I think I or someone I know was the victim of a scam or financial exploitation. Who can I contact for help? | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (2024)

FAQs

I think I or someone I know was the victim of a scam or financial exploitation. Who can I contact for help? | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? ›

Contact your local police or sheriff's office to report the scam. Contact your state attorney general. Visit the National Association of Attorneys General. If the victim is an older person or a person with a disability, contact your local adult protective services agency.

Contact your bank immediately so they can protect your account. After you've told your bank about the scam, keep an eye on your bank statements and look out for any unusual transactions. Also check your credit score to see if there are applications for credit you don't recognise.

If you paid by card or PayPal

If you've paid for something you haven't received, you might be able to get your money back. Your card provider can ask the seller's bank to refund the money. This is known as the 'chargeback scheme'. If you paid by debit card, you can use chargeback however much you paid.

Contact the company or bank that issued the credit card or debit card. Tell them it was a fraudulent charge. Ask them to reverse the transaction and give you your money back.

The bank must provide a provisional credit to your account within 10 days, and it has up to 45 days to complete the investigation. If the bank determines that the charge was fraudulent, it must refund your money and remove the charge from your account [*].

How do banks investigate unauthorized transactions and how long does it take to get my money back? Once you notify your bank or credit union, it generally has ten business days to investigate the issue (20 business days if the account has been open less than 30 days).

Key strategies include: Reporting the scam to authorities for a professional investigation. Utilizing social media and search engines to gather clues. Leveraging financial transaction records to trace the scammer's identity.

Contact the FBI at (202) 324-3000, or online at www.fbi.gov or tips.fbi.gov. Contact the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS, or online at www.oig.hhs.gov . Contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) online at www.ic3.gov.

If you spot a scam or have been scammed, report it and get help. Don't be embarrassed about reporting a scam. Because the scammers are cunning and clever there's no shame in being deceived. By reporting it, you'll make it more difficult for them to deceive others.

What happens when a scammer is caught? ›

The recipient of a subpoena is usually required to comply with the order or face penalties, such as fines or imprisonment. For online scams, the federal government can subpoena information from your internet service provider and any platforms you might be using to gather evidence about your actions online.

Under the Fair Credit Billing Act of 1974, all payment card issuers must offer a chargeback process to remedy fraud and abuse. If a customer brings a valid dispute claim to their bank, a chargeback will result.

If you've experienced a scam, you may be targeted by a refund or recovery scam. In these scams, someone says they can help get your money back or recover the prize or item you never got. You just need to pay them first. If you do, you'll lose more money.

Scammers have received the money, transferred it to another account, and disappeared. Falling victim to phishing, pharming, or CEO fraud unfortunately doesn't qualify for reversing a wire transfer. However, there are some circ*mstances under which you might get lucky.