Fraud - Victim Support (2024)

FAQs

How to financially recover after being scammed? ›

Contact your local police or sheriff's office to report the scam. Contact your state attorney general. Visit the National Association of Attorneys General. If the victim is an older person or a person with a disability, contact your local adult protective services agency.

You can access free advice and support through the charity Victim Support. You can make contact with them yourself, or you can be referred by your local police force when you report fraud to them. Find out how to contact Victim Support services in your area below.

If you paid by card or PayPal

If you've paid for something you haven't received, you might be able to get your money back. Your card provider can ask the seller's bank to refund the money. This is known as the 'chargeback scheme'. If you paid by debit card, you can use chargeback however much you paid.

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.

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can't always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

The bank must send a provisional credit to your account within 10 days and has up to 45 days to complete the investigation. If the bank determines that a charge was fraudulent, it must refund your money and remove the charge from your account [*].

Contact details. Even fake names, accounts, and spoofed emails and phone numbers can help investigators track down scammers. Conversations. Take screenshots of texts and social media messages — especially anything that may help identify the scammer.

How to forgive yourself after being scammed? ›

Respond and Report

Visit ic3.gov for more information, including tips and information about current crime trends. If you need to report an ongoing crime, threat to life, or national security threat, file a report at tips.fbi.gov or by contacting your local field office.

After you notify your bank about the scam, it will normally have to refund you within five working days. However, depending on the complexity of the case, if your bank needs extra time to gather additional evidence from you, or make enquiries with the bank on the other end, it will have up to 35 working days instead.

Given the riskiness of accepting an online transaction, the liability of accepting a fraudulent transaction rests with the merchant themselves, and not the issuing bank. If a merchant accepts an order online that is later deemed fraudulent, it is the merchant's responsibility to refund the customer.

Most bank policies have protections for consumers who experience card fraud or unauthorized electronic transactions. For example, if someone uses your debit card without your consent and you file a dispute, your bank will likely refund the unauthorized transaction.

Give yourself time to grieve.

Becoming victim to fraud can affect your confidence and self-esteem. Take time to talk about it with people you trust, and make sure you're getting the support you need. Lifeline is available for people in crisis, if you don't know who to talk to reach out to them on 0800 543 354.

Typically the Wise scam: close your account for no reason and keep your money. You need to do a formal complaint to wise through the app. If they resolve it and refund your money then great, but if not y...

How to Get Your Money Back. Zelle is processing each scam claim they receive on a case-by-case basis. If you haven't already done so, file a claim directly with Zelle through their app or by phone (844-428-8542). You'll also need to file a claim with the bank or credit union your funds were taken.

Some victims of financial fraud are upset for a few days and move on while others may develop full-fledged Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Some victims may have an uncomfortable relationship with money for years after experiencing financial fraud.