Scammed? What to Do First and Whether You Can Get Money Back

If a scammer has your money or account access, stop contact and call the bank or payment company now. Ask it to block any pending payment, recall a transfer, or open a dispute. A transfer a criminal made without your permission and one you sent after a lie can follow different rules. The payment type, who sent it, and how quickly you reported it affect your next step.

For prevention and family safeguards, see the senior scam protection guide and family fraud protection kit. If this involved a romance scam, use the romance-scam emergency guide; for a Zelle or bank-transfer dispute, see the Zelle refund guide.

Start with the two example households

These are hypothetical cases built from the question, not reported SwitchWize customers. The amounts are illustrations, not estimates of likely recovery. One person is 81 and let a fake “Microsoft” technician remotely control a computer. The caller steered the person toward nearly $10,000 in cash withdrawals. The other person is 74 and sent $48,000 after a caller impersonated the person's bank.

The money calculation is simple: amount sent minus amount returned. If no money comes back, the first case loses $0 if the withdrawals never happened. The second case leaves $48,000 unrecovered if none of the transfer returns. A $12,000 return would leave $36,000 unrecovered. A successful bank recall is possible, but it is not assured.

What to do in the first hour

1. End the call and stop the transfer. Hang up. Do not call back the number on the caller ID, message, pop-up, or receipt. Do not go to an ATM, buy gift cards, or send cryptocurrency. Do not move money to a “safe account.” No legitimate bank, government agency, or technology company needs you to send money to protect it.
2. If remote access is active, cut the connection. Disconnect the affected computer from Wi-Fi or unplug its network cable. Do not use it to open banking or email. Use a different, trusted device to call your bank and email provider. Do not rush to erase the computer before saving the scam messages and payment receipts.
3. Call the institution that moved or holds the money. Use the number on a bank card or statement. You can also open the bank's official app or website yourself. Ask for its fraud team. For a wire, ask for the wire department. For an app, call the app and the bank or card that funded it.
4. Name the exact transaction and request a specific action. Say: “I was deceived by an impersonation scam. I sent $48,000 at [time] to [recipient]. Please request a recall or reversal. Contact the receiving bank and tell me how to file a fraud claim.” If you did not make a transfer, say: “I did not initiate this $[amount] transfer. Please block access and treat it as an unauthorized transaction.”
5. Ask for a case number and the next deadline. Write down the representative's name or ID and the time. Record the number you called, the case number, and any request for written confirmation. Ask how to submit documents securely. Do not send account information to a contact supplied by the suspected caller.
6. Stop further access. Ask the bank whether to lock online banking, cards, checks, transfers, and external payment links. Ask whether it should replace the card or account number. Change exposed passwords from a clean device, starting with email and banking. Turn on multifactor authentication where available. Never tell a caller a one-time code.

If a fake technician had access, tell the bank and ask it to check recent logins. From another device, change exposed and reused passwords. The FTC recommends updating security software and scanning the computer. Use a trusted technician if it remains unstable.

The next 24 hours

Make a clean record

Create a timeline on paper or a clean device. Record when the first call or message arrived and what the person claimed. Note when remote access began, each payment or withdrawal, and when you told the bank. List phone numbers, email and website addresses, usernames, account names, wallet addresses, tracking numbers, and transaction IDs. Save original messages and screenshots. Keep receipts and bank notices. Do not edit the only copy.

With permission, a trusted person can take notes. Let the account owner speak when possible because the bank may need to authenticate them.

Follow up by payment type

This table is a first-call guide, not a legal ruling. The key question is who initiated the payment.

Giving away a login is different from personally sending a transfer. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says a scammer's transfer using fraudulently obtained login information can still be unauthorized. Tell the bank exactly who clicked, entered, or approved each payment.

When reporting deadlines start

Federal Regulation E sets potential liability limits for a lost or stolen debit card or account-access device. The limits depend on when the customer tells the bank or credit union. Notice within two business days after learning of the loss generally limits liability to the lesser of $50 or unauthorized transfers made before notice. Later notice can raise the limit to the lesser of $500 or the specified transfers. A separate rule can affect unauthorized transfers that appear on a statement and continue after 60 days.

The 60-day period is measured from when the institution sends the periodic statement that first showed the unauthorized transfer. It is not 60 days after the caller's message, nor necessarily 60 days after the transaction date. Waiting can expose later transfers if the institution establishes they could have been stopped with earlier notice. Report as soon as you discover the problem. Do not use the full window as a reason to wait.

The bank's investigation also has deadlines. For many covered electronic-transfer errors, the bank generally has 10 business days to investigate. If it needs longer, it can generally take up to 45 days. To do so, it must give temporary credit within 10 business days and follow the other rules. Some transactions have longer periods. Temporary credit lasts while the investigation continues; it does not mean the bank has decided to repay the loss.

For unauthorized credit-card use, Regulation Z generally limits liability to the lesser of $50 or the amount used before the issuer receives notice. The rule's conditions must apply. For some credit-card billing errors, written notice is generally due within 60 days after the issuer sent the first statement showing the issue. Call the issuer immediately and ask where to send a written notice. A customer's purchase from a scammer does not automatically qualify as an unauthorized card charge or billing error.

These deadlines answer only part of the question. A customer-initiated bank transfer, wire, gift-card code, or crypto payment may be hard to reverse even when a scammer lied. Voluntary provider policies can be more generous than federal requirements. A regulator or court may also evaluate the facts differently from a short checklist. Get the bank's written process and consider qualified help if a large claim is disputed.

Four money outcomes to plan around

The examples below do not predict a bank decision. They show why a quick report and the transaction facts matter more than an assumed refund.

Separate any transfer the customer sent from one they did not make. Speak calmly and involve a helper only with the account owner's permission.

What not to do

• Do not pay a recovery company that contacts you first. The FTC warns that fraudsters target people who have already lost money. An upfront “tax,” “processing fee,” or retainer puts more money at risk.
• Do not send more money to unlock a refund. No bank or agency requires gift cards, crypto, cash, or a wire transfer to return stolen funds.
• Do not let the same caller “fix” the account. Hang up and find the bank's contact details independently. Caller ID can be spoofed, so verify the number independently.
• Do not delete messages or throw away cards and receipts. Preserve the transaction trail for the bank, platform, and investigators.
• Do not deposit a surprise refund check and return the “extra.” A fake check can appear in the account before the bank discovers it is counterfeit. You could owe the returned amount if the check is counterfeit.
• Protect personal data. Share account details only through a verified official channel.
• Do not assume a police or agency report itself reverses the payment. Reporting may support an investigation. The financial institution or provider still handles the dispute or recall request.

After one day: report and secure the household

Once the payment company has opened a case, report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC uses reports to identify patterns; it does not resolve individual disputes. Keep the report number with the bank case number.

For internet-enabled fraud or a wire, report to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. Include recipient and bank details, timestamps, reference numbers, phone numbers, and wallet addresses. IC3 advises wire victims to request a recall immediately; coordination cannot guarantee a freeze.

If a Social Security number was misused, use IdentityTheft.gov. Report SSA program fraud or impersonation to the SSA Office of the Inspector General or 1-800-269-0271. For Medicare claims or numbers, call 1-800-MEDICARE, 1-800-633-4227.

If identity data was exposed, consider a free freeze with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. A freeze helps block new credit, not charges on current accounts. One bureau can place a one-year fraud alert and notify the other two.

For help making calls, the DOJ National Elder Fraud Hotline is 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311), weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern. The Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 connects families with local services. Contact Adult Protective Services about suspected caregiver exploitation. Call emergency services for an immediate safety threat.

In the first week

Review accounts linked to the device. Ask providers about new account numbers, cards, or passwords. A trusted technician can remove remote-access software and scan the computer. Keep one claim file with case numbers, statements, receipts, notices, and responses. Send requested forms through a verified channel. If the bank denies a claim, ask for the decision and appeal instructions in writing.

Do not close a claim when temporary credit appears. Ask whether it is provisional and note any deadline to challenge a reversal. A CFPB complaint may route a covered EFT dispute to a company, but it does not guarantee repayment. Also check email forwarding rules and recovery numbers; call the mobile carrier if the phone or SIM was taken over.

In the first month

Review statements and open claims weekly. Confirm a return posted and is not temporary credit. Watch for test charges, new payees, account changes, unfamiliar inquiries, or unexpected mail. Keep the bank's final decision and report numbers.

Keep freezes in place until new credit is needed; lifting and replacing them is free. If a report shows a fraudulent account, follow IdentityTheft.gov and dispute it with the bureau and company.

If the loss threatens rent, food, care, or medication, contact providers about hardship options and seek a trusted nonprofit counselor. Do not borrow at high cost to pay a recovery firm or the scammer.

With permission, a family member can help check statements and screen unfamiliar callers. If a caregiver or representative payee may be involved, ask the SSA OIG, local Adult Protective Services, or DOJ hotline how to report safely.

What would change the recovery answer

Who initiated the transfer. A transfer a criminal made without permission may qualify as unauthorized even if the criminal used credentials obtained through deception. A transfer the customer personally made after a caller's lie may be treated differently. The bank needs the sequence, not simply the label “scam.”

How the payment moved. A debit transfer, credit-card charge, bank wire, paper check, gift-card code, and crypto transaction follow different systems. For a linked payment-app transfer, the source account can matter. Ask which institution received the disputed payment and what process applies.

When the report arrived. Faster notice gives the bank or platform more time to freeze money and preserve records. For covered unauthorized electronic transfers, the two-business-day and 60-day statement periods can also affect liability. For wires and customer-sent payments, promptness may improve the chance of a voluntary recall but does not create a universal refund right.

What funds remain. A wire may still be in a receiving account, a gift-card balance may remain unused, or an exchange may control a deposit. If money has been withdrawn, split among accounts, or converted, tracing and recovery can become harder. No one can calculate the chance from the amount alone.

Questions people ask

Does the bank have to refund a scam transfer?

Not every time. If a criminal initiated an unauthorized electronic transfer from a covered consumer account, Regulation E may require the bank to investigate. The law may provide protection. If the customer personally sent money after being deceived, the case can be different. Report both kinds immediately and describe who initiated each payment.

What if I gave the scammer my bank login?

Tell the bank exactly what you shared and what the scammer did next. CFPB guidance says a transfer initiated by a third party using access information fraudulently obtained from a consumer can still be unauthorized. Change the exposed password from a clean device and report every transfer you did not make.

Can the bank reverse a wire or payment-app transfer?

It can request a recall, reversal, or recipient-account freeze. Whether money comes back depends on the transfer, the receiving institution, timing, and whether funds remain. Call immediately. A request is not a guarantee.

What if I paid by gift card or cryptocurrency?

Call the gift-card issuer or exchange right away. Ask whether it can freeze remaining value or flag the recipient account. Keep the receipt, code, exchange record, or transaction hash. Do not pay an outside recovery service.

Should I call the police?

For an immediate threat, call emergency services. For a financial scam, a local police report may help document what happened, but the bank may have its own required forms. Also report to the FTC; file with FBI IC3 for internet-enabled fraud or wires.

What if the older adult refuses help?

Start by asking what help they want. Offer to sit with them while they call the bank, write down the case number, or review the next statement. If someone may still be exploiting them or controlling their money, contact local Adult Protective Services or the DOJ National Elder Fraud Hotline for guidance.

Will an FTC report get my money back?

No. The FTC uses reports to spot patterns and bring cases, but it does not resolve an individual's bank or payment dispute. Contact the company that moved the money and follow its claim process.

When to ask for professional help

Ask the bank's fraud or error-resolution team which procedures apply and what documents it needs. For a large disputed transfer, a consumer-law attorney or a qualified legal-aid office can review the facts and deadlines. A technology professional can check a computer after remote access. A credit counselor may help plan bills if the loss disrupted cash flow. Bring the transaction timeline, statements, case numbers, and copies of all correspondence.

This is an incident checklist, not legal advice. It cannot decide whether a particular payment was authorized, whether a deadline was met, or whether a company must reimburse a loss. Use the current law, the account agreement, and the institution's written decision for the specific case.

Sources and as-of date

Primary-source rules and reporting steps checked October 27, 2026. Payment outcomes depend on the account, funding source, timing, facts, and applicable law.

• CFPB, 12 CFR 1005.6, consumer liability for unauthorized electronic transfers, checked October 27, 2026.
• CFPB, 12 CFR 1005.11, error-resolution procedures, checked October 27, 2026.
• CFPB, Electronic Fund Transfers FAQs, unauthorized EFTs and fraudulently obtained credentials, checked October 27, 2026.
• CFPB, 12 CFR 1026.12(b), unauthorized credit-card use, checked October 27, 2026.
• FTC, What To Do if You Were Scammed, checked October 27, 2026.
• FTC, Refund and Recovery Scams, checked October 27, 2026.
• FTC, Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts, checked October 27, 2026.
• FBI IC3, Business Email Compromise: contact the financial institution to request recall or reversal, checked October 27, 2026.
• FBI IC3, Account Takeover Fraud via Impersonation of Financial Institution Support, checked October 27, 2026.
• SSA Office of the Inspector General, Report Fraud, checked October 27, 2026.
• Medicare.gov, Reporting Medicare fraud and abuse, checked October 27, 2026.
• U.S. Department of Justice, Find help or report elder abuse, checked October 27, 2026.
• Administration for Community Living, Eldercare Locator, checked October 27, 2026.