😰

I Think I Was Scammed

6 minute read

Take a breath. We'll walk through this together, step by step.

You’re going to be okay. Scammers are professionals—this is their full-time job. Smart, careful people fall for scams every day. What matters now is taking the right steps, and you’re already doing that by being here.

First: What Did They Get?

Take a moment to think about what you shared or sent. Then find your situation below.

💳 I Sent Money or Gave Payment Info

Credit Card or Debit Card

Do this now:

  1. Call your bank immediately — the number is on the back of your card
  2. Say: “I need to report a fraudulent transaction”
  3. They can often stop or reverse the charge
  4. Ask for a new card number to be safe

Good news: Credit cards have strong fraud protection. You likely won’t lose the money if you act fast.

Bank Transfer or Wire (Zelle, Venmo, Western Union)

Do this now:

  1. Call your bank immediately
  2. Also contact the transfer service directly:
    • Zelle: Through your bank
    • Venmo: In-app help → “Something went wrong”
    • Cash App: Profile → Support → Report a payment issue
    • Western Union: 1-800-325-6000
    • MoneyGram: 1-800-926-9400
  3. Request a recall — it sometimes works if you’re fast

The reality: These transfers are hard to reverse, but act anyway. Some money has been recovered.

Gift Cards (iTunes, Amazon, Google Play)

Do this now:

  1. Keep the physical cards and receipts — you’ll need them
  2. Call the gift card company:
    • Apple/iTunes: 1-800-275-2273
    • Amazon: 1-888-280-4331
    • Google Play: 1-855-836-3987
    • Target: 1-800-544-2943
  3. They can sometimes freeze remaining funds
  4. Report to the FTC (link below)

Cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, etc.)

The hard truth: Crypto transactions are extremely difficult to reverse.

Still do this:

  • Report to FBI IC3 — some funds have been recovered
  • Report to the platform you used (Coinbase, etc.)
  • Document everything for potential future recovery efforts

🔑 I Gave Them My Password

Do this right now — in this order:

Step 1: Change that password

  • Go directly to the website (type the address yourself, don’t click any links)
  • Change your password to something completely new

Step 2: Change it everywhere else

If you used that same password on other sites, change all of them too. Scammers will try it everywhere.

Step 3: Turn on two-factor authentication

This means they can’t get in even if they have your password.

Step 4: Check for damage

Look for:

  • Purchases you didn’t make
  • Messages sent from your account
  • Changed settings (especially email or phone number)
  • Connected apps you don’t recognize

👤 I Gave Them Personal Information

Social Security Number

Do this today:

  1. Freeze your credit — this stops anyone from opening accounts in your name:
  2. This is free and takes about 10 minutes per bureau
  3. You can temporarily lift the freeze when you need credit

Driver’s License or ID

  1. Contact your state DMV about potential fraud
  2. Place a fraud alert on your credit (different from freeze — alerts last 1 year)
  3. Watch for mail about accounts you didn’t open

Date of Birth, Address, or Other Personal Info

  1. Set up fraud alerts at the credit bureaus (link above)
  2. Check your bank accounts weekly for the next few months
  3. Be extra suspicious of calls or emails — scammers may use this info to seem legitimate

📱 I Gave Them Access to My Device

They had me download something

  1. Disconnect from the internet immediately (turn off WiFi and data)
  2. Don’t enter any passwords until you’re sure it’s clean
  3. Run a virus scan if you have antivirus software
  4. Consider a factory reset — this is the safest option
  5. Change passwords from a different, clean device

They had remote access to my computer

  1. Turn off your computer right now
  2. Don’t turn it back on until you’ve:
    • Disconnected from the internet
    • Changed all important passwords from a different device
  3. Consider professional help — take it to a trusted repair shop
  4. Assume they saw everything — change all passwords you may have typed while they watched

📝 Document Everything

Before you forget, write down:

  • Screenshots of messages, emails, or websites
  • Phone numbers that called you
  • Names the scammer used
  • Any receipts or transaction records
  • Dates and times of contact
  • How they first contacted you

You’ll need this for reports and potential recovery.

📣 Report the Scam

This helps catch scammers and warns others.

What Happened Where to Report
Any scam (US) ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Internet crime FBI IC3
Identity theft IdentityTheft.gov
Significant loss Your local police
Phone scam Your phone carrier

Also report to the platform where it happened (Facebook, dating app, etc.) — this gets the scammer banned.

💙 This Is Not Your Fault

We need to say this clearly: You are not stupid.

Scammers study human psychology. They know exactly which buttons to push. They practice their scripts hundreds of times. They target your best qualities — helpfulness, trust, love for family, desire to do the right thing.

Doctors fall for scams. Lawyers fall for scams. Security experts fall for scams.

Being tricked by a professional criminal doesn’t say anything about your intelligence. It says someone deliberately, skillfully manipulated you.

What’s Next?