Stop further loss, contact the right providers, secure what was exposed, and keep a useful record. You do not need to complete everything at once.
Immediate steps for contacting a payment provider, protecting accounts, and preserving evidence.
End the call or conversation. Do not pay a fee to unlock, refund, or recover money, even if the person knows details about the original incident.
Use the number on your card, the provider’s official app, or a website you found independently. Ask whether the payment can be stopped, recalled, or disputed.
From a trusted device, change exposed and reused passwords, review active sessions, and update recovery details. Tell the provider if you shared a verification code.
If someone had remote access, disconnect the device from the network and remove the software. Seek trusted technical help before using it for sensitive accounts.
Save original messages, email headers, receipts, transaction details, usernames, phone numbers, URLs, and a short timeline. Do not delete the conversation yet.
Report to the relevant platform and the official fraud-reporting service for your location. A report can help establish a record even when recovery is uncertain.
Choose the service for your location. These external links go directly to the listed organization.
Federal Trade Commission
Official United States service for reporting fraud, scams, and bad business practices.
City of London Police
The United Kingdom’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.
Phone: 0300 123 2040
Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ontario Provincial Police, and Competition Bureau Canada
Canada’s central service for information about fraud and for reporting fraud and cybercrime.
Phone: 1-888-495-8501
National Anti-Scam Centre
Australian government information and reporting guidance about scams.
People who have already lost money may be contacted again by someone claiming to be an investigator, lawyer, hacker, or recovery specialist.
Do not pay an upfront recovery fee or share wallet access. Verify any organization independently, outside the original conversation.
Scams are engineered to exploit trust, urgency, fear, and familiar systems. Focus on the next protective action rather than judging decisions made under pressure.
Consider telling someone you trust. A second person can help document events and make provider calls.