What to Do if Your Parent Was Scammed: Steps by Payment Type

If your parent was scammed, act quickly and start with how the money was paid: call the bank, card company, gift card company or payment service used, and ask them to stop or reverse the payment. Then report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov. Most of all, support your parent without blame.

First: is the scam still happening?

• If a courier is coming to the door to collect money, call 911.
• Stop all contact with the scammer. Don’t answer their calls, texts or emails.
• If a scammer had remote access to a computer, disconnect it from the internet.

How do you stop the payment? Start with how it was paid

The FTC’s guide “What To Do if You Were Scammed” organizes next steps by payment type. Here is a short version.

Bank transfer, debit card or credit card

• Call the bank or card company on the number on the back of the card.
• Tell them it was fraud and ask them to stop or reverse the payment.
• Ask about changing account numbers and passwords.

Gift cards

• Contact the company that issued the gift card right away.
• Tell them the card was used in a scam and ask for a refund.
• Keep the card and the receipt.

Wire transfer

• Contact the wire transfer company or bank that sent it.
• Report the fraud and ask them to reverse the transfer.

Cryptocurrency

• Contact the company you used to send the crypto, such as the exchange or kiosk operator, and tell them it was fraud.
• Report it at ic3.gov. Crypto payments are hard to reverse, so report them quickly.

Cash sent through the mail

• Contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 and ask them to intercept the package.

Cash sent by a delivery company

• Contact the delivery company right away with the tracking number.

Where should you report it?

• ReportFraud.ftc.gov, run by the FTC.
• ic3.gov, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
• The National Elder Fraud Hotline, 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311), Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm ET. Case managers can help with reporting and next steps. Scammers sometimes pretend to be this hotline, so dial the number yourself.
• Your local police, especially if a courier came to the home.

Before you call, write down what you know: dates, phone numbers, amounts, how money was paid, and any names the scammers used.

How do you avoid a second scam?

People who were scammed are often targeted again. Watch for:

• Calls offering to recover the money for a fee.
• Callers who claim to be from a government agency, a law firm or even the Elder Fraud Hotline.
• Requests for more money to “release” funds or close a case.

Real government agencies don’t charge a fee to help you recover money.

How can you support your parent?

A scam can bring shame, fear and grief. Your parent may not want to talk about it.

• Say clearly that it isn’t their fault.
• Avoid questions like “How could you fall for that?”
• Thank them for telling you.
• Make a plan together for next time, such as calling you before sending money.
• The AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline, 877-908-3360, offers support for victims and families.

What can help next time?

Many scams start with an unknown call. FamilyDefender checks those calls while they happen, can warn your parent if a call looks risky, and alerts you so you can step in.