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If you think you’ve been scammed, the order of what you do next matters. Money can sometimes be stopped or recovered if the bank or payment company hears about it quickly, and a stolen identity does the least damage when it is locked down early. This page sets out the recovery steps in order, based on guidance from the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI. It is general information, not legal advice.
In this guide
- First: stop contact and keep everything
- Step 1: Contact your bank, card issuer or payment company
- Step 2: Report it to the FTC
- Step 3: Report internet crime to the FBI’s IC3
- Step 4: Report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov
- Step 5: Freeze your credit
- If you shared a password or gave remote access
- Watch for a second scam
First: stop contact and keep everything
Stop responding to the scammer and don’t send anything more, whatever they threaten or promise. The FBI’s advice in a September 2026 public service announcement is to cease all contact and to keep all financial records and communications. Save texts, emails, call logs, receipts, account numbers and any cryptocurrency addresses you were given. You’ll need them for every report below.
Step 1: Contact your bank, card issuer or payment company
Do this first, because it is the step that can stop money from leaving. The FTC’s guidance depends on how you paid:
- Credit card: report it to the card issuer immediately and ask whether the charge can be reversed.
- Debit card or bank transfer: report it to your bank or credit union immediately.
- Payment app (such as Zelle, Venmo, Cash App or PayPal): report it to the app immediately and ask whether the payment can be reversed.
- Wire transfer: report it to the wire transfer company immediately.
- Gift card: contact the card’s issuer using the number on the back of the card, and keep the card and receipt.
- Cryptocurrency: contact the exchange or crypto ATM operator immediately. Protections are limited, so report it to the FTC as well.
- Cash sent by mail: contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.
Use a phone number you already trust, such as the one on your card or statement, not one the scammer gave you. The FBI also advises notifying your financial institutions so they can safeguard your accounts.
Step 2: Report it to the FTC
Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC says it uses reports to build cases against scammers, spot trends and warn the public. The report itself doesn’t reverse a payment, so it is not a substitute for Step 1.
If the scam started with a text, you can also forward the message to 7726 (SPAM) and use your phone’s report-junk option. Our guide on how to spot a scam text and what to do if you replied covers that in detail.
Step 3: Report internet crime to the FBI’s IC3
If the scam happened online, by email, text, phone or video call, or involved cryptocurrency, also file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. The IC3 calls itself the central hub for reporting cyber-enabled crime and says to file even if you are unsure whether your complaint qualifies. It can’t respond to every complaint, but it says reports help the FBI investigate and, in some cases, freeze stolen funds.
The FBI asks you to include the scammer’s phone numbers and email addresses, payment details such as bank account information or cryptocurrency addresses, and copies of texts, emails and other messages. It also recommends filing a report with your local police. If someone impersonated a government agency, our government impersonation scam guide explains the scripts the FBI says scammers use.
Step 4: Report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov
If you gave out your Social Security number, card numbers, bank details or other personal information, go to IdentityTheft.gov, the FTC’s identity theft site. According to the FTC, reporting there gives you a free personal recovery plan with next steps, and the site lets you track your progress and print prefilled letters and forms for credit bureaus, businesses and debt collectors.
The FTC also advises getting your free credit reports and checking them for accounts you don’t recognize.
Step 5: Freeze your credit
A credit freeze stops new credit accounts from being opened in your name. The FTC says it costs nothing to place or lift a freeze, a freeze lasts until you lift it, and it doesn’t affect your credit score. You have to contact each of the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, separately. Our step-by-step guide shows how to freeze your credit at all three bureaus.
A fraud alert is a lighter option. It asks businesses to verify your identity before opening an account, and you only need to contact one bureau, which must tell the other two. The FTC says an initial fraud alert lasts one year and can be renewed, and an extended fraud alert lasts seven years.
If you shared a password or gave remote access
If you let a scammer into your computer or phone, the FTC says to update your security software, run a scan and delete anything it flags, then change your passwords and turn on two-factor authentication. If you gave away the username and password to an account you can still get into, change the password right away and turn on two-factor authentication. Our guide to setting up passkeys covers the strongest sign-in option.
Watch for a second scam
People who have just lost money are prime targets for a follow-up pitch: someone who promises to get the money back for a fee. The IC3 says on its own site that it does not work with any non-law-enforcement entity, such as law firms or crypto services, to recover lost funds, and that it will never contact you directly for information or money. Treat any such offer as another scam.
Don’t be embarrassed to report. Scams are built to rush careful people, and every report helps investigators connect cases.
