Just Got Scammed? What to Do in the First 10 Minutes

If you just got scammed, do three things right now: stop sending anything else, call the real phone number on the back of your bank or credit card, and write down exactly what happened while it is fresh. The first 10 minutes are about shutting off access and freezing money in motion. Everything else, including reports and refunds, comes after that.

We wrote this guide at Getshure because most people freeze up right after a scam. You don't need to be calm, you just need a short list to follow. Here it is.

Minute 0-2: Stop talking, stop paying, stop clicking

Scammers rely on momentum. As long as you are on the phone, on the chat, or on their website, they can keep pushing you. Break the loop.

1. Hang up the call. You do not owe anyone an explanation or a polite goodbye. Press end.
2. Close the chat or browser tab. Do not click any more buttons, even ones that say "cancel" or "refund" — those are often another trap.
3. Do not send another payment. No more gift cards, wire transfers, crypto, Zelle, Cash App, or bank transfers. If a package or courier is coming to pick up cash, do not open the door.
4. Do not install anything else. If they told you to install remote-access software like AnyDesk, TeamViewer, or a "security" app, stop and leave it alone for now. You will remove it in the next step.

Take one deep breath. The worst thing that can happen now is you keep feeding the scam. You've already stopped that.

Minute 2-5: Call the real number on your card

If money moved, or if you gave out a card number, bank login, or Social Security number, your bank is the single most important call you will make today. They can sometimes reverse a charge, freeze an account, or stop a wire if you catch it fast.

1. Flip over your debit or credit card. Call the number printed on the back. Do not Google the bank's number — scam ads sometimes sit above real results. Do not call a number the scammer gave you.
2. Tell them clearly: "I was scammed. I need to report fraud and stop any pending transactions."
3. Ask for three things: (1) reverse or dispute the fraudulent charge, (2) freeze or close the compromised card or account, and (3) issue a new card number.
4. Write down the name of the agent, the time of the call, and any case or reference number.

If you paid by something other than a card

• Wire transfer: Call your bank immediately and ask them to try a wire recall. It only works if the money hasn't been picked up yet, so speed matters.
• Zelle, Cash App, Venmo, PayPal: Open the app, report the transaction as fraud, and request a reversal. Then call your bank too — your bank sees the money, the app does not always help.
• Gift cards: Call the card's issuer (Apple, Google Play, Amazon, Target, etc.) right away. Keep the physical card and the receipt. Some issuers can freeze unspent balances if you call fast enough.
• Cryptocurrency: Crypto is usually not reversible, but still report it to the exchange you used. You will also report it to the FBI's IC3 (below).

Minute 5-7: Lock down the accounts they touched

If you gave the scammer a password, a login code, or let them "take a look" at your computer or phone, assume they now have the keys. Change what they touched.

1. Change the password on the account they got into — email first, then banking, then anything else they could see. Use a new password you have never used before.
2. Turn on two-factor authentication on your email and bank, if it's not already on. Our guide to passwords and 2FA walks through it.
3. Sign out all other devices. Most email and banking accounts have a setting called "sign out everywhere" or "active sessions." Use it.
4. Remove any remote-access app the scammer told you to install. On Windows: Settings > Apps. On Mac: drag it to the Trash. If you are unsure, power the computer off and ask a trusted person or local tech to check it before you bank on it again.
5. If they saw your Social Security number, plan to freeze your credit at all three bureaus. See the full walkthrough in how to freeze your credit.

Minute 7-10: Write it down before you forget

Memory fades fast under stress. The details you remember now are what police, banks, and the FTC will ask for later. Open your notes app or grab a piece of paper and jot down:

• The phone number, email address, or website the scammer used.
• What they claimed to be — a bank, the IRS, Amazon, a grandchild, a romance, a job recruiter.
• Exactly what you sent: amount, payment method, date and time.
• Any account numbers, wallet addresses, or gift card numbers involved.
• Screenshots of texts, emails, or the website. Take them now before anything gets deleted.

This single page of notes is the foundation for every report and refund request that follows. Don't skip it.

After the first 10 minutes: file the reports that matter

These do not need to happen today, but they should happen this week. Reports help investigators link scams together, and they create a paper trail that your bank or insurer may ask for.

1. Report to the FTC

Go to reportfraud.ftc.gov. The form is plain-English and takes about 10 minutes. The FTC doesn't resolve individual cases, but it tracks patterns and shares data with law enforcement.

2. Report to the FBI's IC3 if money was lost

For wire fraud, crypto, romance scams, business email compromise, or any larger-dollar scam, file at ic3.gov. Include the wallet addresses or wire details — IC3's recovery team sometimes acts on fresh reports.

3. If your identity was exposed, start at IdentityTheft.gov

If the scammer got your Social Security number, date of birth, or driver's license, go to identitytheft.gov. It builds you a personal recovery plan and pre-filled letters for banks and credit bureaus. We also cover this step by step in our identity theft recovery guide.

4. Report to the agency or company the scammer impersonated

• Fake IRS: forward emails to phishing@irs.gov. See the IRS scam call guide.
• Fake Social Security: report to the SSA Office of the Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov.
• Fake Medicare: report at medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
• Fake bank text: forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), then call your real bank.
• Toll text scam: see our toll text guide for what to do without clicking.

5. File a local police report if you lost money

Call the non-emergency line and ask to file a fraud report. Insurers, banks, and the IRS sometimes require a police report number before they will act. Bring your written notes.

The next 48 hours: watch for the "recovery scam"

This is the trap that gets people a second time. Within hours or days, you may get a call, email, or social media message from someone claiming to be a "recovery agent," "blockchain investigator," "FTC refund department," or a lawyer who says they can get your money back for a fee.

Every one of these is a scam. Real government agencies never charge a fee to help you. Real banks do not ask for upfront money to reverse a transaction. If someone contacts you out of the blue offering to recover your loss, hang up.

The only legitimate paths to recovery are: your bank's dispute process, your card issuer's chargeback, the payment app's fraud process, and — rarely — law enforcement.

The 10-minute checklist you can screenshot

• Hang up, close the tab, send nothing more.
• Call the number on the back of your card. Report fraud. Ask for a freeze and a new card.
• Change your email and bank passwords. Turn on 2FA. Sign out of all sessions.
• Remove any remote-access app the scammer had you install.
• Take screenshots and write down numbers, names, amounts, times.
• Later today or this week: file at reportfraud.ftc.gov and, if needed, ic3.gov and identitytheft.gov.
• Ignore any "recovery expert" who contacts you.

The book we wrote for exactly this moment

After the panic passes, most people want one thing: to never feel that way again. That's why we wrote Don't Get Screwed by AI, a plain-English hardcover about modern scams — AI voice clones, deepfake video calls, fake refund centers, romance bait, and the data leaks that feed them all.

It is $29, ships free in the US on orders of $40 or more, and arrives in 3-5 business days after it ships. No subscription, no jargon, no scare chapters that leave you feeling helpless. It sits on your kitchen table or next to the phone, and when something feels off, you flip to the page that covers it. If you are not happy with it, you have 30 days to send it back.

You can also hand it to a parent or grandparent. Many scams target older adults specifically, and a physical book works better than any website for someone who doesn't want yet another app.

How the Getshure app helps after a scam

A protection plan from Getshure includes the Getshure app on iPhone and Android. It won't undo what happened, but it helps with the cleanup and the next attempt (because once scammers find a working number, they share it). On Android, get the Getshure app on Google Play; on iPhone, use the download link in your GETSHURE order email.

• Scam Shield flags likely scam and spam callers and helps block robocalls, so the follow-up calls stop reaching you.
• Breach check tells you whether your email or passwords appear in known data breaches — which is often how scammers got your info in the first place.
• Data broker removal sends opt-out requests to people-search sites so your phone number and address are harder to buy. Each site decides when to remove a record, but the requests go out for you.
• Photo Guard lets you reverse-image search your own photos to see if they are being used in romance or impersonation scams.
• Encrypted vault for sensitive photos and documents like IDs, locked with Face ID or a passcode.
• Identity Theft Restoration add-on: a human helps you with credit freezes, bank disputes, the IRS identity theft form, and police and FTC reports by email. It is not insurance and does not reimburse lost money, but it takes the paperwork off your plate.

No app blocks every scam. We don't pretend ours does. What it does is catch more of them and help you recover faster.

Why you can trust us right now

We're a small American publisher: Getshure is operated by MetaWise Enterprises, LLC (Delaware file number 10336625), based at 11772 W Sample Rd, Ste 103, Ofc 240, Coral Springs, FL 33065. You can call us at (754) 812-1679, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM Eastern, or email contact@getshure.com.

Every plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and one-step cancel — the cancel link is in every email we send you. If you ever see a charge you don't recognize, email us before your bank and we'll explain it or refund it within 2 business days. More on us in Is Getshure Legit.

Your next step

If you just got scammed, finish the 10-minute checklist above first. Then, when you are ready to make sure it does not happen again:

• Order Don't Get Screwed by AI and keep it next to your phone.
• Start a Getshure protection plan to get the app, Scam Shield, breach check, and data broker removal.
• Questions first? Call us at (754) 812-1679 or email contact@getshure.com. A real person answers.

You handled the hard part by looking for help instead of sending more money. Now let's make sure the next call, text, or email doesn't catch you off guard.