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Call your bank or credit union now using the number in its official app, on your card or statement, or on its website. Do not call back using a number the suspicious caller gave you. Ask the institution to secure your account and open a dispute. Whether you can recover the money depends in part on how it was sent and whether the scammer made the transfer or you did.

What to do right now

  1. Contact your bank or credit union through a verified channel. Identify the transaction, its date and amount, and explain what happened. Be precise about whether you initiated or approved the payment, shared a password or one-time code, or let someone access your account. Ask the institution to secure the account, address compromised credentials or access devices, and open an unauthorized-transaction or error investigation if appropriate. Ask how to submit the dispute and record the case number and representative’s name or team. The CFPB advises contacting your bank or payment company promptly.
  2. Contact the payment service too, if one was involved. If the money moved through a payment app or another electronic-fund-transfer provider, notify that provider as well as the bank holding your account. Ask whether it can stop, reverse, or investigate the transaction; do not assume that a request will recover the funds.
  3. Follow up in writing and preserve evidence. Keep a record of the transaction details, call times, numbers used, what the caller said, messages or emails, and case numbers. Ask the institution where to send written details or evidence, follow its submission instructions, and retain copies.
  4. Secure other exposed accounts. From a trusted device and through official account channels, change any exposed password or PIN and follow the institution’s instructions about replacing cards or other access devices. Secure your email and any other accounts that reuse the same credentials.
  5. Report the scam through official channels. The CFPB lists the Federal Trade Commission, FBI, state attorney general, and local police as reporting options. It points consumers to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and IC3.gov. If personal identity information was exposed, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and consider a fraud alert or credit freeze.
  6. Be alert for follow-up scams. Someone may claim they can recover the money, protect your account, or represent a government agency. Verify any contact using a number or website you find independently. The CFPB warns that legitimate government agencies and financial institutions do not ask you to send money to “protect it,” withdraw cash, buy gift cards, or use cryptocurrency.

Will the bank give your money back?

Not automatically. For U.S. consumer accounts, some electronic fund transfers (EFTs) have protections under Regulation E, including rules for consumer liability and error investigations. Covered transfers include examples such as ATM transactions, debit-card purchases, some online bill payments, and automatic deductions. The payment method and the facts of the transaction matter.

A key distinction is who initiated the transfer and whether you gave that person actual authority. CFPB compliance guidance says an EFT can still be unauthorized when a fraudster tricks you into sharing account-access information and then uses it to initiate the transfer. The guidance also addresses certain transfers a fraudster initiates through a non-bank peer-to-peer payment provider or with stolen credentials. By contrast, when you personally send a payment because a caller deceived you, the situation is different; do not assume the same outcome. Describe exactly what happened and ask the institution to assess the transaction under the applicable rules.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

These protections do not establish that every payment after a phone scam qualifies as an unauthorized EFT or guarantee reimbursement. The CFPB’s Regulation E resources explain the relevant framework, but not every wire, cryptocurrency payment, commercial account, or non-U.S. case is resolved by the guidance described here. If your account is outside the United States or is a business account, check with your institution and the relevant local regulator about the rules that apply.

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What to have ready when you dispute the transaction

  • The date, amount, and destination or recipient shown for each transaction.
  • Whether you made the transfer, approved it, shared access information, or believe the scammer initiated it without authority.
  • What information or access the caller obtained, such as card details, a password, PIN, or one-time code.
  • When you notified the bank and any payment provider, plus each case number and the evidence you submitted.

There is no single documentation form specified in the CFPB consumer guidance cited here. Follow your institution’s instructions and keep a copy of everything you provide.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
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