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Recovery

You got scammed. Here is what to do in the next hour.

By The Latchkey Daily Team, EditorsPublished Updated

Stop the money first, then lock the accounts, then report it. Speed matters more than anything else: a bank transfer reported in the first hours is often reversible; one reported next week usually is not.

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The first hour: stop the money

  1. Paid by card or bank transfer: call the number on the back of the card or on your bank's website, not a number from any message. Say "I need to report fraud." Ask them to reverse the transaction and freeze the card.
  2. Paid by Zelle, Venmo, Cash App or PayPal: report it inside the app immediately, then call your bank too. Peer-to-peer payments are hard to reverse but fast reports sometimes succeed.
  3. Paid with gift cards: call the card company (the number is on the back) and report the card numbers as used in a scam. Keep the cards and receipts.
  4. Sent a wire: call your bank and ask for a recall. Then call the receiving bank if you know it.
  5. Paid in crypto: report to the exchange you used and to ic3.gov. Recovery is unlikely, but reports sometimes freeze funds.

The first day: lock the doors

  1. Change the password on the account the scam touched, then on your email. Your email is the master key to everything else. Here is the ten-minute Gmail lockdown.
  2. Turn on two-factor authentication on email, bank and phone carrier accounts.
  3. If you gave a Social Security number, driver's license or date of birth: freeze your credit at all three bureaus. It is free and takes ten minutes each. Identity theft guide.
  4. If someone remote-controlled your computer: disconnect it from the internet, change passwords from a different device, and have it checked before you use it for banking again.
  5. If you gave a bank login: call the bank and ask them to reset online access and review recent activity.

The first week: report and watch

  1. File at reportfraud.ftc.gov. It takes five minutes and it is how patterns get tracked.
  2. If you lost money, file at ic3.gov (the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center).
  3. If identity information was taken, file at identitytheft.gov; it generates a recovery plan and the letters you need.
  4. Tell your family. Scammers who got one person's information try their relatives next, and they will use your name.
  5. Expect the follow-up: calls or emails from a "recovery service," a "lawyer" or "the FBI" offering to get your money back for a fee. That is the recovery scam. Nobody legitimate charges you to recover scam losses.

Questions people ask

Can I get money back after a scam?
Sometimes. Credit card payments and bank transfers reported within hours have the best odds. Gift cards, wire transfers, crypto and cash are rarely recovered, but report them anyway: it sometimes freezes funds and it builds the case.
Should I be embarrassed?
No. Scams are built by professionals to beat smart people. Reporting quickly is the only thing that matters now.
Do I need to tell my family?
If a scammer has your information, they will try your relatives next. Tell them what happened so they are ready.

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