What to Do After an Online Scam: The Steps in Order

Getting caught out can happen to anyone, including careful people. What matters is to react quickly and in the right order: the sooner you act, the better your chances of limiting the damage. Here are the steps to follow, with reference points that apply in France.

1. Protect yourself immediately

• If you shared banking details, call your bank right away to block the card, and write down the registration number.
• Change the passwords of the accounts concerned, starting with your email, then turn on two-factor authentication.
• If you gave access to your computer or phone to a fake “support” agent, cut the connection and have the device checked.

2. Gather the evidence

Before the listing or the site disappears, take screenshots: the listing, the payment page, message exchanges, the site's address, emails, proof of payment, the bank statement. Note the dates, the amounts and the seller's name or username.

3. Dispute the payment with your bank

For a card payment you didn't authorize, the bank must in principle refund the fraudulent amounts to you quickly, within a limit of 13 months (a shorter period applies outside the European Economic Area). For a purchase you did make but that was never delivered, or that doesn't match the description, also contact your bank to ask what it can do. For a transfer that you validated yourself, the chances of getting the money back are much lower: contact your bank without delay.

4. Report the scam

• In France: the Pharos platform (internet-signalement.gouv.fr) for fraudulent content and sites, and Perceval for bank card fraud.
• For text messages: 33700; for emails: Signal Spam.
• For a dispute with a merchant: Signal Conso (DGCCRF).
• To get help with your steps: cybermalveillance.gouv.fr.
• Also report the listing or the seller to the platform where you found it.

5. File a police complaint if necessary

You can file a complaint with the police or the gendarmerie, bringing your evidence. The complaint receipt is often requested by the bank or the insurer. Even if the culprit is rarely found, the complaint feeds investigations and protects other victims.

6. If the dispute stays stuck

For a dispute with a bank, you can turn to the banking ombudsman. For a dispute with a merchant, some businesses must offer a consumer mediator. If the amount is significant, a lawyer or a consumer association can point you in the right direction.

7. Watch out for the second scam

After a first scam, you may be contacted by fake “fund recovery services” that promise to get your money back in return for an advance payment. Never pay to recover lost money: it's a very common scam pattern.