
Get your money back from a scam
Advice for what your next step should be to help you get your money back.
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Reporting fraud is important to help stop criminals, and to prevent others from falling victim to the same scam.
If you’ve lost money to a scam and you paid with a credit or debit card, or sent money through an account transaction, tell your bank or payment provider as soon as possible.
Reports of fraud should be investigated quickly and all efforts should be made to recover the money if possible.
Action Fraud is the fraud and cybercrime reporting centre for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It gathers intelligence on scams and passes it onto the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau for analysis by the police.
You can report any attempt to steal your money or personal information to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or report it online. If you live in Scotland you can report a scam directly to the police by calling 101.
If your money has been stolen as the result of a scam, you can also report it to the police by calling 101.
You can also report an attempted scam, even if the fraudsters were unsuccessful.
Not every report results in a police investigation, but any information you give will help build a clearer picture of how scams work, and who is behind them.
Sharing details of the scam helps us to protect others as well as inform our scams content, research & policy work.
Share scam detailsBeing scammed can take a huge toll on your mental health. You might find it helpful to talk to someone about what you’re going through. It’s not your fault, and there are plenty of non-judgemental advice lines you can call who will understand.
Mind has a confidential information and support line, Mind Infoline, available on 0300 123 3393 (lines open 9am - 6pm, Monday - Friday).
Visit MindVictim Support has a free helpline where you can speak to someone confidentially available on 0808 16 89 111 (lines open 24/7).
Visit Victim Support