2.23.22
What To Do If You’re Scammed Out of Money
Scammers are tricky and can fool even the smartest people. Learn what to do to get your money back.
Scams come at us from so many directions, including emails, phone calls and texts. Sometimes they look truly legit and even the savviest person can fall victim. If you’ve been scammed out of money, here are some next steps you can take to get it back.
Take action quickly
As soon as you realize you’ve been scammed, immediately take action by contacting the third party who handled the transaction. Contacting the third party doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get your money back. However, the sooner you act the more likely it is that the situation can be remedied.
From the list below, identify who to contact and ask the third party to reverse the transaction and get your money back.
| How Fraud Occurred: | Who to Contact: |
| Credit or debit card | Card issuer |
| Unauthorized bank account transfer | Your bank |
| Gift card purchase | The company that issued the gift card; have the gift card receipt on hand, and if possible the gift card itself
|
| Through a wire transfer | The wire transfer company |
| Through a money transfer app | The company behind the app; if the account is linked to a debit or credit card contact the card issuer |
| You paid with cryptocurrency | The company used to send the money |
| You sent cash by mail | The U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455; ask them to intercept the package
|
Document the details
Make sure to document all details about the scam transaction so you can share it with the party that handled the transaction and the authorities.
Make notes of anyone you talked to, phone numbers, messages received, dates and times. If the scam started with a text or email, keep the message. If a fraudulent charge shows up on your credit card statement, keep a digital or paper copy.
Report the scam to the FTC
Reporting a scam helps law enforcement to build a case against scammers. If you were scammed, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Take advantage of identity theft protection through Consumers
When you hold a Consumers Mastercard® debit or credit card you’re automatically eligible for Mastercard® ID Theft Protection™. Should your identity ever be stolen, you’ll get help from experts who will help your resolve the matter. Explore ID Theft Protection program details to learn how you’re protected.
If your Consumers debit card is lost or stolen
If your Consumer debit card is lost or stolen it could be used for fraud. Let us know about it right away by phone at 800.991.2221 or in-person at any Consumers office. Learn more about how Consumers replaces lost or stolen credit cards.
Federally insured by NCUA
I was scammed out over $650,000 from a girl lied about her health problems
So sorry this happened to you!
My whole bank account was wiped out by these people. I just got paid today and now I have nothing no money, food, and can’t pay my bills. Can you please help me?
Hi Lisa, please call our member service center at 800.991.2221.
Can I get money back after being scammed?
Hi James, please give us a call at 800.991.2221.
i was scam out of $2900 by prime video
We are sorry to hear that Gerald. If you have any questions please give us a call at 800.991.2221.
I followed all the described suggestions and I got nowhere. I lost about $1,000. Google cards, my credit card company, etc said “there is nothing we can do.” So sad.
We’re sorry to hear that, Effie. If you have any questions, please give us a call at 800.991.2221.
I was involved in a scam at my bank, Bank of America. The scam involved $30,000 taken out of my savings account. I have been with this Bank for 47 years, Platinum Honors Customer for many years
The Bank states that they do not reimburse their customers because of a scam ( being that I actually was the one who physically removed the money) They only reimburse customers that were involved in fraud. I honestly don’t know the difference between the two. It was a fraudulent act for someone to call me and tell me that they were from BOA, is this fair??
Hi Beverly, here’s an article we’ve written about phone scams: https://www.consumerscu.org/blog/fraudsters-and-fake-phone-calls. If you have any questions please give us a call at 800.991.2221.
I was scammed $1500 to pay for my winnings. Was being blackmail if didn’t pay no winnings. I still didn’t get my winnings asking for more money.
We’re sorry to hear that, Lydia. If you have any questions, please give us a call at 800.991.2221.
I was scammed over 200,000 dollars back in 2016 through 2020, someone pretending to be Mark Wahlberg the Actor. Sent money through money gram, western union and PayPal. Trying to get my money back. Also through bank wires
I was scammed over the phone by someone who pretended to be from the federal trade commission in September of 2023 to December of 2023 and they told me that someone was using my money for money laundering and that the only way to prove my innocence was to put all my money on gift cards and give them the card information over the phone. I have never felt so stupid in all my life because I realized too late that these were scamming me and they stole3,175 dollars from me and I don’t know if I will be able to get any of it back. I have already a complaint with the FTC and reported it to Target, EBay, my bank and the police and they didn’t give me much hope.
Hi Eileen, we are sorry to hear that happened to you and you are definitely not alone in having that happen. If you’d like to keep up to date with the latest in preventing fraud we have put together many articles, podcasts and even videos to help our members: https://www.consumerscu.org/topic/fraud
I was scammed out of $70,000 while led to believe i was investing in bitcoin . Guy claimed to have an account in my name with 200,000 . Charged me 10a of thousands in bogus fees & never paid me nothing. Come to find out he was an attorney who had been Suspended from practicing law in Georgia this past March 2024. Can you help?
Hi Greg, give us a call at 800.991.2221.