What should I do if I gave my bank information to a scammer? Contact your bank or card issuer immediately through its official app, website, card telephone number, or a recent statement—not through the message that contacted you. Explain exactly what you disclosed, secure the account, and report any unauthorized transaction. Then address any exposed Social Security number, passwords, phone account, or device, and report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Acting quickly can limit further damage, but no bank, payment company, or government agency can promise that money will be recovered. The correct response depends on both the information exposed and how any payment was sent.
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Do these things first
- Call the financial institution through a trusted channel. Use the official app or website, the number printed on the back of your card, or a number on a recent statement. Do not reply to the suspicious message or use its link or telephone number. Tell the representative whether you disclosed an account number, debit-card number, online-banking login, Social Security number, security code, or other information.
- Ask the institution to secure the account. It may advise replacing a card, changing credentials, adding a fraud alert, closing an account, or taking another protective step. Follow its current instructions and record the date, time, representative, and case number.
- Report unauthorized activity immediately. Identify every unfamiliar withdrawal, debit, transfer, or card charge and ask whether the institution can stop or reverse it. A reversal is possible in some situations but is never guaranteed.
- Protect identity and access. Use IdentityTheft.gov if your Social Security number was exposed; change compromised or reused passwords; and contact your mobile carrier if someone took control of your phone number or account.
- Check related accounts. Review bank, card, payment, email, shopping, and other financial accounts for charges, new payees, changed contact details, or password-reset notices you did not request.
- Scan any affected device and report the fraud. If you clicked a link, installed software, or allowed remote access, update security software and run a scan. Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
These steps apply to a US reader. The FTC recovery checklist is dated October 2022, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) phishing guidance was last reviewed April 15, 2024; your institution’s current procedures control the next steps.
What should I do if I gave my bank information to a scammer?
Tell the bank exactly which details were shared, even if no money has disappeared. An account number alone, an online-banking username and password, a debit-card number, and a one-time verification code create different risks. Ask whether the bank wants to replace the account or card, block electronic debits, reset online access, or add extra verification.
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Look for more than obvious charges. A scammer may test an account with a small debit, add a new external account or payee, change an email address or telephone number, or set up a transfer. Review recent and pending activity and keep checking after the first report. If you find an unauthorized debit or withdrawal, state clearly that you did not authorize it and ask the bank to reverse it. Keep copies of statements, screenshots, messages, caller IDs, and receipts.
Debit-card or credit-card details
Call the card issuer using a trusted number, describe the fraudulent charge or exposed number, and ask about blocking or replacing the card and reversing the charge. Do not continue a conversation with the person who requested the details. A replacement card does not by itself secure an online account if the same password was also disclosed.
Online-banking credentials or security codes
Change the password from a clean device if possible, and change it anywhere else you reused it. Tell the bank that the login or verification code was exposed; a code can allow a scammer to defeat a normal sign-in check. Review profile information, trusted devices, alerts, beneficiaries, and linked accounts for changes you did not make.
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If your Social Security number or other identity information was exposed
Go to IdentityTheft.gov for the FTC’s tailored recovery steps when a Social Security number was given to a scammer. The FTC specifically directs people who disclosed financial information in pandemic-related scams there, including steps involving credit monitoring. The same guidance is appropriate when the scammer obtained your name, address, date of birth, or a combination that could support identity fraud.
Save the scam message and any documents before deleting them. Note what information you supplied and when. When a legitimate institution contacts you about an application, account, or transaction you do not recognize, tell it that your identity information was exposed in a scam and follow its identity-theft process. Avoid paying an unsolicited “recovery” service that promises to erase the problem or guarantee a refund.
If the scammer took over your phone account
Contact your mobile carrier through a number or app you obtain independently and explain that your number or account may have been taken over. Ask the carrier to restore your control and review recent changes. After control is restored, change the carrier-account password and the passwords for email, banking, and other services that use the number for recovery.
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Check for password-reset messages, new forwarding rules, or notifications that a phone number or recovery email was changed. A phone-account takeover can make text-message verification unreliable, so ask each financial institution which additional verification it recommends.
If a scammer accessed your computer or phone
A pandemic-themed social-media post or message can be more than a request for information: clicking may lead to a malicious site or malware. The FTC advises updating security software, running a scan, and removing anything the scan flags when you clicked or shared information. Its consumer warning says, “If you already clicked or shared, run a security scan on your device to look for malware.”
If someone had remote access, disconnect the device from the internet while you seek help, remove unfamiliar remote-control software, and change passwords from a device you trust. Do not use the compromised device to sign in to your bank until it has been checked and updated. Tell the bank that device access occurred so it can decide whether additional account safeguards are needed.
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What to do when money was already sent
Contact the company that moved the money as soon as possible, report fraud, and ask whether it can stop or reverse the transaction. Also notify a linked bank or card issuer. The route used matters:
| How the money was sent | Action to take | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Credit or debit card | Call the card issuer, describe the fraudulent charge, and request a reversal or refund. | The issuer decides what investigation and dispute process applies; recovery is not assured. |
| Unauthorized bank debit or withdrawal | Tell the bank the transaction was unauthorized and ask it to reverse it. | Provide the transaction date, amount, and any evidence of the scam. |
| Bank wire | Contact the bank, report the fraudulent transfer, and request a wire reversal immediately. | Speed matters, but a completed wire may not be recoverable. |
| Wire-transfer company | Contact the company directly and ask it to reverse the fraudulent transfer. | Use the transaction or confirmation number and preserve the receipt. |
| Money-transfer app | Report the payment to the company operating the app. If the app was linked to a bank or card, report it there too. | Ask whether the payment can be canceled or reversed; do not assume it can. |
| Gift card | Contact the card issuer, say it was used in a scam, and request a refund. Keep the card and receipt. | Give the issuer the card number and transaction details without sending the card to the scammer. |
| Cryptocurrency | Contact the service used to send it, report fraud, and ask whether any intervention is possible. | The FTC says cryptocurrency payments typically are not reversible. |
| Cash sent by US mail | Contact the US Postal Inspection Service and ask whether the package can be intercepted. | For another delivery service, contact that carrier immediately. |
Do not send a second payment to “unlock” a refund, pay taxes, or hire someone who claims to recover the first payment. A person who already knows you were scammed may use that information in a follow-up recovery scam.
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How to recognize and verify a pandemic-relief message
FTC alerts describe messages impersonating government agencies or inventing relief funds that ask for bank details, Social Security numbers, names, addresses, or dates of birth. One email promoted a fake “Global Empowerment Fund”; the FTC said it was not an FTC program and directed people who shared financial information to IdentityTheft.gov. Another FTC alert said the agency was not distributing Coronavirus relief funds and told recipients not to reply, click, or provide personal or financial information.
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Free-aid offers on social media can also be phishing attempts and may carry malware. Treat an unexpected request for account information as fraudulent until you independently verify it. A bank or credit union does not ask for account information through email or text, according to the CFPB. Its guidance says, “Never respond or click on links as they can take you to scammers’ malicious websites or give them access to your device.”
To verify a claim, close the message and open the institution’s known app or type its known address yourself. Call a number obtained from a statement, card, or official website. Do not rely on contact information contained in the suspicious message, even if the message uses a logo, a familiar name, or a government-looking form.
Reporting, records, and follow-up
Report to the FTC
Submit the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Include the sender’s email address or telephone number, the date, the exact request, payment details, names used, and where the message appeared. Reporting helps the FTC identify patterns; it does not guarantee reimbursement.
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Keep an incident file
- Save the original message, attachments, web addresses, caller ID, and screenshots.
- Record every call to a bank, card issuer, carrier, payment company, or government service, including case numbers.
- List each piece of information disclosed and each payment attempted or completed.
- Watch statements, alerts, credit-related notices, and password-reset messages for unfamiliar activity.
Know when to escalate
If an institution asks for additional documentation, provide it promptly and retain a copy. If you are unsure whether a message is genuine, stop communicating through that channel and start again using independently obtained contact information. Current instructions from your bank, card issuer, carrier, or payment company may differ from older FTC examples, so follow those instructions while preserving your records.
Quick Recap
Common mistakes that make the damage worse
- Calling the number in the message: it may connect you to the same scammer.
- Waiting for a charge to appear: reporting exposed information early gives the institution more options to secure access.
- Changing only one password: reused credentials can expose several accounts.
- Ignoring a clicked link: update security software and scan the device even if it seems normal.
- Assuming a payment is automatically refundable: ask the relevant company to stop or reverse it, but plan for the possibility that it cannot.
- Paying a supposed recovery specialist: scammers often target victims again with refund or “government” fees.
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