Think you've been scammed? Your first hour
Acting fast gives you the best chance of stopping a payment. Here's exactly who to call, what to change, and where to report, in the US and India.
The short answer
Act fast. The sooner you contact your bank or the payment company, the better your chance of stopping or reversing the payment. Then lock down your accounts and report the scam.
And please don’t blame yourself. Scammers are professionals, and these tricks are designed to fool careful, intelligent people.
Step 1: Contact whoever handled the money, right now
Use the phone number on the back of your card, or log in through the official app or website. Never use a number the scammer gave you. Tell them a scammer tricked you, and ask them to stop or reverse the payment.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises: [1]
- Credit or debit card: call the card issuer or your bank. Ask for a refund.
- Bank transfer (including Zelle): call your bank. Ask them to reverse the payment.
- Gift card: call the number on the back of the card. Say a scammer got the card number and PIN.
- Wire transfer (like Western Union or MoneyGram): call the wire company.
- Payment app (like Venmo, Cash App or PayPal): report it in the app and ask for a reversal.
- Cryptocurrency: contact the exchange or crypto ATM operator.
Step 2: Lock down your accounts
- Gave away a password? Change it now, and turn on two-step login (a code sent to your phone).
- Let someone into your computer (“tech support”)? Update your security software, run a scan, then change your passwords.
- In the US, gave out your Social Security number? Go to IdentityTheft.gov for a step-by-step recovery plan. [1]
Step 3: Report it
Reporting helps the authorities track scammers and warn others.
In the United States:
- FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov [1]
- FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center: ic3.gov. Include what you can: the scammer’s name, phone number or email; the date, amount and type of payment; and how they contacted you. [3]
In India:
- Call 1930, the national cybercrime helpline, as soon as possible. The government’s financial fraud reporting system is designed to act quickly to stop money from moving onward. [4]
- Report online at cybercrime.gov.in, the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal. [4][5]
Step 4: Watch out for “recovery” scammers
After a scam, you may be contacted by someone offering to get your money back for a fee. This is very often a second scam. The FTC is clear: government agencies and legitimate organizations will never ask you for money to help you get a refund. [2]
Scammers sometimes call back pretending to be your bank, the police or a “fraud recovery” service. Only call numbers you’ve looked up yourself, like the one on your card or on an official government website.
Be ready before anything happens. Save your bank’s fraud phone number in your phone’s contacts today, under a clear name like “Bank fraud line.” In India, save 1930 too.
- First, call your bank or payment company and ask them to stop the payment.
- Change passwords and turn on two-step login.
- Report it: ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov (US), 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in (India).
- Anyone asking for a fee to “recover” your money is likely another scammer.
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Sources
- FTC Consumer Advice — What to do if you were scammed— accessed Oct 3, 2026
- FTC Consumer Advice — Refund and recovery scams— accessed Oct 3, 2026
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center — PSA: Criminals use generative AI to facilitate financial fraud (Dec 2024)— accessed Oct 3, 2026
- Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India — Strengthening the mechanism to deal with cyber frauds (Aug 2024)— accessed Oct 3, 2026
- Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) — National Cybercrime Reporting Portal— accessed Oct 3, 2026
What changed
Oct 3, 2026: First published.