How to get your money back after a scam.

Paid by bank transfer, Zelle, or ACH

Report it to your bank or credit union immediately and ask them to reverse the payment and refund your money. Call the number on the back of your card or your statement.

If the transfer was unauthorized (someone got into your account), federal Regulation E generally protects you when you report within two business days — ask for a "provisional credit." If you were tricked into sending it yourself through Zelle, some banks still reimburse when the scammer impersonated a bank, government agency, or utility company. Report it either way.

Source: U.S. FTC.

Paid through a payment app (Venmo, Cash App, PayPal)

Report it to the payment app immediately and ask them to reverse the payment and refund your money. If your app is linked to a credit or debit card, you may also be able to dispute the charge through your bank.

Source: U.S. FTC — Mobile Payment Apps.

Paid by wire transfer (Western Union, MoneyGram, Ria)

Report it to the wire transfer company immediately, tell them a scammer tricked you into sending money, and ask them to reverse the transfer and refund your money. If you wired through your bank, call the bank and ask them to recall the wire. Wires are built to be fast and final, so speed matters most here.

Source: U.S. FTC.

Paid by debit card

Report it to your bank or credit union immediately — use the number on the back of your card or log in to your account — and ask them to refund your money. Because a debit card pulls from your real money, report quickly: federal law limits your losses more the sooner you report. Then watch your account for any other charges.

Source: U.S. FTC.

Paid by credit card

Report it to your credit card issuer immediately — use the number on the back of your card or log in to your account — and ask them to refund your money. Credit cards give you the strongest protection under federal law, so fraudulent charges can usually be removed. Keep an eye on your statements afterward.

Source: U.S. FTC.

Paid with a gift card

Contact the gift card company immediately (use the number on the back of the card), tell them a scammer tricked you into giving them the card number and PIN, and ask them to refund your money. Keep the gift card and the receipt — you may need them to follow up. If the funds have not been drained yet, some companies will give the money back.

Here is how to contact some popular gift card companies.

Source: U.S. FTC — Gift Card Scams.

Paid with cryptocurrency

Contact the crypto exchange or ATM operator immediately, tell them it was a fraudulent transaction, and ask them to reverse it and refund your money. Then report it to the FBI at IC3.gov and the FTC. Crypto payments do not have the same legal protections as cards, so it can be hard to get your money back — but some states have passed laws that might help. Be careful: "crypto recovery services" that charge an upfront fee are almost always a second scam.

Source: U.S. FTC; FBI IC3.

Sent cash by mail

If you sent a scammer cash through the U.S. mail, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 right away. For a fee, they may be able to intercept the package if it has not been delivered yet (USPS Package Intercept). If you sent cash through another service like FedEx or UPS, contact that company as soon as possible.

Source: U.S. FTC.