# Sent money to a scammer? What to do right now, step by step - URL: https://www.agentskillpacks.com/guides/sent-money-to-a-scammer-what-now - Updated: 2026-10-26 - Book: The 18 Manual by Iris Athens (https://www.agentskillpacks.com/books/the-18-manual) ## Short answer If you sent money to a scammer, contact the bank, card company, app or wire service you used right away and ask them to reverse the payment. Acting fast gives you the best chance, though a reversal is not certain. Then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general. If it happened online, also report it to the FBI at ic3.gov. If you gave out your Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov and freeze your credit. ## Do these steps in the next hour 1. **Call the payment company now.** The bank, card company, app or wire service you used. Ask them to reverse the payment. Do this before anything else. 2. **Stop paying.** If they ask for more, say no. Only scammers demand gift cards, wires or crypto. 3. **Report it** at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general. 4. **If it happened online,** report it to the FBI's [Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov](https://www.ic3.gov/). 5. **If you gave out your Social Security number or a login,** go to [IdentityTheft.gov](https://www.identitytheft.gov) and freeze your credit at all three bureaus. There is no promise the money comes back. But speed gives you the best shot, so do step one now. ## Which scam was it? Each one ends a little differently, so we split them up. Find yours. **A job that asked you to pay.** Honest employers never charge you to get a job. If they mailed you a check and asked you to send part back for supplies, see the next one. **A check, and you sent some back.** A fake check can take weeks to be caught. When it bounces, the bank takes the money back from you. Call your bank today. The [FTC guide to fake check scams](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-fake-check-scams) explains why the balance looked real. **A rental you never saw.** A fake listing wanted a deposit by wire, gift card or crypto. Call the payment company and report it. **Someone you met online.** They could not meet in person, then they needed money. The FTC rule is plain: never send money to someone you haven't met in person. **A missed jury duty fine or an IRS text.** Courts reach you by mail. The IRS normally mails a letter first. A call or text demanding payment is a scam. ## If someone is threatening to share your photos This one needs its own steps, because paying makes it worse. It is called sextortion. Don't pay. Block the person, but keep the messages, since they are evidence. Report it to the NCMEC CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org and the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. If a sexual image of you was taken before you turned 18, Take It Down at takeitdown.ncmec.org can help platforms find and remove it. Your image stays on your device. You can stay anonymous. ## You already pressed send Your stomach dropped about two seconds after you tapped the button. Now you are reading the chat again and every message looks fake. You are not the first, and it is not because you are dumb. The story changes from scam to scam, but the ending is the same request: money, fast, in a way that can't be undone. The good news is that the next hour matters. Make the call. ## What the book gives you for next time This is the problem [The 18 Manual](/books/the-18-manual) was written for. Iris Athens grades every move, so you know which rule is law and which is advice. **Scams and Your Identity** has ten moves. It covers the credit freeze, fraud alerts, IdentityTheft.gov, job scams, overpayment checks, student loan scams, the payment methods only scammers demand, romance scams, spam texts, and what to do the day you already paid. **Legal Red Lines at 18** covers Take It Down, StopNCII.org for adults, and the sextortion steps above. **When Things Go Wrong** covers what a debt collector can't do and free legal aid through LawHelp.org if the loss is large. The book is not legal advice. For your own case, your bank, the FTC and your state attorney general are the places to ask. ## Where this is in the book - Scams and Your Identity - Legal Red Lines at 18 - When Things Go Wrong Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HP7B494R Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HP7W4GKT Links go to Amazon. ToolGenX publishes this book under a pen name and earns from every sale. This book explains published US rules and where to check them. It is not legal, tax, medical or financial advice. ## Is the book for you? - Yes, if You just paid someone and now it feels wrong - Yes, if Someone asked you to pay with a gift card, a wire or crypto - Yes, if A stranger is threatening to share photos of you unless you pay - Skip it if You need a lawyer for a large loss (start with free legal aid) - Skip it if You live outside the United States, where the agencies differ ## FAQ ### Can you get your money back if you get scammed? Sometimes. Contact the payment company right away and ask for a reversal. The FTC compares wire transfers, gift cards and crypto to sending cash: once sent, they are very hard to get back. A debit card loss reported within two business days is capped at $50. ### Where do I report a scam? Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general. If it happened online, also report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Forward scam texts to 7726, which spells SPAM. ### What if I deposited a check and sent some of the money back? That is the fake check scam. Money showing in your balance does not mean the check cleared. A fake check can take weeks to be caught, and when it bounces the bank takes the money back. You owe whatever you already spent or sent. Call your bank now. ### What should I do if someone threatens to leak my photos? Do not pay. Block the person but do not delete the messages, because they are evidence. Report it to the NCMEC CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org and to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI. The FBI warns that paying rarely makes it stop. ### What do I do if a scammer has my Social Security number? Report it at IdentityTheft.gov, which builds a recovery plan and an Identity Theft Report for you. Then freeze your credit at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, one at a time. A freeze is free and does not affect your score.