What to Do If You Paid a Scammer?

Here are measures to take if you think you've paid a scammer.

Did you pay with a credit card or debit card?

Contact the company or financial institution that issued the credit or debit card. Tell them it was a fraudulent charge. Ask them to reverse the transaction and give you your money back.

Learn more here.

Did you pay with a gift card?

Contact the company that issued the gift card. Tell them it was used in a scam and ask if they can refund your money. Keep the gift card itself, and the gift card receipt.

Learn more here.

Did you send a wire transfer through a company like Western Union or MoneyGram?

Contact the wire transfer company or your financial institution. Tell them it was a fraudulent transfer. Ask them if the wire has already been sent or if it can be reversed.

Learn more here.

Did you send money through a money transfer app?

Report the fraudulent transaction to the company behind the money transfer app and ask if they can reverse the payment. If you linked the app to a credit or debit card, report the fraud to your credit card company or financial institution. Ask if they can reverse the charge.

Learn more here.

Did you pay with cryptocurrency?

Contact the company you used to send the money and tell them it was a fraudulent transaction. Ask to have the transaction reversed, if possible.

Learn more here.

Did you send cash?

If you sent money by U.S. mail, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455 and ask them to intercept the package. To learn more about this process, visit USPS Package Intercept: The Basics.

If you used another delivery service, contact them as soon as possible.