The key to stopping a scammer from scamming you further is to assess how they contacted you and what information you have given and to report them immediately. Keep records of all conversations and any other interactions you had with the scammer to help support your case. Here is what to do if you have been scammed.
CUT OFF CONTACT
This step should hopefully be the easiest. Do not answer any calls, emails, direct messages, instant messages, etc. You should be able to block the scammer from whatever device or platform the scammer is contacting you on.
IF YOU SHARED CONTACT INFORMATION
Your name, address, email address and phone number is not information that is shared uniquely to just scammers this information is shared regularly and is widely available. Monitor your mail for missing statements or a change of address form. Look for strange activity in your email or through your text messages. If you are seriously concerned about being scammed further consider opening a new email account and changing your phone number.
IF YOU SHARED FINANCIAL ACCOUNT INFORMATION
Cancel any financial accounts the scammer has access to and open new accounts when figuring out what to do if you have been scammed. Ask for multi-factor authentication on the new accounts and see if there are additional protections you can place such as a verbal password when calling for information. Monitor your monthly statements closely.
Contact the three main credit reporting agencies (CRAs) to place a fraud alert on your credit reports and monitor your credit reports regularly.
IF YOU SHARED YOUR USERNAME/PASSWORD
When figuring out what to do if you have been scammed, change your password immediately and make sure the password is unique and not the same as any other password you have created. If you have security questions associated with the account you shared, change those questions/answers as well. If you have not already, set up multi-factor authentication where allowed. Make sure the contact information associated with any accounts goes directly to you and is not known by the scammer.
IF YOU SHARED YOUR IDENTIFICATION CARD
Contact the issuing agency and ask what protections you can put in place. Ask if you can change your number or flag your account. If you shared your driver’s license, check your driving record annually for any activity that was not incurred by you.
IF YOU SHARED YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
Check your credit report for any fraudulent accounts. Place a fraud alert and a credit freeze on your credit report to stop fraudulent applications for credit in your name. Create a My SSA account so you can monitor your Social Security Statement. File your taxes early every year to ensure the scammer does not attempt to file and obtain any refund you may be entitled to.
FILE A COMPLAINT
When trying to figure out how to report a scam, where you file a complaint will depend on what type of scam you are dealing with and how the scammer contacted you. If the scammer contacted you via email, social media or an online platform, report the scammer to a company that supports the platform you used (e.g. Yahoo, Facebook, Craigslist, etc.). The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers a Complaint Assistant so they can aggregate data about what is happening and send patterns and trends to be investigated by the appropriate authority.
- If you received a call from a scammer stating they were calling from the IRS, you can also report it directly to the IRS.
- If the scammer contacted you through an online platform, you can also file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
- If the scammer contacted you through the mail, contact the United States Postal Inspection Service.
- If the scammer contacted you by phone, you can also contact the Federal Communications Commission.
If you are looking for direct assistance and a personalized plan to remediate your case because you have been scammed, call an expert advisor for no-cost at 888.400.5530 or LiveChat with us.
