What to Do After Being Scammed | CyberCare Network
CyberCare Network

Immediate recovery steps

What to do after being scammed

Acting quickly may help limit further harm. Use the path that matches what happened, save evidence, and contact the real organization through a number or website you find independently.

Check a suspicious messageReviewed September 27, 2026

Start with these three actions

  1. 1

    Stop contact and payments

    Do not send more money, share another code, or follow new instructions—even if someone promises a refund.

  2. 2

    Contact the provider directly

    Call the bank, card issuer, payment app, gift-card company, wire service, or crypto provider using its official app, statement, or card.

  3. 3

    Save evidence and report

    Keep messages, screenshots, receipts, phone numbers, and transaction details. Use the official reporting path that fits the incident.

If money was sent

  • Bank transfer, wire, or payment app: tell the provider it was a fraudulent transaction and ask whether it can be reversed or recalled.
  • Credit or debit card: contact the issuer and dispute the fraudulent charge.
  • Gift card: contact the card issuer immediately and keep the card and receipt.
  • Cryptocurrency: contact the exchange or ATM operator immediately. Crypto payments are usually difficult to reverse.

If a password, code, or account was exposed

  • Use the real service's account-recovery page. Change the affected password and any reused password.
  • Turn on two-factor authentication, review recovery email and phone settings, and sign out unknown sessions.
  • If someone had remote access, disconnect the device from the internet, remove the remote-access software, run security updates and a trusted scan, and contact affected financial institutions from a different device.

If personal identity information was shared

Use IdentityTheft.gov for a situation-specific recovery plan if someone is using your identity. Review your credit reports and consider a fraud alert or credit freeze through the official credit bureaus.

  • Never pay a person who claims they can recover the money or represents the FBI or IC3.
  • Do not erase evidence before saving copies, but avoid forwarding sensitive details to unverified helpers.

Official recovery resources

CyberCare links directly to primary public sources so you can verify important safety actions.

Related help

Recovery is not guaranteed. Official providers and agencies—not CyberCare—handle payment disputes, investigations, and formal recovery plans.