You are in the right place
Being scammed right now? Do these steps immediately.
Take a breath. We will go one step at a time to help you stop the scam and protect your money.
Prefer to talk to a person? AARP's Fraud Watch Network Helpline has trained specialists who can help — free. Call 1‑877‑908‑3360 (Mon–Fri, 8am–8pm ET).
Talk to someone immediately- 1 Stop it
- 2 Report it
- 3 Recover
In a fraud crisis? Take these steps now.
If you are talking to them right now, stop. These steps help you secure your accounts immediately.
Hang Up & Block
End the call immediately, then block the number — but take a screenshot of any texts first (see Step 4). It is okay to hang up; you owe them nothing.
Turn Off Access
If someone had remote access to your device, disconnect from Wi-Fi first, then shut it down or unplug it.
Contact the Payment Source
Your bank is only one way money moves. Contact whoever processed the payment — your bank, card issuer, wire service, payment app, gift-card company, or crypto exchange — to try to freeze or reverse it. Not sure how? See "Recover based on how you paid" just below.
Save the Evidence
Before you delete or block anything, screenshot text messages, save emails, and write down names, numbers, and amounts. This protects your record if the scammer tries to erase it.
Report It
Reporting fast is how you're most likely to get your money back, and there's a right order to do it in. See "Report it immediately" just below for the full steps — starting with the FBI's 72-hour window.
Recover based on how you paid
Tap the way you paid to see the exact steps, or open the full guide.
Bank account — ACH, Zelle & direct transfer
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.
Source: U.S. FTC.
Mobile payment apps — Venmo, Cash App, PayPal
Report it to the payment app immediately and ask them to reverse the payment and refund your money.
Cash App: in the app, tap your profile → Support; or visit cash.app/help; or call 1-800-969-1940.
Venmo: in the app, tap your profile → Get Help; or use their contact form; or call 1-855-812-4430.
PayPal: use the Resolution Center; or call 1-888-221-1161.
Source: U.S. FTC — Mobile Payment Apps.
Wire transfer
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.
MoneyGram: 1-800-926-9400
Ria (non-Walmart transfers): 1-877-443-1399
Ria (Walmart2Walmart & Walmart2World): 1-855-355-2144
Western Union: 1-800-448-1492
Source: U.S. FTC.
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. Federal law protects you from unauthorized use of your debit card, so report quickly to limit your losses.
Source: U.S. FTC.
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. Federal law protects you from unauthorized use of your credit card, which gives you the strongest protection.
Source: U.S. FTC.
Gift card
Contact the gift card issuer 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.
Cryptocurrency
Contact the cryptocurrency 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.
Cash sent 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.
We highly recommend bringing someone you trust. Ask a spouse, adult child, relative, or friend to sit with you while you make these calls, double-check the phone numbers, and keep notes. You do not have to do this alone. More on this →
Report it immediately — this is how you're most likely to get your money back.
Speed is everything. The sooner you report, the better the chance of freezing the money before it is gone for good.
Step 1 — most urgent
File a complaint with the FBI at IC3
Report the scam at ic3.gov right away. Filing within 72 hours allows the FBI's Recovery Asset Team (RAT) to try to freeze the funds before the criminals move them.
File a report at IC3.govContact your bank if you haven't already
Call your bank using the number on the back of your card to freeze accounts and dispute the transfer.
Report to the FTC
Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission so it is on record and helps stop others.
reportfraud.ftc.gov →Report to local law enforcement
Call your local police department's non-emergency line to file a report. A police report number can help when you work with banks, credit bureaus, and insurers. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
When in doubt, report it
No complaint is too small to file, and it is always better to over-report than under-report. There is no penalty for reporting. Every report is another piece of the puzzle — it helps investigators connect cases and protects the next person. If you are not sure whether something counts, report it anyway.
You have just done the most important things: you stopped the scam, protected your accounts, and reported it. When you are ready, there are companies and organizations that can help you recover, protect yourself, and find support — one step at a time.
Do it together
Bring someone you trust.
You do not have to handle this alone. Ask a spouse, adult child, relative, or trusted friend to sit with you, double-check phone numbers and websites against official sources, and keep notes of who you spoke with.
Once you're safe
What comes next?
When you are ready, our step-by-step guides will help you work on getting your money back — more resources are on the way. Please check back here at a later date as we continue to build and add more resources to this page.
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