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If you sent money to someone you met online and now suspect a romance scam, stop sending money and contact the bank, payment app, wire service, gift-card issuer, or crypto platform you used—immediately. Ask whether the payment can be stopped, recalled, disputed, or refunded. There is no guarantee you’ll get the money back, but acting quickly gives the provider a chance to help. You are not to blame for being manipulated.
The steps below follow U.S. federal guidance. Payment rules and reporting channels differ in other countries.
What to do right now
- Stop sending money and stop communicating with the scammer. Do not pay another supposed tax, fee, customs charge, medical bill, emergency expense, or investment top-up. The FBI’s romance-scam guidance advises victims to stop all contact.
- Contact the payment provider using an official channel. Use its official app or website, or the phone number printed on your card. Do not use a number or link the other person sent you. Say that a scammer induced you to send money and ask whether the payment can be cancelled, recalled, disputed, reversed, or refunded. The FTC recommends asking the provider to reverse the transaction; a refund is not assured.
- Report the scam. In the U.S., file reports with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Report the account to the dating site or social platform where you met the person, too.
- Protect accounts and identity details you shared. Change any exposed password immediately, including on other accounts where you reused it. If you gave the person your Social Security number, use IdentityTheft.gov. Contact your bank promptly if you shared account details or notice transactions you did not make.
- Keep evidence and watch for follow-up fraud. Save receipts, transaction confirmations, messages, profile information, and the provider’s or agency’s report numbers. Be suspicious of anyone who later promises to recover your money for an upfront fee or special payment.
What to do based on how you paid
Start with the company or institution that handled the payment. Explain truthfully whether you initiated it yourself, whether it is pending or completed, and whether you also suspect someone accessed your account. Ask what steps are available and what records it needs. Payment types do not have equal protections, and the outcome depends on the transaction and provider.
| How you paid | What to do | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer or payment app | Contact your bank, credit union, or app immediately. Explain that a scammer persuaded you to make the transfer and ask whether it can be reversed or refunded. | If you personally initiated the payment, describe that accurately; do not report it as unauthorized unless someone made it without your permission. |
| Wire transfer | Call the wire-transfer company promptly. Say the transfer was induced by a scam and request cancellation or a refund. | Whether a transfer can be stopped or returned depends on its status and the provider’s options. |
| Gift card | Call the issuer using the number on the card. Give the card and purchase details and ask whether it can freeze the remaining balance or issue a refund. Keep the card and receipt if available. | Act quickly; the issuer will need the relevant card information to check whether funds remain. |
| Cryptocurrency | Contact the exchange or crypto ATM operator immediately, report the fraudulent transfer, and ask what action, if any, is possible. Keep the transaction ID and wallet addresses. | Crypto payments generally have fewer protections, and recovery can be difficult. Reporting or tracing a transfer does not guarantee funds will be returned. |
| Cash or gold handed to someone | Call local police, as advised by Consumer.gov’s scam guidance. | Do not arrange another handoff with the person or anyone claiming to represent them. |
Can you get your money back?
Possibly, but no bank, app, wire service, card issuer, or crypto company can promise a recovery in every case. Ask the provider as soon as possible: a pending payment may leave different options than a completed one, and the provider may need receipts, dates, amounts, recipient details, or account records. Follow its instructions and keep a record of whom you spoke with and any case number.
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The FTC’s 2023 analysis of reported romance-scam losses from 2022 found that cryptocurrency accounted for 34%, bank wire transfer or payment for 27%, gift cards for 7%, payment apps or services for 3%, and other methods for 28%. These are shares of reported losses, not a measure of every romance scam or your individual chance of recovery. See the FTC’s 2023 romance-scam spotlight.
What to include in a report
Preserve the original messages where possible, along with screenshots and records that help show what happened. Give relevant information to your payment provider and IC3, and report the person’s account to the platform where they approached you.
- Dates, amounts, and payment confirmations or receipts
- Recipient names or payment details, wallet addresses, and crypto transaction IDs, if applicable
- The person’s usernames, profile links, phone numbers, and email addresses
- Message history and any explanation they gave for asking for money
- Provider, FTC, IC3, police, or platform report and case numbers
A report does not guarantee reimbursement. It creates a record that can help authorities and platforms identify related activity. The FTC’s romance-scam guidance directs people who think they encountered a scam to report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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People who have already lost money can be targeted again by someone pretending to be a recovery specialist, investigator, lawyer, or government official. The FBI warns that victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud are often approached by recovery-fraud schemes. Do not pay an upfront recovery fee, send another payment, or hand over passwords, verification codes, wallet keys, or more identity information to someone making such a promise.
If the scammer had access to an account or you see activity you did not authorize, tell the financial institution promptly and secure the affected account. For advice about where to turn after fraud, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains which agencies handle scam and fraud concerns.
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