I just sent a wire transfer to a scammer. What do I do?

Call your bank's wire department IMMEDIATELY and request a SWIFT recall. You have 24-72 hours for the best chance of recovery. Say: 'I am a victim of fraud and need to initiate a SWIFT recall on a wire transfer. This is time-critical.' Then file reports with FBI IC3 (ic3.gov) and FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov).

Can I get my money back from a credit card scam?

Yes, credit cards have strong protection under the Fair Credit Billing Act. Call your credit card company and request a 'chargeback' for fraud. You typically have 60-120 days to dispute. Your maximum liability is $50 for unauthorized charges.

Where do I report fraud?

Report to: FBI IC3 (ic3.gov) for internet crimes, FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov) for all fraud, CFPB (consumerfinance.gov/complaint) for financial institution issues, and your local police for a report number. File with ALL relevant agencies.

You Are Not Alone

Free resources and support for fraud victims

$8.8B

Lost to Fraud (2022)

2.4M

Reports Filed

⚖️ IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

This is an informational resource, NOT legal or financial advice.

We are not lawyers, financial advisors, or law enforcement
Every situation is different — consult professionals for your specific case
Recovery is never guaranteed
We do not charge fees or accept donations

🚨 RECOVERY SCAM WARNING

We will NEVER: Ask for payment, request banking info, promise guaranteed recovery, or contact you first. If anyone claims to be from this site asking for money — IT'S A SCAM. Report it immediately.

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Emergency

📝

Report Fraud

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Evidence Help

🏠

ATH Victims

🔔 Alerts

⚠️ ACTIVE SCAM

Recovery Scams Targeting Victims

Scammers contact fraud victims promising to recover money for upfront fees. NO legitimate service asks for payment first.

📢 CONTRACTOR FRAUD

Anchored Tiny Homes (ATH)

450+ victims, $12.8M+ losses. Bankruptcy proceedings active. See ATH section for filing help.

🏠 Anchored Tiny Homes Victims

⚠️ ATH FRAUD CASE STATUS

450+ victims | $12.8M+ in losses | FBI investigation active

Company filed bankruptcy - Eastern District of California
Colton, Austin, and Scott Paulhus named
CSLB license suspended August 2024
Criminal investigation ongoing

📋

File Proof of Claim

Bankruptcy court deadline

To potentially recover funds, you must file a "Proof of Claim" with the bankruptcy court.

Create account at PACER.gov
Search for ATH bankruptcy case
Download Official Form 410
Attach your contract, payments, communications
File before deadline

⚖️

Adversary Proceeding

For fraud-based claims

If you believe fraud occurred, you may file an "Adversary Proceeding" under 11 USC § 523(a)(2) to argue the debt should NOT be dischargeable.

Consider consulting an attorney for adversary proceedings. Some work on contingency for fraud cases.

🏛️

CA Victims Fund

Potential state compensation

California's Victims of Corporate Fraud Compensation Fund may provide up to $50,000 per victim with a final judgment.

Requirements: CA resident, final judgment, 18-month filing deadline after judgment.

📞

Report to CSLB

California Contractors Board

📚 Report Fraud

File reports with ALL relevant agencies. Each report builds the case and increases chances of investigation. Keep all confirmation numbers.

🚨

Emergency Hotlines

📞 Elder Fraud: (833) 372-8311 📞 ID Theft: (877) 438-2338

Official Reporting Sites

🏛️

FBI IC3

ic3.gov — Internet crimes

→
📋

FTC Report Fraud

reportfraud.ftc.gov

→
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CFPB

Bank/financial complaints

→
🔨

CA Contractors (CSLB)

Construction fraud

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Recovery Guides

⚡

Wire Transfer Recall

Act within 24-72 hours

→
💳

Credit Card Chargeback

60-120 days to dispute

→
🏧

Bank Account Fraud

Regulation E protection

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📋 Evidence Organizer

Why this matters: Organized evidence makes police reports 10x faster to file and increases investigation priority. Check off items as you collect them.

Essential Evidence Checklist

Screenshots of ALL communications

Emails, texts, social media, apps

Payment records

Bank statements, receipts, confirmations

Contracts or agreements

Anything you signed or received

Scammer's contact info

Names, emails, phones, addresses, websites

Timeline of events

Dates of contact, payments, promises

Police report filed

Get the report number

FBI IC3 report filed

Save confirmation number

FTC report filed

Save confirmation

Bank notified

Get case/reference number

📅

Timeline Builder

Document sequence of events

🧮

Recovery Estimator

Understand your options

Recovery depends on payment method, timing, and other factors. This tool provides general guidance only.

💬 Support

🛡️ COMMUNITY SAFETY

This bulletin board is read-only and moderated. We do NOT allow direct messaging between users to protect against recovery scams. Never share personal/financial info in comments.

You are not alone. Millions of people are scammed every year. It's not your fault — these criminals are professionals. Finding others who understand can help with recovery.

Support Resources

👥

AARP Fraud Watch

Free helpline: 877-908-3360

✅ HOPE

Recovery is possible

Many victims successfully recover funds, especially with credit cards and quick wire recalls. Don't give up. Document everything and file reports.

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