Scammed Online? Do This Immediately!
Download MP3š Episode Description:
If you've recently fallen victim to an online scam or fraud, donāt panicābut act fast. In this episode, weāll guide you through the most important steps to take right away to protect yourself and increase your chances of recovering lost money.
Hereās what youāll learn:
- š« Stop sending money immediately. Do not send any more funds to the scammer.
- š Start collecting evidence.
- Take screenshots of conversations, websites, and profiles.
- Save copies of text messages, emails, and any communication.
- If using email (Gmail, Hotmail, etc.), download the full email headerāthis can contain valuable info like the senderās IP address.
- š± Document payment activity.
- If payments were made via apps like Telegram, WhatsApp, Zelle, or Venmo, save usernames and activity logs.
- Capture any other details that show the scammerās activity before they delete their accounts.
- š¼ Gather visual proof.
- Take photos if there were video calls.
- Screenshot websites or social media pages involved.
- š Report the incident.
- File a complaint with IC3.gov (FBIās Internet Crime Complaint Center). They may not act directly but will log the scam.
- š§ Be strategic with communication.
- Do not send further personal info (IDs, credit card, etc.).
- Avoid accusing the scammer directlyāstay neutral and say youāre busy, which may help you gather more info safely.
- š” Prioritize personal safety.
- If you feel threatened, contact your local police immediately.
- š Check what personal data they accessed.
- If they have your Social Security number, credit card, or driverās license, consider canceling and reissuing those.
- š Take a breather.
- Once youāve locked down the basics, you can explore possible recovery steps.
š§ Donāt forget to follow this podcast for more fraud recovery and online safety tips.
š¢ Share this episode with someone who may need it today.
š¢ Share this episode with someone who may need it today.
