can only pay that way is a scammer.
• Someone told you to move your money to “protect it.” The FTC says that person is a scammer. Period.
• You were rushed, threatened, or told to keep it secret.
• You had to pay to get a prize, a grant, or a refund.

Do this right now

1. Stop. Don’t send any more money, even if they promise it will “unlock” a refund. Stop answering their calls and messages.
2. Call the company you used to pay, right now. Use the table below. Tell them it was fraud and ask them to reverse it and refund your money. The FTC says your money might be gone already, but it’s always worth asking.
3. If you gave personal information (Social Security number, passwords, account numbers), follow these steps.
4. Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (and other places listed below).
5. Write things down: dates, amounts, phone numbers, names they used, and receipts. Keep gift cards and receipts.
6. Tell someone you trust. You don’t have to handle this alone.

Who to call, by how you paid

From the FTC’s guide What To Do if You Were Scammed (June 2026) and its Phone Scams page.

Someone took money from your bank account without your permission? The FTC says to contact your bank, tell them it was an unauthorized debit or withdrawal, and ask them to reverse it.

Hello. I'm calling to report fraud. A scammer tricked me into sending money.

My name is [your name]. My account / card / receipt number is [number].

On [date] I paid [amount] by [credit card / debit card / Zelle / bank transfer / wire / gift card / payment app / cryptocurrency] to [name or number the scammer used].

This was a fraudulent transaction. Please reverse it and refund my money.

Please tell me:
- Your name and a claim or reference number for this report.
- What happens next, and how long it will take.
- Whether I need to put anything in writing.
- Whether I should close or change this card or account.

[Write down the name, the claim number, the date, and the time of your call.]

If you gave personal information or computer access

• Your Social Security number, and it was used: report it at IdentityTheft.gov to get a personal recovery plan. Not sure if it was used? The FTC points you to IdentityTheft.gov/databreach for steps. See our identity theft guide, including free credit freezes.
• A username and password, and you can still log in: create a new, strong password (change it anywhere else you used it), and turn on two-step verification.
• You can’t log in anymore: use the company’s official account recovery steps. See what to do if an account is hacked.
• You let them into your computer or phone: update your security software, run a scan, delete anything it flags, then change your passwords and turn on two-step verification (FTC).

Report it

• FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC says it uses reports to build cases against scammers, spot trends, and educate the public.
• Internet crime: the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. The IC3 says it is the central hub for reporting cyber-enabled crime, and that it will never directly contact you for information or money.
• Identity theft: IdentityTheft.gov.
• Social Security-related scams: oig.ssa.gov/report.
• Your state attorney general: find your attorney general’s office at naag.org/find-my-ag.

Watch out for “recovery” scams

• The FTC says never pay upfront for a refund or for help getting one, and never give personal or financial information to get a refund.
• Anyone who insists you pay only with cash, gift cards, crypto, a wire transfer, or a payment app is a scammer.
• Don’t deposit a “refund” check for more money than you lost.
• The IC3 says it doesn’t work with any non-law-enforcement group, such as law firms or crypto services, to get lost money back.