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Stop sending money and stop communicating with the scammer. Contact the bank, payment app, wire service, gift-card issuer, crypto exchange, or ATM operator you used right away and ask whether the payment can be stopped, reversed, or refunded. Recovery is not guaranteed, but a prompt request gives the payment provider a chance to act. Then secure exposed accounts, preserve records, and report the scam to the appropriate U.S. authorities and platform.
Act immediately: stop payments and contact
Do not pay another deposit, “tax,” withdrawal charge, or release fee to access a displayed investment balance. A dashboard showing profits is not proof that an investment exists; scammers may use fake account screens to persuade victims to keep depositing money. Stop communicating with the person, including through any alternate account they use to contact you.
Next, contact the company that handled the payment using its official app or website, or a phone number you independently know is legitimate, such as the number on the back of your card. Tell the provider plainly that a scammer induced the payment. Ask whether it can stop, recall, reverse, or refund the transaction, and ask for a fraud case number and the records it needs from you. The FTC says, “it’s always worth asking the company you used to send the money if there’s a way to get it back.” FTC: What To Do if You Were Scammed.
Make the request about the payment that actually occurred, rather than relying on a balance or profit shown on a website or app controlled by the person who approached you. Be ready to identify the payment method, amount, date, recipient or destination details, and any confirmation or reference number you have. Ask what else the provider needs and write down the case number and instructions. If you made more than one payment, explain that clearly and ask whether each transaction needs to be reported separately.
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Do not wait to finish gathering every message or screenshot before contacting the provider. The immediate aim is to find out whether the provider can take action on the payment. You can continue organizing supporting records for the provider and your reports afterward. The provider may not be able to return the money, but asking promptly is the practical first step.
What to ask for based on how you paid
| Payment method | Contact | Request | Records to keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer or Zelle | Your bank or credit union | Report the scam immediately and ask it to reverse the payment and refund the money. | Transfer confirmation, recipient details, date, amount, and case number. |
| Payment app | The app’s support or fraud-reporting channel | Report the transaction promptly and ask the provider to reverse it and refund the money. | Transaction record, recipient profile, messages, and case number. |
| Wire transfer | The wire company | Explain that a scammer tricked you and ask for a refund as soon as possible. | Wire receipt, reference number, recipient information, and case number. |
| Gift card | The card issuer, using the phone number on the card | Explain that the card number and PIN were given to a scammer and ask whether a refund is possible. | Keep the card and receipt; also save any messages showing how the scammer requested it. |
| Cryptocurrency | The exchange or cryptocurrency ATM operator used | Report the fraudulent transaction immediately and ask whether it can be reversed or refunded. | Wallet addresses, transaction ID, exchange or ATM details, receipts, and related messages. |
For cryptocurrency, act quickly but understand the limitation: crypto transactions do not have the same legal protections as credit- and debit-card payments and can be difficult to recover. The FTC’s payment-specific steps are in What To Do if You Were Scammed.
The channel matters because the first organization to contact changes with the way the money was sent. A bank or credit union handles a bank transfer or Zelle payment; an app handles an app transaction; a wire company handles a wire; the issuer handles a gift card; and the exchange or ATM operator handles a crypto purchase or transfer. Ask the provider that handled the payment about its options rather than assuming that a report to a government agency will initiate a refund.
If you used more than one method, contact each relevant provider. For example, do not assume a wire company can act on a separate gift-card payment, or that a crypto exchange can address money sent through a payment app. Keep the provider’s response and case number with the records for that particular transaction. These steps are requests, not guarantees: the possibility of stopping or returning funds depends on the payment channel and transaction status.
Secure accounts and preserve evidence
Protect information the scammer may have
If you shared bank, brokerage, card, email, or login information, contact each relevant institution through a trusted channel and ask what protective steps to take. Change compromised passwords from a device you believe is safe. Do not share one-time verification codes, identity documents, or cryptocurrency private keys with the scammer—or with anyone who later claims they can recover your money. Investor.gov warns that recovery impostors may seek private keys or upfront payments. See Investor.gov: Relationship Investment Scams — Protect Yourself.
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Do not use contact details supplied by the person you are trying to verify. Reach your bank, brokerage, card company, or email provider through a channel you trust, such as its official app or website. Tell the institution what type of information was exposed and ask what it recommends for that account. If you are unsure whether a password or other detail was compromised, explain the concern and let the institution advise you rather than sending more information to the scammer.
Keep records before deleting anything
Save the information that can help your payment-provider request and official reports. Keep receipts, transaction confirmations, wire references, payment-app records, gift-card receipts, wallet addresses and transaction IDs, messages, emails, phone numbers, profile names, platform details, and screenshots of fake investment dashboards. Record relevant account and payment details before deleting or blocking the conversation. There is no single universal evidence checklist in the official guidance, so retain the records tied to your particular payment and contact with the scammer.
Keep a copy of the information you provide to a bank, app, wire provider, or agency, along with any case numbers and responses. This can help you keep the different parts of the response straight: a payment-provider request, a report to the platform, and a report to a public authority are separate actions. Preserve the original details where possible, including the account name or profile used and the destination information for a payment, rather than relying only on a description you may not remember later.
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Reporting is separate from asking a payment provider for a refund: filing a report puts information before authorities but does not itself reverse a transaction or guarantee repayment.
- Report the scam to the platform. Use the dating, social, messaging, or investment service where the scammer contacted you. Include the account details and relevant records.
- Report to the FTC. Submit a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- For suspected securities or investment fraud, report to the SEC. Investor.gov also identifies state securities regulators and state attorneys general as possible reporting routes.
- Consider the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for suspected internet crime. The relevant agencies and reporting routes are listed on Investor.gov’s relationship investment scam guidance.
A romance scam involving an investment pitch can warrant more than one report: the FTC for the scam, the platform for the account, and the SEC or other applicable authority if the conduct appears to involve securities fraud. The FTC reported more than $1 billion in losses to romance scams in 2023 in material published in 2024; that is reported loss data, not a count of every actual loss or a prediction of whether any victim will recover money. FTC: Romance Scammers’ Favorite Lies Exposed.
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Use the report that fits the conduct: a platform report alerts the service to the account used to reach you; an FTC report records the scam; and suspected securities fraud may also be reported to the SEC. IC3, state securities regulators, and state attorneys general are additional routes identified by Investor.gov. These reports do not replace contacting the original payment provider. Nor should you assume that submitting a report means an agency has agreed to recover your money or found that you qualify for repayment.
Know what recovery can—and cannot—mean
The most direct recovery request is to the provider that handled the original payment. Whether a payment can be stopped, recalled, reversed, or refunded depends on the payment channel and transaction status. Ask promptly, but do not treat the request as a promise that funds will return.
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Reporting suspected securities fraud is not the same as a bank reversing a transfer. Investor.gov describes possible recovery mechanisms in some securities-law cases, but not every harmed investor recovers money. A recovery may be substantially less than the loss and distributions can take a long time. An SEC report does not establish that you qualify for repayment. The SEC’s overview is available at Investor.gov: Common Scams.
Think of the next steps as two different tracks. On the payment track, ask the company that processed the transaction whether it can take action. On the reporting track, notify the appropriate platform and authorities so they receive information about the scam. A report may be important, but it does not make the payment provider’s decision for it, and it does not promise an eventual distribution under a securities-law process. Keep expectations cautious, especially if someone offers a certain or immediate recovery.
Recognize and avoid recovery scams
After an initial loss, someone may claim to be a regulator, lawyer, investigator, or asset-recovery specialist and offer to retrieve your funds. Do not pay an upfront fee to release or recover money, and never hand over a crypto private key. Investor.gov’s warning is direct: “Never pay money to recover your investment or make an upfront payment to release funds.” Investor.gov: Relationship Investment Scams — Protect Yourself.
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If a caller or message claims to represent an agency, verify the person independently. Find the agency’s contact details on its official website rather than using a number, link, or account supplied by the person who contacted you. A request for a fee or private key is a serious warning sign, not proof that the offer is legitimate.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Be especially wary of anyone who says a payment is required before a balance can be released or recovered. That is not a reason to send another payment. Do not give a supposed recovery agent access to a wallet, private key, one-time code, identity document, or account credentials. The official guidance points victims back to the original payment provider and public reporting channels—not to a paid recovery product or service.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.U.S. guidance and readers outside the United States
The reporting routes and agency guidance here are for the United States. If you are elsewhere, contact your bank or payment provider immediately and use your country’s official consumer-protection, financial-regulator, police, or cybercrime reporting channels. Local payment rules and recovery options may differ, so do not assume U.S. procedures apply in another country.
Whatever country you are in, the immediate priorities remain to stop further payments, avoid continued contact, reach the provider that handled the transaction, and protect any exposed accounts. Confirm local reporting channels through official government or regulator websites. Do not rely on an unsolicited caller or message to tell you which authority to contact, and do not pay an alleged recovery agent just because the person claims to work with an agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get my money back after an online investment or romance scam?
Possibly, but there is no guarantee. Contact the provider that handled the payment as soon as you can and ask whether it can stop, recall, reverse, or refund the transaction. Options depend on the payment method and transaction status. A report to the FTC, SEC, platform, or another authority is not itself a refund. In some securities-law cases recovery mechanisms may exist, but not every harmed investor recovers money; repayment may be less than the loss and can take a long time.
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How do I report a crypto investment scam?
Report the fraudulent transaction to the exchange or cryptocurrency ATM operator you used and ask whether it can be reversed or refunded. Keep wallet addresses, transaction IDs, receipts, messages, and any exchange or ATM details. You can also report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, report the account to the platform where it contacted you, and consider the FBI’s IC3. If you suspect securities fraud, report it to the SEC as well. Crypto transactions can be difficult to recover and do not have the same legal protections as credit- and debit-card payments.
Someone says they can recover my scam money if I pay a fee. Is that real?
Treat an upfront recovery fee as a warning sign. Investor.gov warns victims never to pay money to recover an investment or make an upfront payment to release funds. Do not give the person a cryptocurrency private key, one-time code, identity document, or account credentials. Independently verify any claimed official identity using contact details from the agency’s official website, not details provided by the caller or message.
What should I tell my bank or payment provider?
Say plainly that a scammer induced the payment. Identify the payment method, amount, date, recipient or destination details, and any transaction reference you have. Ask whether the provider can stop, recall, reverse, or refund it, request a fraud case number, and ask what records it needs. Use the provider’s official app, website, or a trusted phone number.
The Bottom Line
Stop contact and further payments, including any fee to release a fake investment balance. Contact the provider that handled each payment immediately and ask about a reversal or refund; then secure exposed accounts, save evidence, and report through the appropriate platform and official channels. Recovery is uncertain, and no legitimate next step requires handing a recovery agent an upfront fee or crypto private key.
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