Credit Repair · 24 guides
What to Do If You Were Scammed
Recovery steps after a scam: report to the FTC and CFPB, freeze your credit at all three bureaus, dispute fraudulent charges, and avoid recovery scams.
On this page
- Who should a scam be reported to first?
- How do you freeze credit at all three bureaus?
- How do you dispute fraudulent accounts or charges?
- Does reporting a scam require disclosing immigration status?
- What is a "recovery scam," and how is it recognized?
- When should local police get involved?
- Frequently asked questions
- Can reporting a scam to the FTC or CFPB cause immigration trouble?
- Does a credit freeze cost money?
- How do I know if someone calling to "help me recover" my money is real?
- Common mistakes to avoid
- When to talk to a professional
Falling for a scam isn't a sign of carelessness or low intelligence — these schemes are engineered to work on careful people. What matters most now is the sequence of the next steps, not what already happened.
Short answer
After a scam, the steps are: report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, file a complaint with the CFPB, contact the state attorney general, and notify local police if money or identity was stolen. Freeze credit at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, and dispute any fraudulent charge or account in writing. None of these reports require disclosing immigration status. After reporting, watch out for a second scam — the "recovery scam" — which promises to get lost money back in exchange for another payment.
Key facts
- Reporting to the FTC, the CFPB, and a state attorney general is free, and none of those forms require disclosing immigration status to file.
- A credit freeze is free by law at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, and it prevents someone from opening new accounts using the victim's information.
- Disputing a fraudulent account or charge in writing, within the stated deadlines, forces the bank or bureau to investigate before holding the consumer responsible for the amount.
- A "recovery scam" happens when someone contacts a scam victim afterward, promising to get the lost money back — for another upfront payment. It's almost always a second scam.
- There's no shame in reporting, no matter how much time has passed since the original scam.
Who should a scam be reported to first?
Short answer
Several agencies can be notified at the same time, since reporting to one doesn't rule out another: the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or by calling 1-877-382-4357, the CFPB if a financial product was involved at consumerfinance.gov/complaint, and the state consumer protection office. USAGov's where to report a scam tool helps identify the right agency based on the type of scam.
If money or identity was stolen, it's also worth filing a report with local police — some banks and card companies require that report to process a dispute or refund.
How do you freeze credit at all three bureaus?
Short answer
A credit freeze is requested separately, for free, at each of the three bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. By law, a bureau must place the freeze within one business day of a phone or online request, and confirm it in writing within five business days. A freeze does not affect a credit score.
Request a freeze at Equifax
Free, online or by phone, directly on Equifax's site.
Request a freeze at Experian
The same free process, directly on Experian's site.
Request a freeze at TransUnion
Complete the request on TransUnion's site to cover all three bureaus.
Save the PIN or password given to lift it later
It's needed to temporarily lift the freeze when applying for new credit in the future.
If identity theft happened too — not just a one-time financial scam — IdentityTheft.gov walks through placing a fraud alert as well and notifying the bureaus directly about the theft.
How do you dispute fraudulent accounts or charges?
Short answer
Any charge or account that isn't recognized should be disputed in writing with the bank, card company, or credit bureau involved, within each one's stated deadline. The full bureau dispute process is in disputing credit report errors, and what to do specifically when the problem is identity theft is in identity theft and your credit report.
Keeping copies of every letter, every response, and every confirmation number makes a dispute far harder to ignore if it needs to be escalated later.
Does reporting a scam require disclosing immigration status?
Short answer
No. FTC and CFPB forms don't require immigration status to file a report, and the report itself is not an immigration process. The FTC allows reporting anonymously or sharing only the information someone is comfortable providing. The CFPB also offers phone assistance in more than 180 languages.
That said, the FTC notes it may share report information with other law enforcement authorities as part of investigating the reported fraud — the same as with any complaint. That's different from an immigration proceeding, but it's worth knowing that policy before deciding how much information to share.
What is a "recovery scam," and how is it recognized?
Short answer
A recovery scam happens when someone contacts a person who was already scammed, offering to get the lost money back in exchange for an upfront fee — a "processing fee," a "tax," or access to bank information. Scammers buy and sell lists of past victims specifically to run this second attempt.
No government agency charges an upfront fee to return money
The FTC, the CFPB, and any legitimate government agency never ask for payment in advance to process a refund, and they never guarantee that lost money will be recovered. Any call, message, or letter offering that — even one that names the exact original scam — is almost certainly another scam.
Before giving any information or payment to someone promising to "recover" lost money, it's worth verifying the agency's number directly on its official website, rather than calling the number that person provided.
When should local police get involved?
Short answer
Filing a police report is worthwhile when money or identity was stolen, or when a bank or card company requires one to process a dispute or refund. A police report doesn't replace reports to the FTC and CFPB — they're filed in parallel.
Frequently asked questions
Can reporting a scam to the FTC or CFPB cause immigration trouble?
No. Filing a fraud complaint is a consumer-protection process, separate from the immigration system, and the form doesn't ask for immigration status as a requirement. Reports can be filed anonymously or by sharing only the necessary information.
Does a credit freeze cost money?
No. By federal law, freezing and unfreezing credit is free at all three bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Any service charging for this is selling something different, like a private "credit lock," not the free freeze guaranteed by law.
How do I know if someone calling to "help me recover" my money is real?
Almost certainly they aren't. No legitimate government agency charges an upfront fee to return money lost in a scam. Hang up, and verify independently by calling the agency's official number.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting weeks or months to report out of embarrassment — reporting sooner helps recover money and keeps others from falling for the same scam.
- Paying a second fee to someone who promises to "recover" the money lost in the original scam.
- Not freezing credit at all three bureaus after sharing personal information with a scammer.
- Confusing a paid "credit lock" with the free credit freeze guaranteed by law.
- Not keeping copies of letters, messages, and confirmation numbers during the dispute process.
- Not reporting out of fear it will affect an immigration case — FTC and CFPB forms don't require that information.
When to talk to a professional
Strongly consider talking to a professional
If the scam involved a large amount of money, identity theft affecting existing accounts, or pressure to share a Social Security number, talking with a consumer attorney or free legal aid can help evaluate additional legal options. Filing complaints with the FTC, the CFPB, and a state attorney general doesn't have to wait for that conversation — it can happen in parallel.
Terms used on this page
Sources
This page is based on the following official and authoritative sources. Always check the source itself for the most current rules.
- ReportFraud.ftc.gov — file a report
- ReportFraud.ftc.gov — FAQ
- CFPB — Submit a complaint
- CFPB — Protecting Immigrant Access to Fair Credit Opportunities
- USAGov — Learn where to report a scam
- USAGov — Identity theft
- IdentityTheft.gov — official identity theft recovery
- CFPB — What is a credit freeze or security freeze on my credit report?
- FTC — Refund and Recovery Scams
Educational information — not advice
This topic involves court deadlines and rights you can permanently lose.
This page provides general educational information about credit, debt, and consumer protections. It is not legal advice, financial advice, or credit repair services, and reading it does not create any professional relationship. Laws, procedures, deadlines, and dollar amounts vary by state and change over time.
Before acting or deciding not to act, strongly consider consulting a licensed attorney in your state. If cost is a concern, legal aid organizations may help for free. See our full disclaimer.
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