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What to do if…
you realise you sent money to a scammer and the transfer has completed

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy USA guide

Short answer

Contact the bank, payment app, wire company, cryptocurrency platform, or other service you used immediately through a verified contact route. Explain that a scammer deceived you into sending the completed transfer, ask whether any recall or reversal is still possible, and send no more money.

Do not do these things

  • Do not send another payment for taxes, verification, release fees, refunds, or recovery services.
  • Do not use contact details or links supplied by the scammer to reach your financial provider.
  • Do not share passwords, one-time security codes, card PINs, or remote access to your device.
  • Do not delete messages, receipts, account handles, or transaction records before saving copies.
  • Do not keep negotiating with or threatening the scammer.
  • Do not assume that a completed status makes contacting the payment provider pointless.
  • Do not pay an unexpected caller or service claiming it can recover the money through the FBI, IC3, law enforcement, or a special recovery process.

What to do now

  1. Contact the fraud department of the service that sent the money. Use its official app, the number on your card or statement, or a website address you type yourself. Give the amount, time, recipient details, and transaction number.

  2. Describe the transaction accurately. Say that you were deceived into authorizing it if you initiated the payment yourself. Do not call it unauthorized unless you did not make or approve it.

  3. Ask the provider to open a fraud case and attempt any available recall, reversal, or other intervention. Ask it to flag the recipient details and contact the receiving institution when possible. Record the case number, time of contact, and name or department of the person who assisted you.

  4. Contact every provider involved. If a payment app drew money from a bank account or card, report the scam to both the app and the bank or card issuer. If it was a bank wire, ask the bank to attempt a wire recall. If it was cryptocurrency, contact the exchange or platform immediately, although completed cryptocurrency payments are typically difficult to reverse.

  5. Secure any access the scammer may still have. End any remote-access session, change affected passwords using a device you control, and change reused passwords elsewhere. Contact your phone carrier if the scammer took control of your number, and tell your financial providers about any possible account compromise.

  6. Save the transaction confirmation, recipient account details, payment handle or wallet address, messages, emails, phone numbers, websites, and a brief timeline. Keep original records securely.

  7. Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission. If the scam involved the internet, email, social media, a payment app, cryptocurrency, or another cyber-enabled method, also file a report with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. Save or print the IC3 report before leaving its confirmation page.

  8. If you disclosed your Social Security number, identity documents, or other information that could be used for identity theft, use IdentityTheft.gov for situation-specific steps.

  9. Call 911 if the scammer is threatening immediate harm or anyone is in immediate danger. Otherwise, consider telling one trusted person so they can help you screen further messages and avoid follow-up recovery scams.

What can wait

You do not need to decide now whether to close every account, replace every device, hire a lawyer, confront the scammer, post publicly, or work out exactly how the scam succeeded. First contact the payment providers, secure compromised access, preserve records, and make the relevant reports.

Important reassurance

Scammers use pressure, impersonation, fear, trust, and urgency to manipulate people from every background. A completed transfer may be difficult to recover, but contacting the provider immediately is still worthwhile because available options can narrow with delay.

Scope note

This guide covers immediate first steps only. Later decisions may depend on the payment method, the amount involved, information you disclosed, and the responses from financial providers or specialist advisers.

Important note

This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rights, protections, and provider procedures can differ according to the payment method, provider terms, state law, and whether the transfer was unauthorized or was authorized because of deception. A report or recall request does not guarantee recovery.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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