Phase 1: Spot the Warning Signs (in the moment)

Treat unexpected contact as suspiciousDon't respond to unexpected calls, emails, texts, or social media messages that ask for money or personal information.
Notice pressure to act "right now"Legitimate businesses give you time to decide; anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer.
Distrust threats or "protect your money" languageThe FTC will never threaten you, say you must transfer your money to "protect it," or tell you to withdraw cash or buy gold and give it to someone; that's a scam. Treat any caller making these claims as fraudulent.
Flag demands for cryptocurrency, wire transfers, gift cards, or check-deposit-and-refund schemesNever pay someone who insists that you can only pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram, a payment app, or a gift card, and never deposit a check and send money back to someone.
Recognize government/company impersonation tacticsScammers often claim to represent an agency or business, using a real or invented name, and use technology to change the phone number that appears on your caller ID so the call may appear legitimate, and say you're in trouble with the government, or you owe money, or someone in your family had an emergency.
Question anyone who tells you to hide the call from othersA helpful "agent" warning you not to talk to anyone or search the internet is a major red flag, per FTC guidance on tech-support and refund scams.
Don't click links or open attachments from unverified sendersIf you get an email or a text message that asks you to click on a link or open an attachment, ask whether you actually have an account with that company or know the person contacting you; if not, it could be phishing.

Phase 2: Verify Before You Act

Look up contact info independentlyIf you get a message from a company you think is real, don't click any links; instead contact them using a website you know is trustworthy, or look up their phone number — don't call a number they gave you or the number from caller ID.
Pause and consult someone you trust before paying or sharing informationTalk to a family member, friend, or your bank rather than deciding alone under pressure.
Research the specific scam patternSearch online for the company/agency name plus "scam" to see if others have reported the same script.
Confirm multi-factor authentication is on for financial and email accountsMulti-factor authentication makes it harder for scammers to log in to your accounts if they do get your username and password.
Verify identity through a separate known channel before sending anything if friend contacts online for moneyRomance and impersonation scams often use hijacked or lookalike accounts.
Independently check the real customs agency or shipping carrier's website if cross border delivery customs feesDon't trust a number given to you directly.

Phase 3: If You Already Paid or Shared Information — Act Fast

Stop all further payment or contact immediatelyEnd the call, don't send additional funds, and don't confirm any information already requested.
Contact your bank or card issuer right awayAttempt to reverse a payment, freeze the card, or dispute a wire transfer — speed matters since many payment methods (wire, crypto, gift cards) are difficult or impossible to reverse after a short window.
Call the retailer's fraud line and give them the card number/PIN if sent gift cardSome can still freeze the balance if reported quickly.
Contact the wire service immediately to request a reversal if sent wire transferE.g., Western Union, MoneyGram.
Change passwords immediately and enable multi-factor authentication on every affected accountIf you shared passwords or account access.
Disconnect the device from the internet, run a security scan, and consider a factory reset or professional check if scammer gained remote accessBefore using it for banking again.
Take identity-theft recovery steps if shared ssn or id dataFreeze credit, monitor accounts — this exposure can enable long-term identity theft, not just a one-time loss.

Phase 4: Report and Recover

Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.govYour report helps investigators track and stop scammers, even if you can't get your money back.
File a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov if personal identifying information stolenGet a personalized step-by-step response.
File a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov) if scam happened online
Report phishing messages to the impersonated company and then delete themIf you spot signs of a phishing scam, report the message and then delete it.
Warn others who may be targetedNotify family members, especially older relatives, or post in community/neighborhood networks if the scam is circulating locally.
Monitor bank and credit statements closely for several months afterwardSome fraud rings resell stolen data or attempt follow-up "recovery" scams targeting prior victims.
Treat any "refund recovery service" offer as a probable second scam if offered refund recovery serviceThese often target people already victimized.

Recognizing and Responding to a Scam or Fraud Attempt

Phase 1: Spot the Warning Signs (in the moment)

Phase 2: Verify Before You Act

Phase 3: If You Already Paid or Shared Information — Act Fast

Phase 4: Report and Recover