If money left the account in the last day or two, go straight to step A and call the bank now. The sooner the bank hears, the better the chance of stopping it.
If you're helping someoneThey may still believe the caller is real, or feel loyal to them. Don't debate whether it was a scam. Ask them to pause with you while the two of you check together.
A
Start here
Alert your bank
Call using the number on the card or in the official app. Ask to stop or reverse the payment.
Details were shared: call even if no money has moved. Tell them exactly what was shared so they can watch the account or issue new numbers.
Someone got into a device: tell the bank that a stranger had access to the device used for banking.
Not sure yet: you can call simply to ask whether anything unusual has happened on the account.
How was the money sent?
Ask the card company to dispute the charge and block the card. Ask for a new card number.
Zelle goes through your bank, so call the bank and say it was fraud. Venmo and Cash App have their own support, so report it to them, and to your bank if the money came from a bank account or card. These payments are hard to pull back, so ask anyway and ask for the claim in writing.
Ask the bank for a "wire recall" right away. Speed matters more here than anywhere else. If a money-transfer service was used, call its fraud line too.
Call the company named on the card, say it was used in a scam, and ask them to freeze the balance. Keep the cards and the store receipt.
Report it to the exchange or the ATM operator. Crypto usually can't be reversed, so file the FBI report in step M as soon as you can.
For a check, ask the bank for a stop payment. For cash in the mail, contact the carrier straight away and ask to intercept the package.
Show who to call
Your bank or card company
Use the number on the back of the card or in the official app.
Phone
Printed on your card
Checked Oct 10, 2026
Show who to call
Zelle
Zelle payments go through your bank, so report it to the bank first. Zelle's own line is for questions. 8am to 10pm Eastern, every day.
Use the number on the back of the card or in the official app.
Phone
Printed on your card
Checked Oct 10, 2026
Show who to call
Your bank or card company
Use the number on the back of the card or in the official app.
Phone
Printed on your card
Checked Oct 10, 2026
Show who to call
Your bank or card company
Use the number on the back of the card or in the official app.
Phone
Printed on your card
Checked Oct 10, 2026
What to say
"I'm calling to report fraud. On date I sent amount by how to someone who turned out to be a scammer. Please stop or reverse the payment, and give me a reference number for this claim."
Before you hang up, get
A reference or claim number
The name of the person you spoke to
What happens next, and by when
If you're helping someoneThe bank will usually only speak to the account holder. Sit with them and put the call on speaker, or have them tell the agent they want you to speak for them.
L
Start here
Lock down accounts
Change exposed passwords and turn on two-step sign-in. Protect your identity if needed.
Details were shared: if a Social Security number was given out, freeze credit at all three credit bureaus. It is free and stops new accounts being opened.
Someone got into a device: change passwords from a different device. Remove any remote-access program they had you install, and have the device checked before banking on it again.
In this order
Email first. Password resets for everything else arrive there.
If you're helping someoneUse whatever they will actually keep up with. New passwords written in a notebook in a drawer are safer than one password used everywhere.
M
Make reports
Save messages and receipts. Report the scam to the platform and the relevant authorities.
Save first
Screenshots of texts, emails and social media messages
Phone numbers, names and web addresses they used
Receipts, transaction records and gift card numbers
Then report to
The FTC, for every scam
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, if money was lost online
Local police, and ask for a report number. Banks sometimes want one.
The company that was impersonated and the app or site where it happened
Show how to reach the FTC and FBI
Federal Trade Commission
Report any scam. Reports feed investigations nationwide.
If you're helping someoneYou can file the FTC and FBI reports for them. Have their details and a simple timeline in front of you before you start.
Who to contact
Every entry shows the date it was last checked against an official source. For a bank or card company, the safest number is always the one printed on the card.
Federal Trade Commission
Report any scam. Reports feed investigations nationwide.
People who lose money are often contacted again by someone offering to get it back for a fee. Real agencies and banks never charge to recover money.
This was not a failure of intelligence
Scammers are practiced and convincing, and they pick moments of stress. Shame is the reason most scams go unreported.
Keep watching the accounts
Check bank and card statements weekly for the next few months, and look at a free credit report.
Making it harder next time. OwlGuardian watches a loved one's Gmail for scam emails and asks a Trusted Contact to take a look. And that's just the beginning: with Call My Owl they can check a suspicious text, website or letter in seconds.
