How to recover money from a scammer: the options by payment method

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Illustrative example: Payment dispute $450.00 Payment under review 01-payment-receipt.pdf 02-conversation.png 03-report-reference.txt 04-bank-response.pdf

1. Start with the payment. Save the date, amount, recipient and payment reference.
2. Keep the original records. Preserve receipts, the conversation and your report reference.
3. A report is not a refund decision. Ask the provider for its assessment and the reason in writing.

If you are reading this with a transaction still pending, start the call now using your bank’s official app or the number on your card. You can organize the rest of the evidence afterward. If the loss happened weeks ago, still report it: some routes may remain open even when others have closed.

First actions: begin now, even if more than 72 hours have passed

For U.S. internet crime, report through IC3; consumer fraud can also be reported at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Reporting does not replace contacting your bank. Outside the U.S., use our country reporting directory.

Choose the route by how the money moved

For a guided starting point, use the scam-refund options checker. It asks how you paid, who initiated the payment and where you bank; its result is general guidance, not a prediction or decision on your claim.

The FTC’s payment-method guidance recommends asking the provider for help even when return of the money is uncertain. The more detailed U.S. distinctions below explain why the facts you give the provider matter.

Credit cards: protect the dispute deadline

For a covered U.S. credit-card billing error, notify the issuer promptly and send the required written notice within 60 calendar days after the first statement containing the error was sent. Follow the billing-inquiry instructions, keep a copy and retain proof of delivery. Paying the bill does not automatically end your ability to dispute it.

Under Regulation Z’s billing-error procedure, the issuer generally has 30 days to acknowledge the notice unless it resolves the matter first, and two complete billing cycles, no more than 90 days, to resolve it. These are procedure deadlines, not a promise that the claim will succeed. Some complaints about quality or contractual performance require a different analysis.

Ask about card-network chargeback options too. Do not assume a purchase of crypto or a money transfer becomes refundable merely because it was funded by a credit card. See our credit-card scam refund guide for the distinctions.

Debit cards and electronic transfers: who pressed send?

The CFPB’s Regulation E FAQs distinguish a fraudster initiating a transfer using credentials obtained through deception from a consumer personally initiating a payment. The first can be an unauthorized electronic fund transfer. Do not let “you shared a code” substitute for an investigation into who actually made the transfer.

Conversely, if you sent the money yourself because you believed a lie, explain that accurately. Ask about scam reimbursement, a recall, any relevant network policy and the bank’s complaint process. Do not invent account takeover to fit a rule.

Regulation E’s liability limits depend on the circumstances. Losing a card or other access device can trigger a two-business-day reporting rule; unauthorized transfers shown on a statement involve a separate 60-day rule and possible liability for later transfers if reporting is delayed. These are not a universal $50/$500/unlimited ladder for every scam. Report promptly and ask the bank to identify the rule it is applying.

Payment apps: ask about the relevant protection

Do not assume every app payment has purchase protection, or that every authorized scam payment has no possible remedy. Eligibility varies by provider, payment type and facts. Zelle describes reimbursement for certain qualifying imposter scams; that is not a blanket refund promise for every Zelle scam.

Use our guides for Zelle, Venmo and Cash App to find the provider-specific route. Tell each provider about other disputes you have opened so the record is accurate.

Wires, crypto and gift cards: act without buying a promise

A bank may be able to notify the receiving institution before funds move onward. A crypto exchange may be able to act on assets held within accounts it controls, subject to its procedures and legal requirements. Neither can simply reverse any payment anywhere. Keep account details, transaction references and exact timestamps.

For gift cards, keep the card and purchase receipt and contact the issuer immediately. For crypto, keep the transaction hash, network, sending service and recipient address; never share a seed phrase as “evidence.” Use our gift-card guide and recovery-scam guide for the next steps.

Why we do not give you a recovery percentage

The FBI’s 2025 report says its Recovery Asset Team initiated the Financial Fraud Kill Chain in 3,900 incidents involving about $1.164 billion in attempted theft and froze about $679 million, or 58%. This describes a selected set of incidents and funds frozen. It does not say 58% of all scam victims got their money back.

Dividing that frozen amount by all reported cybercrime losses would be misleading too. The populations and outcomes differ. Neither calculation tells you whether your bank should refund your particular transaction.

If the provider says no

Ask for the decision, the transaction classification, the evidence considered and the available appeal or complaint process. Correct factual mistakes with documents and a short chronology. Keep the original notice date and meet any remaining deadlines. In the U.S., a complaint about a covered financial provider can be submitted to the CFPB; other countries have their own ombudsman and regulatory routes.

Legal advice may help in some cases, but independently verify the professional and written costs. Do not pay an unsolicited caller a “release fee” or assume that a blockchain chart means funds have been recovered.

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