I Think I Have Been Scammed What to Do Next

I think I have been scammed can be a difficult thing to say, but you can act before you know every detail. This guide helps people in Ireland respond to money loss, exposed information, account access and blackmail. The deception is the offender’s responsibility, and asking for help is a useful first step.

If someone faces immediate danger, call 112 or 999. Otherwise, stop replying and do not send more money, codes or images. If money, a card or banking access is involved, contact your bank or payment provider immediately through its official app or trusted contact details.

I think I have been scammed: start here

Use the response route that matches what happened. In the FTC’s updated 30 June 2026 recovery guidance, people who gave account details are advised to change reused passwords and enable multifactor authentication. People who gave remote access should update and run trusted security software, then check sensitive accounts. For Irish bank transfers or card exposure, contact the bank’s official fraud service promptly and discuss whether payments can be stopped or challenged. If someone has threatened a child or shared intimate images, use the separate safeguarding and Garda reporting routes explained below.

Scam response: identify what happened first. If money, card details or bank access are involved, contact the provider immediately through a number or app you already trust. If a password or verification code was shared, secure that account using a trusted device and check active sessions. If an app permission or remote-control tool was approved, investigate and revoke that access through official support. If you face threats or immediate physical danger, contact Gardaí, using 112 or 999 for emergencies. These situations may overlap, so address the most urgent exposure first.

• Stop the contact. End the call or conversation and do not follow further instructions.
• Contact the provider that can act. Start with your bank for money or payment access, and the platform for an affected account.
• Use a trusted route. Open the app yourself or use contact details obtained independently.
• Keep safe evidence. Note usernames, links, dates, messages and payment references. Do not download or forward sexual images of children.
• Tell someone you trust. You do not have to handle the situation alone.

Garda fraud guidance advises prompt reporting to the bank where relevant and to a local Garda station. You do not need to wait until a loss is certain. However, reporting does not guarantee a refund, arrest or recovery.

Scam response for money and payments

Explain what you sent, when you sent it and how you paid. Tell the provider if someone guided you through the transaction or still has access. Ask what it can do immediately to protect the account and attempt recovery.

• Bank transfer: contact the sending bank and ask whether it can stop or recall the payment.
• Card payment or exposed card details: ask the card issuer about blocking further use, replacement and any available dispute process.
• Payment app: report through the provider’s official support and contact the linked bank or card issuer where relevant.
• Gift card: contact the issuer promptly and keep the card and receipt.
• Cryptocurrency: contact the exchange or service used, and keep wallet addresses and transaction references. Do not pay a stranger to release supposedly recovered funds.

The FTC’s response guide describes practical actions for different payment methods. Its legal protections and reporting directions concern the United States. In Ireland, ask your provider which process applies to your payment and keep its written response. For repeat charges, Subscription Traps, Fake Trials and Prize Offers explains the different billing and cancellation routes.

If a caller claims your bank needs you to move money to protect it, end that contact. Reach the bank independently and explain the request. Do not make another transfer while someone claiming to be an investigator supervises you.

Scam response after sharing a password

A changed password may not remove every path into an account. The UK National Cyber Security Centre advises checking email filters and forwarding rules, because an intruder may have arranged to receive copies of account messages. Review signed-in sessions, linked devices, recovery contact details and authorised applications through the provider’s official security settings. Then change affected and reused passwords, enable multifactor authentication and sign out unfamiliar sessions. If you cannot secure the account safely, use the provider’s official recovery process.

Use a trusted device and open the service’s official recovery page or app yourself. Start with the affected account and any other account using the same password. Protect email early because it may receive recovery links for other services.

• Recover access through the provider if you cannot sign in.
• Change the exposed password and replace reused copies on other accounts.
• Review signed in devices and sessions using the provider’s security instructions.
• Check recovery details and email rules for unfamiliar addresses, forwarding or filters.
• Enable supported passkeys or additional login protection and store recovery information securely.
• Warn affected contacts through a safe route if someone is impersonating you.

Ireland’s NCSC account security booklet explains passwords, passkeys and extra login protection. Our Protecting Personal Information Online guide provides wider context. Menu names vary, so use the current instructions for the exact service. The UK NCSC account recovery guide also covers email forwarding and active sessions. For a fuller response, use Account Takeover, Identity Theft and Fake Technical Support.

Scam help after approving access

However, a password change may not remove every form of access. For example, an app permission can allow continued access to email or files. Similarly, a linked messaging device may remain connected until you remove it.

The FBI’s consent phishing alert explains how a deceptive request can lead to approval on a legitimate permission screen. Follow the provider’s instructions to revoke unwanted app access and review linked devices. If you cannot identify or remove it, contact official support and explain the approval you made.

If you allowed remote access

Stop using the affected device for banking or password changes while access remains uncertain. For example, if someone is controlling it now, disconnect it from the internet. Use another trusted device to contact your bank and arrange help through the device manufacturer or a trusted professional.

• Tell the support provider which app you installed and what the caller could see or do.
• Ask for help removing unwanted remote access and checking the device.
• Update security software and run an appropriate scan.
• Review important accounts from a trusted device, including passwords, sessions and recovery details.
• Keep the app name, messages and payment records without reconnecting to the caller.

ASD’s Australian Cyber Security Centre warns about remote access impersonation and advises notifying the bank after device access. Its Australian reporting channels do not replace Garda reporting. Uninstalling one app alone does not establish that all account access has ended.

Scam help for exposed identity documents

First, write down which documents or details you shared and with whom. Contact the issuing organisation through its official service and ask what precautions fit the document involved. Also tell your bank if the information could affect financial accounts.

In addition, review unfamiliar account messages and report suspected misuse to Gardaí. Avoid sending another document to someone who contacts you claiming to verify the first one. Our personal information guide explains exposure response and privacy requests without promising that every copy can be retrieved.

Intimate image threats and blackmail

Do not pay, send more images or negotiate further. Tell a trusted person and report the account. A threat can involve a real image, a fabricated image or a claim that no image supports. You still deserve help. Our Sextortion and Financial Blackmail guide explains child and adult support routes.

• Keep non explicit evidence, such as usernames, demands, payment references and the time of contact.
• Block the offender and use the platform’s reporting tools.
• Report threats or suspected crime to your local Garda station.
• Do not download, forward or ask anyone to send sexual images of a child.
• Do not delete the entire account before obtaining advice about useful evidence and recovery.

For people living in the Republic of Ireland, Hotline.ie’s intimate image abuse service can help with reporting and requesting removal of images shared without consent. It cannot guarantee removal from everywhere or conduct a criminal investigation. Use Gardaí for threats and criminal reporting.

Choosing an image protection tool

NCMEC’s Take It Down supports eligible images taken when the person was under 18, including when they are older now. For example, it creates a digital fingerprint on the device for participating public or unencrypted platforms. Do not download, request or share an image to use it.

StopNCII.org has a different eligibility process for adults and images taken at 18 or older. Check its current requirements before starting. These tools work with participating services and cannot remove an image from the whole internet.

If the image exists only elsewhere, report the location and ask the official service for advice. Do not obtain a copy merely to use a tool. For a child, keep a trusted adult involved in choosing the appropriate response.

Been scammed? Keep safe evidence

• The account names, profile links, phone numbers and email addresses used.
• The original non explicit messages and the dates of contact.
• The payment method, amount, recipient details and transaction references.
• The website address and any advert or listing involved.
• The name of any installed app and the permissions or device links approved.
• A short timeline and any bank, platform or Garda reference numbers.

If you have been scammed, store evidence securely and avoid posting it publicly. Include what you know rather than guessing the offender’s identity. If content may be illegal or sexual and involves a child, ask Gardaí or the specialist reporting service how to preserve the relevant information safely.

Reporting when you are in Ireland

Contact your local Garda station for suspected fraud or threats. Garda reporting information explains reporting and emergency routes. Call 112 or 999 when someone needs an immediate emergency response.

Also report to the bank, payment provider or platform that can protect the affected service. However, these reports serve different purposes, so one does not automatically replace the others. Finally, record the response and any reference number.

International police and consumer agencies provide useful prevention guidance. However, their websites do not replace your bank or local Garda station as the first Irish response route. If another country is involved, tell Gardaí and the provider rather than assuming a report must start overseas.

Scam recovery promises and repeat targeting

The Central Bank’s fraud guidance warns about people who promise to recover lost funds for an upfront fee. They may impersonate officials or use convincing documents. Another request for money, identity information or account access can create further harm.

Verify any unexpected contact independently and do not accept a guaranteed recovery promise. However, a person knowing the details of the original loss does not prove that they can help. Keep the new contact for reporting and avoid discussing the case publicly. Read Recovery Scams and Repeat Targeting before trusting a new helper.

Scam help for a child or family member

Reassure them that you are glad they told you. Ask what happened and what they need help doing now, without demanding every detail at once. Avoid blaming them or threatening an immediate loss of independence.

A young person can find support through Childline. Our Useful Links and Support Resources directory provides further options. If someone is unsafe or extremely distressed, stay with them where possible and seek appropriate urgent help.

Frequently Asked Questions

I only opened a message. Must I reset everything?

Not automatically. Opening a message, entering a password, granting permissions and installing software are different actions. Tell official support exactly what you did so the response matches the exposure.

Will the bank refund me?

The answer depends on what happened, the payment and the applicable process. Contact the provider promptly and ask for its decision in writing. No guide or recovery company can guarantee the outcome.

Should I report an unsuccessful attempt?

Yes. Garda guidance encourages reporting attempted fraud. Report to the affected provider too, particularly if an account, payment method or personal information may still be exposed.

Related CODA guides

Learn about the pressure behind a request in Social Engineering: How Criminals Manipulate Us. Return to Scams and Fraud or Resources for Parents. For prevention, use the linked personal information and privacy guides.

References

An Garda Síochána: fraud. Irish reporting, attempts and financial provider contact.

FTC: what to do if you were scammed. Payment, account and device response options. US legal provisions are not Irish refund rules.

NCSC Ireland: online account security. Passwords, passkeys and additional authentication.

UK NCSC: recovering a hacked account. Provider recovery, forwarding rules and sessions. Use Irish reporting routes here.

FBI/IC3: consent phishing, September 2026. Why app permissions can persist after a password change.

ASD ACSC: remote access scams. Device access and bank contact advice, reviewed June 2026.

Hotline.ie: intimate image abuse. Republic of Ireland eligibility, help and service limits.

NCMEC: Take It Down. Eligibility based on age when the image was taken, precautions and limits.

StopNCII.org: frequently asked questions. Adult eligibility and tool limits.

An Garda Síochána: report a crime. Reporting and emergency information.

Central Bank of Ireland: financial services scams. Repeat targeting and fraudulent recovery schemes.

About Children of the Digital Age

Children of the Digital Age provides online safety education and training for families, schools and organisations. Our work connects practical cybersecurity with online behaviour and cyberpsychology. These guides support informed choices and appropriate specialist help.

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Last updated: 26 October 2026