How can I get my money back from a romance scammer?

If you paid a romance scammer with a gift card, contact the company that issued the card right away. Tell them you paid a scammer with the gift card and ask if they can refund your money. If you think it’s a scam, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

What to do if you lose money in a scam?

Report the fraudulent transaction to the company behind the money transfer app and ask if they can reverse the payment. If you linked the app to a credit card or debit card, report the fraud to your credit card company or bank. Ask if they can reverse the charge.

What is confidence/romance fraud and how common is it?

Last year, confidence/romance fraud was the seventh most commonly reported scam to the IC3 based on the number of complaints received, and the second costliest scam in terms of victim loss. The IC3 is warning the public to be wary of romance scams in which scammers target individuals who search for companionship or romance online.

What to do if you get scammed on dating apps?

If you think it’s a scam, report it the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. Notify the website or app where you met the scammer, too. If you paid a romance scammer with a gift card, contact the company that issued the card right away. Tell them you paid a scammer with the gift card and ask if they can refund your money.

What to do if you have been scammed by Western Union?

You can also try to determine if the scammers have been caught and if it’s a large-scale scam there may be a settlement. A recent settlement has forced Western Union to refund people who were scammed between January 1, 2004, and January 19, 2017, and used Western Union to pay the scammer.

What to do if your gift card has been scammed?

Contact Amazon or iTunes or any other gift card issuer and tell them the situation. This is one of the most time-critical recovery events. If you don’t act immediately it’s quite possible the scammer has already used the gift card and the money cannot be recovered.