What To Do If You Are Scammed

If you think you’ve been scammed, you’re probably panicking. Unfortunately, financial scams are on the increase—in fact, 34% of people have experienced cyber scams during the past 12 months. 

Today we’ll dive into some of the most common scam questions that we get at Bank of the James and offer tips on what to do if you’re currently experiencing one.

What Do I Do If I Think I’ve Been Scammed?

Scammers can be very convincing.  There are multiple ways they can try to get to you to access your money, your identity, or sensitive personal information. They can call, email, or text to try and engage with you. Here are some of the most common financial scams and what to do if you’re experiencing them:

What Do I Do If I Think I’ve Been Scammed?

Payments with credit, debit, or gift card

If you’ve experienced a scam after paying with a credit, debit, or gift card, contact the institution that issued the card. Tell them it was a fraudulent charge, used in a scam, and request that the transaction be reversed or that you get reimbursed. If you have them, keep the gift card and receipt. Please be advised that unfortunately, this may not always be reversible.

 

Unauthorized wire transfer

If a scammer made an unauthorized transfer from your bank account, contact your bank and tell them it was an unauthorized debit, transfer, or withdrawal. Many times, your bank will have already contacted you to be certain that the transfer was authorized – if this happens, your bank is looking out for you and already has suspicions about the withdrawal or transfer. 

 

Money transfer apps

If you’ve been scammed after you transferred money to someone through an app, report the fraudulent transaction to the company behind the app. Ask them to reverse the payment.  If you linked the app to a credit or debit card, report the fraud to the issuer of the card as well.

 

Wire transfers through companies

If you’ve sent a wire transfer through a company like Western Union or MoneyGram, contact the wire transfer company and tell them it was a fraudulent transfer.  Request that they reverse the transfer. Here are the phone numbers for MoneyGram and Western Union:

MoneyGram:          1-800-926-9400

Western Union:      1-800-448-1492

 

Identity theft

If you’ve given a scammer your Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov to see what steps to take, including how to monitor and protect your credit. Identity theft is serious and action should be taken immediately to prevent credit damage or deeper issues.

If you’ve shared your login credentials with a scammer, immediately change your usernames and passwords to a strong alternative. Consider installing multi-factor authentication on apps or websites that offer it for better protection than a strong password alone. If apps offer unique security features, consider installing or accepting them to prevent future fraud.

 

Cell phone numbers 

If a scammer has taken control of your cell phone number or account, contact your phone service provider and immediately change your password.  Because many of us have banking mobile apps on our phones or other devices, change these passwords as well and check your accounts for any unauthorized charges or changes.  Report these to your financial institution.

 

Remote computer access

If you think that a scammer has remote access to your computer, update your computer’s security software, run a scan, and delete anything it identifies as a problem.  If you are unsure about how to run these updates, contact a reputable computer advisor and ask for help.  Check www.consumer.ftc.gov for more steps to protect your personal information.

Reporting Fraud and Scams

In ANY of the above scenarios, it is always advisable to contact both your financial institution and the Federal Trade Commission (ReportFraud.ftc.gov) to report scams or fraud.  It may also be advisable to put a temporary credit freeze on your credit report through Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax. Here are their phone numbers:

Experian                  888-397-3742
TransUnion             800-916-8800
Equifax                    888-298-0045

If You Think You’ve Been Scammed, Bank of the James Is Here For You. 

At Bank of the James, we understand that scams are serious. We’re committed to helping our customers learn how to avoid scams to the best of their ability, as well provide resources to recover from already committed scams.

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