What to do in the first hour
Do not wait for the seller to answer or for the parcel that will never come. These steps cost nothing and keep your options open:
- Call your bank or card issuer and explain that you paid a fraudulent site
- If you entered card details on a suspicious page, ask the bank to block the card
- Change any password you typed on the site, and everywhere you reuse it, then enable two-factor authentication
- Stop all contact with the scammer and do not send any more money, whatever they promise
How to get your money back, by payment method
Your chances depend almost entirely on how you paid:
- Credit or debit card: ask your bank for a chargeback for goods not received or not as described. If the payment was made without your consent, say so: unauthorised card payments are generally refundable
- PayPal: open a dispute in the Resolution Center under Buyer Protection, usually within 180 days of payment
- Direct debit: in the SEPA area you can ask your bank to reverse it, no questions asked, within 8 weeks
- Bank transfer: ask your bank to recall the payment immediately. It is not guaranteed, but in the UK most victims of authorised push payment scams must now be reimbursed by their bank
- Gift cards or crypto: contact the card issuer or the exchange at once, but recovery is rare, which is exactly why scammers ask for them
Deadlines matter
Chargebacks and disputes have time limits, often a few months at most. File the request now, even if the seller still claims the order is on its way.
Which evidence to keep
Your bank, the police and any platform will ask for proof. Gather it before the site disappears:
- The exact web address (URL) of the site, not just its name
- Order confirmation, invoice and order number
- Bank or card statement showing the payment and the beneficiary
- Every email, text message and chat with the seller
- Screenshots of the product page, the price and the legal or contact pages
Where to report a scam website
Reporting helps get the site taken down and protects the next buyers. Depending on where you live:
- United States: report the fraud to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and internet crimes to the FBI at ic3.gov
- United Kingdom: report to the national police fraud reporting service, and forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk
- Elsewhere: your national police or consumer protection authority usually has an online form
- Everywhere: report phishing or fake shop pages to Google Safe Browsing so browsers start warning other visitors
Should you file a police report?
File a police report as well, even for a small amount. Banks often ask for one before refunding, and grouped reports help investigators link cases.
- Yes, even for a small amount: banks often ask for one before refunding
- Many forces accept online reports for fraud; otherwise go to a police station with your printed evidence
- Write down the reference number: your bank and payment provider will ask for it
Beware of recovery scams
Victims are often contacted again by people claiming they can recover the money: a fake lawyer, a fake agency, even a fake police officer. They ask for an upfront fee, or for remote access to your computer.
The rule
No legitimate authority or company asks you to pay to get your stolen money back. Any such offer is a second scam.
Warn other buyers
A fake shop lives on new victims who did not see the warning signs. Sharing what happened is one of the most useful things you can do.
On ActualRep, each domain has a public page with factual signals (domain age, HTTPS, Google's security status) and community reviews. Search for the site, describe what happened factually, and the next person checking it will see your warning before paying.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get my money back after an online scam?
Often, if you paid by card, PayPal or direct debit and act quickly: ask for a chargeback, open a dispute or reverse the debit. Bank transfers are harder and gift cards or crypto are rarely recovered. Contact your bank the same day.
Should I file a police report for a small amount?
Yes. Banks often ask for a report before refunding, and many small reports about the same site help investigators connect the cases and take the site down.
Someone offers to recover my money for a fee. Is it legitimate?
No. Asking for an upfront fee to recover stolen money is a classic recovery scam. Only deal with your bank and the official authorities, which never charge for this.