If You've Already Paid a Scammer
Did you pay with a credit card or debit card?
Contact the company or bank that issued the credit card or debit card. Tell them it was a fraudulent charge. Ask them to reverse the transaction and give you your money back.
Did a scammer make an unauthorized transfer from your bank account?
Contact your bank and tell them it was an unauthorized debit or withdrawal. Ask them to reverse the transaction and give you your money back.
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 them to refund your money. Keep the gift card itself, and the gift card receipt.
Did you send a wire transfer through a company like Western Union or MoneyGram?
Contact the wire transfer company. Tell them it was a fraudulent transfer. Ask them to reverse the wire transfer and give you your money back.
- MoneyGram at 1-800-926-9400
- Western Union at 1-800-448-1492
- Ria (non-Walmart transfers) at 1-877-443-1399
- Ria (Walmart2Walmart and Walmart2World transfers) at 1-855-355-2144
Did you send a wire transfer through your bank?
Contact your bank and report the fraudulent transfer. Ask them to reverse the wire transfer and give you your money back.
Did you send money through a money transfer app?
Report the fraudulent transaction to the company behind the money transfer app and ask them to reverse the payment. If you linked the app to a credit card or debit card, report the fraud to your credit card company or bank. Ask them to reverse the charge.
Did you pay with cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrency payments typically are not reversible. Once you pay with cryptocurrency, you can only get your money back if the person you paid sends it back. But contact the company you used to send the money and tell them it was a fraudulent transaction. Ask them to reverse the transaction, if possible.
Did you send cash?
If you sent cash 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.
If you paid with a transfer app:
- Cash App. Cash App recommends chatting through their app for the fastest service. To do so, open the app, go to your profile, and choose Support. You can also get help through cash.app/help or by calling 1 (800) 969-1940.
- Venmo. Venmo recommends chatting through their app for the fastest service. To do so, open the app, go to your profile, and choose Get Help. You can also email Venmo through their contact form or call them at 1 (855) 812-4430.
- PayPal. Login and report it through PayPal's Resolution Center or call PayPal by going to Help