Federal Trade Commission
09/27/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/27/2021 23:59
Paid someone you think is a scammer?
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September 27, 2021
by
Jim Kreidler
Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
[Link]Last week, we kicked off the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month with ideas about recognizing and avoiding scams. This week, it's about what to do if you think you've paid a scammer. These steps might not apply to you, but there's probably a family member, a friend, or someone in your community who could use them. So please help share these through your community.
Scammers can be very convincing. They call, email, and send text messages trying to get our money or personal information. They often target specific communities, including Latinos, and frequently use scare tactics. And, unfortunately, they're good at what they do.
So if you've already paid someone you think is a scammer, what's your next step?
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Act quickly. If you think you've sent money to a scammer or government impersonator, contact the bank, gift card, or credit card company you used to send the money. Tell them that it was a fraudulent transaction. Then ask them to reverse itand give you your money back.
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Did you send a wire transfer through a company like Western Union or MoneyGram? If so, contact the wire transfer company. Tell them it was a fraudulent transfer. Ask them to reverse the wire transfer and give you your money back.
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MoneyGram: 1-800-MONEYGRAM (1-800-666-3947)
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Western Union: 1-800-325-6000
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Scammers often ask people to pay using wire transfers. The FTC brought successful cases against both Western Union and MoneyGram, and the companies agreed to return hundreds of millions of dollars to people who were tricked into wiring money to scammers using their services. The settlements also required both companies to make changes to make it harder for scammers to use MoneyGram or Western Union to defraud customers.
- Did you send cash?If so, chances are it's gone. But contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455 and ask them to intercept the package. To learn more about this process, visit USPS Package Intercept: The Basics.If you used another delivery service, contact them as soon as possible.
If you spot a scam, tell your loved ones and people in your community about it so they can avoid it, too. Then tell the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your reports can make a huge difference in knowing what's happening in your community.
Blog Topics:
Money & Credit
Scam Tags: Avoiding Scams
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Comments
higgs1104| September 27, 2021
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I was scammed out of more than $5,000 via wire transfer through my Bank of America account, I reported to the police department, and called BOA to reverse the transfer and BOA refused...
Mon92721| September 27, 2021
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Gift card companies will not return your money . They don't care if it's fraud or not.
M.G.Don't use y...| September 27, 2021
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Gift cards need to be outlawed. They are the worst scams.
FTC Staff| September 27, 2021
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Gift cards are for gifts, not for payments.
But they're popular with scammers because they're easy for people to find and buy, and they have fewer protections for buyers compared to some other payment options. They're more like cash: once you use the card, the money on it is gone. Scammers like this.
If someone calls you and demands that you pay them with gift cards, you can bet that a scammer is behind that call. This FTC article tells more about gift card scams.
rosie12day| September 27, 2021
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They definitely don't care. I bought an Amazon gift card and when I went to use it it was invalid. I contacted Amazon and they looked into it and would still not refund the money. I was out the money and very disheartened with Amazon. I don't know how the card was used prior, but, I am out the money and they just don't care.
higgs1104| September 27, 2021
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I also reported to FTC the fraud unit and nothing happened.. I am still out $5,000. Between filling out all the reports and contacting BOA, a long process of spending a few days... and nothing happened.
FTC Staff| September 27, 2021
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The FTC uses reports like yours to investigate and bring cases against fraud, scams, and bad business practices. The FTC isn't able to respond to each report individually, and it can't take action on behalf of individual consumers. When you submit your report, we offer you next steps you can take to protect yourself or recover from fraud. If you include your email address in your report, we'll also send you an email with these steps. You can read more about what happens after you report in these Frequently Asked Questions
Nran| September 27, 2021
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I was scammed last week it was had to pay the scammer the gift cards worth $4,500/- They tried to frighten me and even when I called the Amex Credit card company from where the gift cards were bought they said no then I called the Police and they have all my details just waiting to see what happens. I need to fight it out because I do not want those cheats to get that money.
rubi2021| September 27, 2021
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It's not fraud if you buy the gift cards and give the scammer gift card information. Banks can't reverse these transactions. Best defense is to spread the word to all family & friends to Never buy gift cards and give out number to someone you don't know.
Jak2021| September 27, 2021
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This is what happened to me last year. Once I had given the gift card info to the scammers, they were off and running. I contacted the gift card companies and requested their help to get the money back. They wouldn't help. Even when I asked to have them alert their store vendors to let customers know about the scam, the card companies wouldn't. They didn't want to scare consumers away from buying them, or tarnishing their own brands…
Granny| September 27, 2021
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Gift cards are cashed IMMEDIATELY and are not refundable. Sad but true!
FTC Staff| September 27, 2021
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A scammer might cash a gift card quickly.
If you paid a scammer with a gift card, tell the company that issued the card right away.
The FTC has a list of contact information for popular gift card companies, including Amazon, Ebay, Google Play, iTunes, Steam, and MoneyPak.
Daboysr12| September 27, 2021
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I reported it to gift card company right away & nothing!
Crazt caron't u...| September 27, 2021
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Can steam cards be used for sending computer files or data updates
Don't use your ...| September 27, 2021
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I used gift cards.. reported it & nothing done!
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