The First Hour After You Pay a Scammer

Your stomach drops. The "bank officer" hung up, or the seller went quiet, and the money is gone. Breathe once. Then grab a pen, because the next hour matters more than the next week.

Start with how the money left

Look at what you used to pay. That one detail picks your first call.

• Zelle or a bank transfer. The FTC says to report it to your bank or credit union immediately.
• Venmo, Cash App or PayPal. The FTC says to report it to the payment app immediately.
• A credit card. The FTC says to report it to the credit card issuer immediately.
• A gift card. The FTC says to contact the gift card issuer immediately, and to keep the gift card and the receipt.
• Crypto. The FTC says to contact the cryptocurrency exchange or ATM operator immediately.

Make that call before anything else on this page.

Write it all down while it is fresh

Scammers count on a blur. Beat it with notes.

Jot the time you paid, the amount, and every name, number or handle they used. Screenshot the chat before they delete it. Save the texts. You will be asked for this more than once.

Then tell the FTC

The FTC says to report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your report will not pull the money back. It does help catch the people who took it.

Watch for the second wave

Someone may reach out soon and offer to get your money back for a fee. That is a second scam aimed at the same person. Hang up. Our page on the recovery scam shows how it works.

Your hour is done once the payment company knows, your notes are saved, and the FTC has a report.

Did the scammer also get your Social Security number? Then freeze your credit at all three bureaus next. Lost a deposit on a home you never saw? Our rental scam page covers that case.