Accidentally Sent Money to a Scammer? Here’s What to Do Next (UK Guide)

Your stomach drops. You refresh your banking app, hoping the payment will somehow bounce back. It doesn’t. And now your mind is racing through every detail: the message that felt “just about” believable, the pressure to act fast, the moment you hit send.

If you’ve accidentally sent money to a scammer, you still have options, but speed matters. The right steps depend on how you paid (bank transfer, debit or credit card, PayPal, crypto, gift cards), and whether the payment has already left your provider.

This guide gives you a clear plan you can follow in order: stop the bleeding, gather proof, push the right recovery route, and report it properly in the UK without getting lost in forms or call queues.

Do these three things first to give yourself the best chance of getting it back

When money’s gone, the instinct is to panic, or to freeze. Try to do neither. Think of this like a small house fire: you don’t stand there arguing about how it started, you grab the extinguisher.

Your first goal is simple: get your bank or provider moving quickly, and lock down evidence while it still exists. Many scams rely on speed and confusion, and your best counter is calm, fast action.

Call your bank or payment provider straight away and ask them to freeze or recall the payment

Call using the number on the back of your card, the official website, or in-app support. Don’t use a phone number sent in a text or email, even if it looks right.

When you get through, say clearly: “I sent money to a scammer.” Then give:

• Time and date of the payment
• Amount
• The payee details (account number, sort code, name shown, or merchant name)
• Any reference you used
• How you were contacted (WhatsApp, Facebook Marketplace, email, phone call)
• Any warnings you saw in your banking app, and what happened next

Ask for specific actions, not vague “notes”:

What to ask for

• A freeze or recall attempt (for bank transfers)
• A scam claim to be raised and logged
• The receiving bank to be contacted (your bank can do this)
• A case reference number and when you’ll be updated

In the UK, Faster Payments and CHAPS transfers may be recoverable in some cases, especially if reported quickly. Times vary, but banks often start action within hours and may update you within days, depending on the route and where the money ended up.

Save proof before it disappears

Scammers delete messages, close accounts, and change usernames. Treat your evidence like footprints in snow: it melts fast.

Capture what you can, even if it feels messy:

• Screenshots of chats and profiles (include the username and timestamp)
• Emails (including headers if you know how)
• Call logs and voicemails
• Payment confirmations and bank notifications
• Any invoice, “contract”, or screenshot they sent
• Links they shared (copy them into a note, don’t click again)
• Phone numbers, email addresses, and social handles
• Wallet addresses and transaction IDs if crypto was involved

Then write a quick timeline while it’s fresh. Keep it short, but clear. Aim for 5 to 10 bullets:

• Where you first saw them
• What they claimed
• What made it feel urgent
• What you were told to do
• What you paid, and how
• What happened after you paid
• Any threats, pressure, or “fees” mentioned

If you shared any passwords, PINs, or one-time codes, act as if your accounts are exposed. Change passwords (starting with your email first, because password resets go there), turn on two-factor authentication, and check your bank account for new payees or unknown devices.

What to do next based on how you paid

After the first calls and screenshots, the next step is choosing the right recovery path. Some payment methods have a real dispute route. Others are more about freezing funds, tracing details, and stopping a second loss.

Here’s a quick guide to what “success” usually looks like:

For a practical overview of refund chances across methods, see Citizens Advice guidance on getting money back after a scam.

Bank transfer scams (Faster Payments, CHAPS, BACS, SWIFT): push your bank for a scam claim and escalation route

If you made the transfer yourself because you were tricked, that’s usually treated as authorised push payment (APP) fraud. Even though you pressed “send”, you may still have protections, depending on the bank, the type of payment, and the facts.

Be politely stubborn. Ask your bank:

• To confirm the payment rail used (Faster Payments, CHAPS, BACS, SWIFT)
• Whether a recall has been raised, and when it was sent
• Whether the receiving bank has confirmed funds are still available
• What their scam reimbursement process is, and what they need from you
• When they’ll next update you, and how (call, secure message, email)

Faster Payments and CHAPS often have a clearer route for fast action. BACS and international transfers (including SWIFT) can be harder to claw back, but reporting quickly can still help if funds haven’t been moved on.

Ask for a written case reference and a written summary of next steps. If the bank’s answers feel fuzzy, use a consumer-focused explainer like Which? advice on bank transfer (APP) scams to sense-check what should happen.

Card payments and PayPal: request a chargeback or Section 75 where it fits

If you paid by debit or credit card, you may be able to reverse the payment through your card provider.

A chargeback is a process where your bank or card provider asks the merchant’s bank to return the money. It’s not a “guaranteed refund”, but it’s a recognised route and can work well when the “seller” never existed, goods never arrived, or the transaction was misrepresented.

What to prepare before you call or submit the form:

• Merchant name as shown on your statement
• Transaction date and amount
• Transaction ID (if your bank shows it)
• Proof of what was promised (screenshots, adverts, invoices)
• Proof it was a scam (fake tracking, copied listings, pressure to pay fast)

If you used a credit card directly (not via bank transfer), Section 75 might apply to qualifying purchases, commonly in the £100 to £30,000 range. It can make the card provider jointly responsible for breaches or misrepresentation, but it won’t fit every scam scenario.

If PayPal was involved, the route depends on how you paid:

• Goods and Services: you can raise a dispute in PayPal.
• Friends and Family: it’s much harder, because it’s designed for trusted payments.

For a plain-English explanation of scam refunds and when firms may refuse, the FCA’s guidance on fraudulent payments is a solid reference.

Crypto and gift cards: focus on damage control, tracing details, and avoiding a second hit

Crypto and gift cards are popular with scammers for one reason: once sent, recovery is often unlikely.

Still, don’t write it off as “nothing can be done”. Do these actions quickly:

• Report to the exchange or wallet provider you used, share wallet addresses and transaction hashes
• If you bought crypto through a regulated exchange, ask if they can flag the receiving address
• Contact the gift card issuer right away, provide the card codes and proof of purchase

One more thing matters here: avoid the “second scam”. Many victims get approached again by so-called recovery agents who promise to trace funds for an upfront fee. That’s often the same scam wearing a different hat.

If you want to understand how banks approach reimbursement for APP fraud, UK Finance’s overview of APP fraud reimbursement helps set expectations and gives you the language to use in complaints.

Report it properly in the UK, and keep pressure on until you get an answer

Reporting can feel pointless when you want your money back now. But it serves two important purposes: it strengthens your case with your bank or provider, and it helps law enforcement spot patterns (accounts, numbers, websites) that keep harming others.

Also, reporting creates a paper trail. When you’re tired and stressed, that paper trail is what keeps your story consistent.

Report to Action Fraud, then use your reference number everywhere

UK reporting changed recently. As of January 2026, the national reporting route has moved to Report Fraud (run by the City of London Police) for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and you can report by phone on 0300 123 2040.

You may still see older references to Action Fraud, and some services may still direct you there. If you do use it, keep the details handy. The phone number often quoted is 0333 000 0724.

If you need a starting point for reporting and guidance, Action Fraud’s main site may still redirect you to the right place.

Whichever route you use, collect your reference number and use it everywhere:

• Your bank or building society
• PayPal or your card provider
• Any formal complaints you raise

They’ll usually ask for your timeline, the payee details, how you were approached, and what evidence you’ve saved. Feeling embarrassed is normal, but it doesn’t help you recover funds. Treat it like reporting a stolen bike: it’s a crime, not a personal failure.

If your bank refuses or drags its feet, complain in writing and escalate to the Financial Ombudsman

If your bank says “you authorised it, so that’s that”, don’t stop there. Ask them to explain the decision in writing, including what they considered and what they didn’t.

A simple escalation ladder in the UK looks like this:

1. Raise a formal complaint with the bank (in-app message is fine if it creates a record).
2. Wait for their final response, or until 8 weeks have passed.
3. If unresolved, take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service (free).

In your complaint, keep it focused. Include:

• Your timeline (bullet points work well)
• A list of evidence you have
• The Action Fraud or Report Fraud reference number (if you have it)
• What outcome you want (refund, reimbursement review, written explanation)
• Any missed warnings or odd payment patterns (for example, a first-time transfer to a new payee, a large amount, or unusual urgency)

If you need to escalate, the Financial Ombudsman’s page on fraud and scams explains what they can look at and how they assess whether a bank acted fairly.

Conclusion

If you’ve accidentally sent money to a scammer, the best response is an ordered one: act fast, contact your bank or provider, save proof, then use the right recovery route for how you paid. After that, report it, keep every reference number in one place, and escalate if you get blocked or brushed off.

Once the urgent part is handled, adopt a few habits that cut risk. Pause before sending money, verify using a trusted number you find yourself, never share one-time codes, and turn on banking alerts so unusual payments don’t slip by. Share these steps with someone you care about, because scams spread through silence. Speed and records give you your best shot.