If you were scammed, report it to the FTC and act on the payment right away. Your report can help the FTC spot patterns, alert other people, and build law-enforcement cases; your fastest money-back option may be the seller, your card company, or your bank.
Save the ad, receipt, texts, emails, order confirmation, payment record, and the name used by the seller or caller. Then use the steps below while the details are still easy to find.
What happens after you report a scam to the FTC?
The FTC says reports help it investigate fraud, bring law-enforcement cases, and warn people about scams in their communities. That makes reporting worth doing even when you are not sure whether someone else has reported the same operation.
A report is also useful when you need to explain the problem to your bank, card issuer, or a seller. Keep your own copy of the facts: when you paid, how you paid, what you were promised, and every attempt you made to resolve it.
The FTC has brought cases and sent money back to consumers in some matters. For example, the agency said it sent more than $25.5 million to consumers affected by a tech-support case in 2025. Read the FTC’s imposter cases for an example of how reports can support enforcement and refunds.
How do you report a scam and try to get your money back?
Do both. Reporting helps the wider case. A payment dispute or refund request is the step aimed at your individual charge.
| What happened | What to do now |
|---|---|
| You paid a seller and the order never arrived | Contact the seller promptly. Keep the promised delivery date, receipt, and messages. |
| The seller will not refund a qualifying return | Ask for the refund in writing and keep the reply. The FTC says most payment types require a refund within seven business days after the seller accepts a return. |
| A credit-card charge was unauthorized, wrong, or tied to goods not delivered as agreed | Contact the card company and submit a billing-error dispute. The FTC says to send written notice within 60 days after the first statement showing the error. |
| You paid with a debit card | Call the card issuer or bank as soon as you identify the problem and ask about its available protections. Debit-card protections can differ from credit-card protections. |
The FTC’s billing and delivery guide explains the delivery rules, written credit-card dispute window, and the difference between credit and debit cards. The CFPB refund guide says to first ask the seller to undo the charge, then ask your card company whether a dispute or chargeback is available.
How likely are you to get money back after a scam?
There is no single answer. Your payment method, the reason for the charge, the seller’s response, and how quickly you act all matter. A credit-card billing error involving an unauthorized charge or goods that were not delivered as agreed has a defined dispute process. A debit-card purchase may have different protections.
Do not wait for a seller’s slow reply if a card-dispute deadline is approaching. Keep trying to resolve the purchase, but contact your card issuer or bank right away too.
What should you say to a scammer?
You do not need to persuade, threaten, or negotiate with someone you believe is trying to scam you. Stop the conversation. Do not send money, gift-card numbers, passwords, verification codes, banking details, or more personal information. Save the messages and payment details instead.
Threats will not protect your money. A clear record and a prompt report are more useful. The FTC warns that scammers also impersonate government agencies; the FTC says it will never tell you to move money or pay to get help. See the FTC’s FTC impersonation warning if the caller claimed to be from the government, a bank, or a familiar company.
Can a phone number give a scammer access to your bank account?
A phone number is not a reason to share anything else. If a caller or texter asks for a code, account detail, payment, or remote access, end the contact and use the phone number on your bank statement or the back of your card to reach your bank yourself.
If you received a suspicious ad, text, or checkout page for a health product, compare the wording and payment details before you act. Our guide to the Stallone Red Honey ad shows how an impersonation-style endorsement can be checked. For a charge tied to a product order, the VisiVra refund guide walks through the practical details to keep.
Do scammers know when you block their number?
Do not spend time trying to send a message through a block. Block the number if your phone offers that option, keep the evidence, and report the contact. If the caller claimed to be from a company or agency, contact that organization through a number you find on your statement, card, or a trusted account page.
Before you report or dispute the charge
- Write down the date, amount, payment method, seller name, website, phone number, and what the ad or caller promised.
- Save screenshots of the ad, checkout, order confirmation, texts, emails, and your account or card statement.
- Ask your card issuer or bank what deadline applies to your payment method.
- Ask the seller for a written refund decision if you made a purchase and the seller is reachable.
- Report the scam to the FTC with the details you saved.
Concrete next step: today, make one folder with your screenshots and receipt, report the scam to the FTC, and call the number on your card or bank statement to ask about the charge.
By NHINWatch.com Investigations Desk