What to do immediately after discovering a scam
A calm first-response checklist for contacting providers, preserving evidence, securing accounts, and making useful reports.
Act quickly, but do not panic
The first hours after discovering fraud can matter, particularly when a bank, card issuer, exchange, or payment service may still be able to flag or interrupt a transaction. Contact the provider through a number or website you already trust—not through details supplied by the suspected scammer.
Explain that the payment was connected to fraud and ask which recall, dispute, or account-protection procedures are available. Cryptocurrency transfers are generally difficult to reverse, but the exchange or service involved should still be notified promptly.
Preserve a clean evidence record
Save original messages and files before accounts, profiles, or websites disappear. Avoid editing screenshots in ways that remove dates, usernames, addresses, or other context.
- Transaction IDs, wallet addresses, payment receipts, and bank references
- Emails, text messages, chat exports, usernames, and phone numbers
- Website addresses, application names, and social-media profiles
- A simple timeline showing what happened and when
Secure affected accounts
Change reused passwords from a trusted device, enable multi-factor authentication, review active sessions, and contact the relevant provider if someone had remote access to your phone or computer. Never share a wallet seed phrase, private key, one-time code, or recovery code with anyone offering help.
Report what happened
Reports help authorities connect related incidents and identify broader patterns. In the United States, reports can be filed with the FTC and FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. Use the official reporting service for your own jurisdiction if you are elsewhere.
Official sources and further reading
This article is original CyberRecovery educational content informed by the official resources below.