The first 24 hours after a scam

Hour 0 — Stop the bleeding

1. Stop all contact with the scammer. Do not answer, do not negotiate, do not pay a 'release fee'. Any further contact is a second scam.
2. If you sent money by bank transfer or wire, call your bank now and ask for a recall. Speed is everything; some transfers can be reversed within hours.
3. If you paid by card, call the card issuer and dispute the charge as fraud. Ask them to block the card and issue a new one.
4. If you used a payment app, report the transaction as a scam in the app and contact the app's support; then tell your bank.
5. If you gave gift-card numbers, call the gift-card company immediately; occasionally funds remain on the card.
6. If you sent cryptocurrency, record the transaction ID and addresses; report to the exchange you used. Recovery is rare, but records matter for the report.
7. If you gave a login or password, change it now, from a device you trust, and turn on two-factor authentication. Change the same password everywhere else you used it.

Hours 1–4 — Secure what is exposed

• Bank accounts: change online banking passwords; ask the bank to add a verbal password or alert on your account.
• Email: change the password, check for forwarding rules the scammer may have added, and review recent sent mail.
• Phone: if the scammer had remote access to your phone or computer, disconnect it from the internet and have it checked before using it for banking again.
• Identity: if you gave a Social Security number, date of birth or ID copies, place a free credit freeze with the three credit bureaus and set a fraud alert. This blocks new accounts being opened in your name.
• Documents: if you sent copies of passport or ID, tell the issuing consulate or agency.

Hours 4–24 — Report

Reports rarely return money directly, but they trigger warnings that protect others and are required for many bank and insurance recoveries.

• Federal Trade Commission — reportfraud.ftc.gov (any scam).
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center — ic3.gov (online and transfer fraud).
• Local police — a report number is often required by banks and insurers.
• The platform where it started — the social network, marketplace, dating app or email provider.
• The impersonated organisation — if the scammer pretended to be a bank, agency, consulate, charity or us, tell that organisation so it can warn others. For anything using our name: help@tas-foundation.org.
• If it involved immigration fraud (a fake lawyer or notario), report to the California Attorney General and the State Bar, and get real legal advice before anything is filed on your behalf.

Protect the people around you

Scammers sell lists of people who have paid once. Expect follow-up calls offering to 'recover' your money for a fee — these are the same people. Warn family members, especially older relatives, and agree a family code word for emergency calls.

What to keep

• Screenshots of every message, profile and payment.
• Transaction IDs, dates, amounts, account names.
• Phone numbers and email addresses used.
• The report numbers you receive.

Recovering

Losing money to a scam is a crime committed against you, not a failure of intelligence. If the loss has created an emergency — rent, food, a bill — the Hardship Fund exists for exactly this. If you need someone to talk to, we will help you find counselling in your language.

How the Foundation helps

• Same-day help working through this list.
• Free scam-check of any message, before or after.
• Help with bank recall requests, disputes and reports.
• A financial bridge if the loss created an emergency.
• Warnings to the community through Scam Watch when a pattern is spreading.