No one ever expects to become the victim of an online scam, but unfortunately it happens to a lot of people. Sometimes we fall for a too-good-to-be-true offer, and other times, what should have been a simple buy-and-sell transaction results in us becoming the victim of bank transfer fraud. If you have been scammed, it can often feel like your money is gone for good. Even if you swallow your embarrassment and file a police report, there’s often not much they can do for you. Should you just write off your loss, or can you get scammed money back?
The good news is, it is possible to get back money from a scammer! At Claim Justice, we are experts on what to do if you’ve been scammed online. We’ve created this simple guide on what to do if you’ve been scammed online, and how to recover from being scammed.
What to Do if You’ve Been Scammed Online
If you’ve fallen victim to an online scam, the best thing to do is act quickly. You’re more likely to get scammed money back if you take action before they can disappear with your money. Here are the steps that we recommend you take.
- Collect all of the information you have about the scam: any and all communication between you and the scammer(s), records of any financial transactions, any websites related to the scam, anything they mailed you. The more information you have, the better.
- Report the crime to the police and/or any governmental agency that fights fraud. While they may not be able to get your money back, the evidence you provide can help them build a case against the scammers and warn others in the community.
- Ask the scammer to give your money back. While this may not be your first thought on how to get a refund from a scam website, there’s a very small chance that they’ll comply just to get you to leave them alone, but also you must try to get a refund from the scammers before enlisting outside help.
- If the scammer doesn’t return your money when asked, and the police don’t know how to get money back from the scammer, contact Claim Justice. We are experts at helping the victims of all online scams.
How to Recover from Being Scammed
After you’ve been scammed, you may find that you have lost more than just money. You may have lost your trust in other people, and your confidence in yourself. It can be emotionally difficult to recover from being scammed. You may find it useful to explore talk therapy, a support group, mindfulness, or online discussions with other scam victims. You may also benefit from consulting with a financial advisor, if the lost funds have impacted your retirement savings or otherwise interfered with your long-term financial goals.
Remember that you should not feel ashamed or embarrassed that you fell for a scam. It happens to all kinds of people — even celebrities and executives have been fooled by scammers! It’s hard to know what to do when you’ve been scammed out of money, especially if you normally consider yourself to be someone who makes good decisions. But remember that one mistake doesn’t define who you are.
Trust that law enforcement and Claim Justice are doing their best to figure out how to get your money back from a scammer and how to make the scammers pay. And remember that by asking for help, you are also helping to prevent scammers from finding new victims.
