What to Do If You've Been Scammed: A Step-by-Step Guide

Immediate Steps to Take If You've Been Scammed

The first hour matters. Even if you’re unsure whether it was a scam, it’s safer to respond like it was and sort out the details later. Your goals are to cut off access, preserve evidence and notify the right people in the right order.

Stop All Communication with the Scammer

Once you realize something’s off, stop engaging. Scammers often keep you talking to delay your response or push you into sending “one last payment.”

Don’t reply to texts or emails
Hang up phone calls and don’t call back the number they used
Don’t click any links they sent
Block the number, email address and social media account

If the scammer contacted you through a marketplace or messaging app, use the platform’s block and report tools too. Cutting off communication keeps you from being pressured into giving more information or money.

Document Everything Before It Disappears

Scam messages, fake receipts and profiles can vanish fast. Take a few minutes to gather proof before it’s deleted or edited.

Capture and save:

Screenshots of texts, DMs, emails and ads
The phone number, email address and any usernames involved
Transaction details (date, amount, payment method and confirmation number)
Any shipping information, tracking numbers or product listings (for shopping fraud)
Voicemails, caller ID details and call logs (for phone scams)

If you used a computer, consider saving the webpage link and printing the page to PDF. If you used a mobile device, back up screenshots so you don’t lose them if you replace your phone.

Who to Contact First (Priority Order)

When you’re stressed, it’s easy to bounce around. Use this priority order to stay focused:

Your bank or card issuer (to stop payments, lock cards and start a claim)
The payment service (Zelle®, wire, ACH, wallet apps, gift card company or crypto exchange if involved)
The platform where it happened (marketplace, social media site, email provider)
Credit bureaus (if personal info was exposed or you suspect identity theft)
Authorities and reporting sites (FTC, FBI IC3, state consumer protection)

Start with money movement first. The sooner you contact your bank or card issuer, the sooner they can help you secure accounts and begin the dispute process.

Related read for a quicker checklist: What to Do If You’ve Been Scammed and How Five Points Bank Can Help

How to Report Phone Scams to Authorities

Phone scams still work because they feel personal. Scammers can spoof real numbers, copy scripts from legitimate call centers and make threats sound official. Reporting matters even if you didn’t lose money because it helps patterns get flagged.

Reporting to the FTC and FBI

Two key places to report phone scams:

FTC: If you want to report scam to FTC, use the FTC’s fraud reporting site. It’s designed for scams, fraud and bad business practices.
FBI IC3: If the scam involved money sent online, bank transfers, gift cards or any cyber-enabled element, file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

When you file, include the caller’s number (even if spoofed), what they claimed, what they asked you to do and how payment was requested.

Quick warning sign: Legitimate agencies don’t demand secrecy or immediate payment over the phone. If anyone claims you’ll be arrested unless you pay right now, it’s a scam.

Filing a Complaint with the Nebraska Attorney General

If you’re in Nebraska, you can also report scams to the state. The Nebraska Attorney General offers options to report a scam or file a consumer complaint online.

This can be helpful if the scam involved a business, a contractor, a “prize” offer or a local-looking operation. State reporting also supports investigations and consumer alerts.

How Your Report Helps Stop Scammers

It’s normal to think, “My report won’t change anything.” It can.

Reports help authorities:

Spot trends (like the same script used across many calls)
Connect victims to a common sender, phone system or payment route
Send warnings to the public
Support cases that can lead to account shutdowns and arrests

Even if you didn’t lose money, reporting can be part of protection against fraud for your community.

How to Report Email and Text Scams

Email and text scams usually aim for one of two things: your login credentials or your payment details. Many are designed to look like a bank alert, a delivery notice or a password reset.

Forwarding Phishing Emails to Authorities

If you received a phishing email, don’t click anything inside it. Instead:

Forward the email to the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) at the address they provide for public reporting (often shared as [email protected])
Report it through your email provider’s “Report phishing” option
If the email impersonates your bank, send a copy to your bank’s fraud team (ask your branch or customer service for the preferred address)

Forwarding helps security teams analyze the scam and block similar messages.

Reporting Smishing to Your Carrier

Smishing is phishing by text message. If you get a suspicious text:

Don’t tap the link
Forward the message to 7726 (SPAM) to report it with many major carriers
Then delete it

Also consider turning on spam filtering in your phone settings and enabling multi-factor authentication for accounts linked to your phone number.

Reporting to the Anti-Phishing Working Group

APWG collects scam reports and shares verified data with members who work on takedowns and automated defenses. If you’re already forwarding phishing emails, you’re doing something that can help protect others too.

One more step that often helps: if the message pretended to be a real business, go to that business’s website (by typing the web address yourself) and look for their fraud reporting instructions.

How to Recover from Online Shopping Fraud

Shopping scams spike during holidays and big sales, but they happen year-round. The goal might be stealing your card number, shipping you counterfeit goods or taking payment and never sending anything.

If you’re wondering how to get money back from scammer activity online, your best chance usually comes from acting fast through your payment method.

Disputing Charges with Your Card Issuer

If you paid with a credit card or debit card, contact the issuer right away to dispute fraudulent charges. Ask for the quickest way to file a claim and what documentation they need.

Helpful info to provide:

Order confirmation, receipts and screenshots
The merchant name as it appears on the transaction
Any email or chat history with the seller
The product page link or listing details

If your card details may have been exposed, request a new card number. If you used online banking, review recent transactions and set up alerts.

Reporting to the Retailer or Marketplace

If the purchase happened on a marketplace or platform:

Report the seller and listing
Save the case number
Follow the platform’s dispute steps
Watch for fake “support” messages (scammers sometimes pose as the platform after you report)

If the scam site is pretending to be a well-known retailer, report the impersonation to that retailer too. They often have dedicated forms for fake sites.

Getting a Refund Through Payment Protection

Your refund options depend on how you paid:

Credit card: Often has strong protections for unauthorized charges and billing disputes
Debit card: Protections exist but timing matters, so don’t wait
Payment apps: Some offer limited purchase protection, others treat payments like cash
Wire transfers and gift cards: Usually hard to reverse once sent
Crypto: Typically difficult to recover

This is why “too-good-to-be-true” deals are risky. Scammers want you to use payment methods that are harder to reverse.

How to Protect Yourself After a Data Breach

Not every breach leads to fraud, but it can raise the risk of account takeovers and identity theft. If you’ve gotten a breach notice, treat it as a signal to tighten security now.

Changing Passwords and Security Questions

Start with accounts that could lead to money movement:

Email accounts (because password resets often go there)
Online banking and payment apps
Retail accounts with saved cards
Phone carrier account (to prevent SIM swapping)

Use long passphrases, don’t reuse passwords and avoid security questions with easy-to-find answers (like your high school or pet name). If available, use an authenticator app instead of text-based codes.

Monitoring Your Credit for Suspicious Activity

Breach notices often include advice like “watch your accounts,” but it helps to be specific:

Check bank and card transactions daily for the next few weeks
Review statements carefully when they arrive
Consider free credit monitoring options if offered
Pull your credit reports and look for new accounts you don’t recognize

If you see anything suspicious, act right away. Early action is the heart of identity theft recovery.

Signs Your Identity Has Been Stolen

Here are common red flags:

You’re denied credit for no clear reason
You get bills or collections notices for accounts you never opened
You see unfamiliar inquiries on your credit report
Your mail suddenly stops arriving (address change scams happen)
You can’t log in because your password, email or phone number was changed

If any of these happen, focus on account security first, then credit protection steps like alerts or freezes.

How to Dispute Fraudulent Charges with Your Bank

When money leaves your account without permission, speed and clarity help. Calling quickly also reduces the chance the scammer can keep trying.

Time Limits for Reporting Fraud

Reporting timelines can vary by payment type and bank policy, but two general rules can help:

Report as soon as you notice anything suspicious
Review statements and report unauthorized transfers quickly because consumer protections can depend on when you notify the bank

For credit cards, billing dispute timelines are often tied to when the statement with the error was sent, so don’t wait “to see if it fixes itself.”

If your card is lost or stolen, reporting it right away is even more important.

What to Expect During the Investigation

People often feel stressed because they don’t know what happens next. While each situation is different, a typical bank fraud investigation process may include:

A review of transactions, device logins and account changes
Questions about when you noticed the issue and how you were contacted
A request for supporting documents (screenshots, receipts, police report numbers if you have them)
Temporary steps like new card issuance, account credential resets or added monitoring

During the review, keep notes about who you spoke to and when. Ask what follow-up to expect, how you’ll receive updates and what you should do if the scammer contacts you again.

Your Rights Under Federal Law

Federal rules can limit your liability and set standards for resolving errors, especially for electronic transfers and credit card billing disputes. The details depend on the payment method and timing, but the most practical takeaway is simple: report quickly, provide documentation and follow the bank’s steps for submitting your dispute.

If you’re not sure whether a charge is “fraud” or a “billing error,” your bank or card issuer can guide you through the right path.

Local help matters: If you bank with Five Points Bank, reach out right away so the team can help you secure access, review options and document the event.

How to Place a Fraud Alert or Credit Freeze

When scammers have enough personal information, they may try to open new accounts in your name. That’s where credit alerts and freezes help.

Fraud Alert vs. Credit Freeze Explained

If you’re comparing a credit freeze vs a fraud alert, here’s the simple difference:

Fraud alert: A notice on your file asking lenders to take extra steps to verify identity before issuing credit
Credit freeze: Restricts access to your credit report so most lenders can’t pull it to open new credit

A fraud alert can be easier if you still expect to apply for credit soon. A credit freeze can be stronger if you don’t plan to open new credit in the near future. The FTC explains both options and notes that freezes are free under federal law.

How to Contact the Three Credit Bureaus

You can place alerts and freezes with the three major bureaus:

Experian
Equifax
TransUnion

For a fraud alert, you generally only need to contact one bureau and they’ll share it with the others (policies and steps can change, so follow the bureau instructions carefully). For a credit freeze, you typically place it with each bureau.

When you set up your accounts, store your PINs or freeze codes in a safe place so you can lift the freeze later when you need it.

How Long Alerts and Freezes Last

Fraud alerts and freezes don’t last the same amount of time:

The FTC notes that an initial fraud alert lasts one year and an extended fraud alert lasts seven years for identity theft victims with proper documentation
A credit freeze generally stays in place until you lift it (temporarily or permanently)

If you’re not sure which to choose, start with the option that matches your next 30–90 days. If you’re actively applying for a Home Mortgage or Agriculture Loans, for example, a fraud alert may be less disruptive than a full freeze.

Next Steps and Ongoing Support

Getting scammed can leave you angry, embarrassed or exhausted. Those feelings are normal. What matters is putting a plan in place and taking one step at a time. In many cases, how to overcome fraud looks like a short list done consistently: secure your accounts, report what happened, document everything and monitor credit and transactions until you’re confident the risk has passed.

If you want help locking down your accounts or reviewing suspicious activity, contact Five Points Bank.
You can also learn more about the bank’s story and commitment to Nebraska communities here: About Five Points Bank

Helpful banking resources:

Online and Mobile Banking (alerts, monitoring and account access)
Wealth Management (support for long-term planning and account protection conversations)
Agriculture Loans
Home Mortgage

Before you close this page, re-read your top three actions: stop contact, save proof and notify your bank or card issuer. If you came here looking for what to do if you get scammed, start those steps now, then keep working down the sections above until you’ve fully secured your accounts.

Disclosures

Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
Investment and insurance products are not FDIC insured, are not deposits, are not bank guaranteed and may lose value.

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