I Sent Money to a Scammer. Can I Get It Back? (Zelle, Cash App, PayPal, Bank Transfer)

Short answer: often yes, but speed matters. Call your bank or payment app straight away, using the number on your card or in the app, and tell them it was a scam. How much you can get back depends on how you paid: card payments can be disputed, UK bank transfers are covered by mandatory refund rules, and Zelle, Cash App and similar apps only refund in some cases.

What to do in the first hour

1. Contact your bank or app through its official number or in-app support, never a number the scammer gave you. Ask them to stop or recall the payment and to flag the recipient's account.
2. Stop paying. Scammers often ask for a "fee" to release a refund. That is the same scam again.
3. Save evidence: screenshots of messages, the payment receipt, usernames, phone numbers and the website address.
4. Secure your accounts: change passwords, and if you gave anyone remote access to your computer, disconnect it from the internet and remove the app.

How to get money back, by payment method

Credit or debit card

Card payments have the strongest protection. Ask your card issuer for a chargeback (in the UK, credit card purchases between £100 and £30,000 may also be covered by Section 75). Time limits apply, so ask quickly. See how to get a chargeback in the US, UK and Australia.

Bank transfer in the UK

Since 7 October 2024, UK banks must refund victims of authorised push payment (APP) scams made by Faster Payments or CHAPS, up to £85,000 per claim. Refunds are usually due within 5 business days (up to 35 working days if the bank investigates). Banks may deduct an excess of up to £100, and can refuse if they show "gross negligence". You must claim within 13 months of the last payment. Larger losses can go to the Financial Ombudsman.

Zelle

Zelle payments are hard to reverse because you authorised them. However, since June 2023, banks on the Zelle network must reimburse qualifying impostor scams, for example when a scammer pretended to be your bank or a government agency. Report it to your bank, not to Zelle alone, and say clearly that you were tricked by an impostor.

Cash App, Venmo and other payment apps

Report the payment in the app straight away and contact support through the app. Payments to scammers are often not refundable once the scammer withdraws the money, so speed is critical. If the app is linked to a card, ask your card issuer about a dispute too.

PayPal

Purchases of goods may be covered by PayPal Buyer Protection: open a dispute in the Resolution Centre. Payments sent as "friends and family" are generally not covered, which is why scammers ask for them.

Gift cards, crypto and wire transfers

These are the hardest to recover. Contact the gift card company or exchange immediately with the card numbers or transaction ID: if the money has not been used, it can sometimes be frozen.

Report it

• United States: the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and the FBI's IC3 (ic3.gov) for online fraud.
• United Kingdom: Action Fraud (actionfraud.police.uk), or Police Scotland on 101.
• Elsewhere in Europe: your national police or consumer protection authority.

Beware of "recovery" scammers

After a scam, victims are often contacted by people offering to recover the money for a fee, posing as lawyers, police or "fund recovery" companies. Genuine recovery goes through your bank or payment provider and the police, and never needs an upfront fee.

Before you pay anyone again, check their website, phone number or social media handle on TrustCheck for scam reports.