Gift cards, wires, payment apps, and cryptocurrency are common because they are hard to reverse. That does not mean you should wait. Tell the company it was fraud, keep the receipts, and report the incident. Then do not send a second payment to anyone who says they can get the first payment back.
RingMyTech can help you find the official pages and read the instructions on the screen. We cannot force a refund, freeze a bank account, or act as your lawyer or your bank. For the wider set of next steps, use Scam help.
Contact the company that has the money
If you bought gift cards, contact the company named on the card and tell them the cards were bought because of a scam. If you still have the cards and have not read the numbers to the caller, do that immediately and do not send the numbers. If you wired money, call the wire service. If you used a bank transfer or a payment app, call that company using a number from your statement or from the app you installed yourself.
Ask what they can still stop. Write down the name of the person you spoke with and the time. Save screenshots and receipts. You will need them for the report.
Report it in the official places
Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Report internet crime to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov. If a Social Security number, an identity document, or an email account is also involved, start at IdentityTheft.gov. If the story used Medicare, Social Security, or the Postal Service, use that agency's own scam page as well.
A police report may be appropriate where you live. RingMyTech cannot tell you whether a local report is required. We can help you open a page and read it.
Refuse the recovery scam
After a loss, another caller or email may offer to recover the money for an upfront fee, a tax, or a second gift card. The FTC tells people to ignore those offers. The person may know the details of the first scam because they are connected to it, or because you described it. That knowledge is not proof they can help.
Do not give them remote access to "trace the funds." The checks are on remote-access scams.
Tell one person you trust
Secrecy is how these continue. Tell a family member or a friend what happened, even if the original caller said not to. If you want that person involved in future technology questions, you decide that through Care Circle. Shame is common. It is not a reason to send more money.
When you are ready, the prevention habits live in the Scam Awareness Center. You do not have to read them the same day you make the reports.
Unsure whether something is legitimate?
Read the message as it is. You do not have to decide alone, and you do not have to click first.
Sources
RingMyTech explains these topics in plain language. The agencies below publish the primary guidance.