I think I've been scammed — what do I do?

Stop all contact & stop sending anything

If the scam is still in progress, the most important thing you can do is break off contact right now. Do not reply to explain. Do not send one last message. Do not tell them you're onto them — that often escalates the situation and risks evidence being deleted.

• Block the person on every platform (app, email, phone, social media)
• Don't delete the conversations — you'll need them as evidence
• Don't send "one more payment to get your money back" — that's the recovery scam and it's how victims lose twice
• Don't accept a refund from an unknown sender — it may be laundered money that gets clawed back, leaving you owing the bank

Preserve every piece of evidence

Before you change any passwords or delete any apps, capture everything. Banks, law enforcement, and platforms will ask for specifics — and memory is unreliable in the hours after you realize what happened.

• Screenshot the entire conversation from the very first message to the last. Include profile photos, usernames, and timestamps.
• Export chat history if the platform supports it (WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord all have export functions)
• Save profile URLs and usernames — scammers delete accounts fast after they're caught
• Photograph any physical evidence — mailed checks, shipping labels, printed paperwork
• Keep transaction records — bank confirmations, wire receipts, gift card numbers, crypto TXIDs, PayPal/Venmo/Zelle IDs, dates and amounts
• Copy email headers — in Gmail: three-dot menu on the email → "Show original". Forensics teams need these.
• Write down a timeline while it's fresh — when contact started, how trust was built, when money was first asked for, how much, when, where

Call your bank immediately

If you sent money within the last 24–72 hours, speed matters more than anything else in this document. Call the number on the back of your card (not a number the scammer gave you). Tell them you're the victim of fraud and ask for the fraud department.

• Bank transfers / ACH / wire: ask about reversal windows. Some can be recalled within 24 hours.
• Zelle / Venmo / CashApp: these are typically unrecoverable, but report it anyway — the platforms track abusive accounts
• Credit card: request a chargeback under "fraudulent transaction." You usually have 60 days.
• Gift cards: call the card issuer's fraud line (Apple, Google, Amazon, Target all have them) with the card numbers and receipts
• Crypto: report the wallet address to the exchange you used. Chainalysis and TRM Labs investigate high-value cases. Most crypto is unrecoverable but the evidence helps cases against the scammer.

Freeze your credit

Even if the scam was "just" financial, assume the scammer has or will try to get your personal information — Social Security number, date of birth, address. Freezing your credit takes about 15 minutes across all three bureaus, is free by federal law, and prevents anyone from opening new accounts in your name.

Report to the FTC and IC3

You are not "wasting" law enforcement's time by reporting. Scam reports are how prosecutors build cases. Your individual report may feel small, but it combines with thousands of others to shut down operations, get platforms to act, and sometimes recover funds.

If the scam originated from a specific platform (Tinder, Instagram, Facebook, a marketplace site), also report it to that platform directly. They often have dedicated scam reporting paths that shut down the account faster than waiting on federal action.

Change passwords & enable 2FA everywhere

Assume the scammer has at least some of your credentials. If you used the same password on multiple sites, assume they have those too. Work through this priority order:

• Your primary email first — because password resets all flow through email. Change it on a device you trust, not the one that was compromised.
• Banking and financial accounts — new unique passwords, and turn on transaction alerts
• Any account where you used the same or similar password
• Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) on all of them. Use an authenticator app (Authy, Google Authenticator, 1Password) rather than SMS — SMS can be intercepted via SIM swap.
• Get a password manager so you never have to reuse a password again. Bitwarden is free. 1Password and Dashlane are paid.

Warn people in your circle — and the world

Two separate things here. First, anyone the scammer might also reach through you (mutual friends, family, coworkers). Second, the broader community — by leaving reviews and reports that help the next person not fall for the same thing.

• Tell your close contacts: "I was scammed by someone claiming to be X. If they contact you, don't engage." This takes courage but it's how networks of scams get shut down.
• Post on any review sites where the scammer operated (dating apps, marketplaces) — describe the pattern without doxxing anyone real
• Add the profile to scam-tracking databases: ScamAdviser, RomanceScam, BBB Scam Tracker

Watch for recovery scams

This is brutal but important: scammers often sell lists of victims to other scammers. In the weeks after you've been scammed, you may be contacted by someone claiming to help you recover your money — a "fund recovery specialist," a "crypto tracing expert," or even someone posing as law enforcement.

• Never pay upfront for "fund recovery services" — this is how victims lose twice
• Be skeptical of unsolicited contact claiming to be from law enforcement, banks, or recovery firms
• Verify independently — if someone claims to be from an agency, hang up and call the agency's main number yourself