What to Do in the First Hour After a Scam

If you've just realized you've been scammed, take a breath. You're not alone, and there are clear steps you can take right now to limit the damage. The first hour is the most important — here's what to do, in order.

Minutes 0–10: Stop the bleeding

If you sent money, call your bank immediately. Use the number on the back of your card — not a number the scammer gave you. Ask the bank to:

• Stop or recall the transfer
• Freeze your card
• Flag the transaction as fraudulent

The faster you call, the better the chance the bank can intercept the transfer before it's gone for good.

If you shared an OTP or password, change that password right now from a different, trusted device. Then enable two-factor authentication on the account if you haven't already.

Minutes 10–20: Secure your accounts

Work through every account that might be affected:

• Change passwords for any account that uses the same password you shared
• Enable 2FA on every account that offers it
• Check recent login activity for anything you don't recognize
• Revoke any suspicious connected apps or sessions

If you installed an app a stranger told you to install, uninstall it immediately and run a trusted security scan.

Minutes 20–35: Preserve evidence

Do not delete anything. Before you block the scammer or close a chat, capture everything:

• Screenshot all messages, including the scammer's profile and phone number
• Save any links, payment requests, or transaction confirmations
• Note the dates, times, and amounts involved
• Export chat histories if the platform allows it

This evidence is critical for your bank, for official reports, and for any future investigation.

Minutes 35–50: Report to the authorities

Report the incident to your country's official cybercrime or fraud authority. In the United States, that's the FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov) and the FBI's IC3 (ic3.gov). In India, use the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) and call 1930. In the UK, report to Action Fraud (actionfraud.police.uk). GoCheckAI's action plan automatically includes the right channels for your country.

Minutes 50–60: Protect yourself going forward

• Block the scammer on every channel — phone, email, social media, messaging apps
• Warn family and close contacts in case the scammer tries to impersonate you
• Place a fraud alert on your credit file if identity details were exposed
• Watch for "recovery agents" — people who contact you claiming they can get your money back for a fee. They are almost always scammers themselves.

You don't have to figure this out alone

GoCheckAI turns a confusing situation into a clear, prioritized action plan tailored to your country and your specific scam type. Answer a few questions and you'll have a step-by-step plan in minutes — from panic to action.

Remember: being scammed is not your fault. Scammers are professionals. What matters now is that you act quickly, preserve evidence, and report to the right authorities.