You might be able to get your money back after you’ve been scammed.
What you should do, and whether you’ll get a refund, depends on what happened.
Managing someone else’s bank account
If you're helping someone who's been scammed, there are ways you can manage their bank account for them. You might need to do this if you want to stop payments or claim back money.
The person you're helping needs to fill in a form giving you permission to manage their account. This is known as a third party mandate. Most banks have a third party mandate on their website.
If the person you're helping wants you to manage more than one account, they might need to give you power of attorney. They might also need to give you power of attorney if you have to manage their finances for a long time. To find out more, read our advice on managing affairs for someone else.
If there’s an unknown payment from your account
Contact your bank immediately if:
Explain what’s happened and ask if you can get a refund. If you’re not happy with how the bank deals with your claim, you can complain to them. Find out how to do this by checking their website.
If it's been 8 weeks since you complained, and you haven't got your money back, contact the Financial Ombudsman. You can also contact the ombudsman if you've had a letter from the bank saying it's not going to take any action. This is sometimes known as a final response letter.
If the ombudsman decides you've been treated unfairly, it's got legal powers to put things right.
If you’ve bought something from a scammer
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.
If you paid by credit card and the item cost more than £100 but less than £30,000, you might be able to claim under the Consumer Credit Act - this is known as a 'Section 75 claim'.
If the item cost less than £100 and you paid by credit card, you can't use Section 75, but you can use chargeback.
See our advice on getting your money back if you paid by card or PayPal.
If you paid by bank transfer or Direct Debit
Contact your bank immediately to let them know what’s happened and ask if you can get a refund.
Most banks should reimburse you if you’ve transferred money to someone because of a scam. This type of scam is known as an ‘authorised push payment’.
If you've paid by Direct Debit, you should be able to get a full refund under the Direct Debit Guarantee.
If you can’t get your money back and you think this is unfair, you should follow the bank’s official complaints process. If your complaint isn’t sorted out in 8 weeks, or you get a final response letter, you can take your case to the Financial Ombudsman.
If you used a money transfer service
It’s unlikely you’ll be able to get your money back if you’ve paid through a wire service such as MoneyGram, PayPoint or Western Union.
Even if you can’t get your money back, there are other things you can do – like reporting the scam and getting financial or emotional support.
There are things you can do to protect yourself if you ever need to use a money transfer service again.
You should:
If you paid by vouchers or gift cards
It's unlikely you'll get your money back if you used vouchers or gift cards to pay the scammer.
To protect yourself in future, never give numbers on the back of a gift card or voucher to anyone you don't know.
If you can't get your money back
Find out how to get emotional support after a scam.
If you need help with debt, check our advice on how to start dealing with your debts.
Report the scam
It's a good idea to report the scam – even if you haven’t got your money back yet. Find out how to report a scam.
Get more help
For more help dealing with scams, contact our consumer service.
FAQs
Contact your bank immediately to let them know what's happened and ask if you can get a refund. Most banks should reimburse you if you've transferred money to someone because of a scam.
Do you ever get your money back after being scammed? ›
If you've been a victim of fraud, identity theft, or deceptive business practices, you can report them to the Federal Trade Commission. In 2022 alone, the FTC was able to issue more than $392 million in refunds to people who lost money to illegal business practices.
Can you reverse money if scammed? ›
Did a scammer make an unauthorized transfer from your bank account? Contact your bank and tell them it was an unauthorized debit or withdrawal. Ask them to reverse the transaction and give you your money back.
How to get a scammer to give you back your money? ›
Notify your bank and credit card companies, file complaints with the FTC, and document all details of the scam. Though recovery is difficult, being proactive gives you the best chance of getting funds returned. Answer follow-up questions from your bank or credit card company.
Will the bank give back scammed money? ›
Federal law says banks have to reimburse you for unauthorized transactions but they don't for authorized ones. So, if you voluntarily give someone money, that's on you.
How long do banks refund scammed money? ›
The time it takes for a bank to refund money lost to a scammer can vary depending on the bank's policies, the specific circ*mstances of the scam, and the investigation they conduct. It might take days to weeks for the bank to complete their investigation and refund the money.
How do you track down someone who scammed you? ›
How To Track Down Someone Who Scammed You (and What To Do Next)
- Collect evidence of the fraud. ...
- Don't bother with “people finder” or phone number lookup services. ...
- Fill out an official FTC identity theft report. ...
- File a report with your local law enforcement. ...
- Report online scammers to the platform on which they contacted you.
To report the scam, do this:
- File a police report and notify your card issuer immediately.
- Secure your online account. Update any vulnerable login information or other online accounts that might have been compromised.
- Set up fraud alerts or a credit freeze.
Notify the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that you have been phished. The FTC is the nation's consumer protection agency.
Can someone reverse a bank transfer? ›
In most cases, once a bank transfer has been made, it can't be cancelled as the funds are usually transferred immediately. However, you should contact your bank as soon as possible if you need to cancel a bank transfer. If the payment hasn't been processed, they may be able to stop it.
It is generally best to file a police report on a scammer, reach out to your bank, and file a complaint with the appropriate federal agency as soon as possible after you have been scammed.
How do I file against a scammer? ›
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
ReportFraud.ftc.gov is the federal government's website where you can report fraud, scams, and bad business practices.
How to make a scammer scared? ›
To scare a scammer, you could waste their time with silly responses, pretend to be an automated messenger, or resend them the messages they sent you. Report all text scams to the Federal Trade Commission's Report Fraud site, filter messages from unknown numbers, and avoid opting in on company sites.
What information does a scammer need to access my bank account? ›
The easiest way to become a victim of a bank scam is to share your banking info — e.g., account numbers, PIN codes, social security number — with someone you don't know well and trust. If someone asks for sensitive banking details, proceed with caution.
Can I get my money back if my bank account is hacked? ›
Your bank should refund any money stolen from you as a result of fraud and identity theft. They should do this as soon as possible - ideally by the end of the next working day after you report the problem.
Does the bank recover stolen money? ›
Do banks reimburse stolen money? Banks often reimburse stolen money, but there are some exceptions. Transactions not made by you or anyone authorized to use your account are fraudulent, and federal law protects your money.
What happens if you get caught scamming money? ›
Punishment usually includes a prison sentence, an order of restitution to make the victim whole again, and fines. State and federal laws determine the criminal penalties for fraud. For example, state law may deem fraud a misdemeanor or felony based on the amount of money the fraudster obtains.
How do you get back at a scammer? ›
Get Revenge on Scammers: Steps to Follow
- Do Not Reply by Using Your Genuine Information. If you tend to deal with scammers, never use genuine information. ...
- Use Only Anonymous Email Address. You better get yourself an anonymous email address. ...
- Use a Chatbot App to Annoy Scammers. ...
- Share the Information About Scammers Online.
If you are charged for a transaction that you didn't make, let us know within 60 days, and we've got you covered. Purchase Protection covers all eligible purchases where PayPal is used, as well as payments made through our website.
