Romance or investment scam: what to do if you sent money

1. Stop all communication with the scammer immediately — do not confront them or tell them you know.

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   Why this matters: confronting a scammer often triggers extortion (they may have intimate photos, recorded calls, or access to your accounts) and gives them time to delete the evidence you'll need for a fraud report. Just go silent.

2. Preserve disappearing evidence — screenshot every Snapchat / WhatsApp / Telegram message right now before it vanishes.

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   Scammers favour Snapchat, WhatsApp and Telegram precisely because messages disappear, leaving you with no proof. Open the chat now and screenshot everything: the scammer's profile, username/handle, phone number, every message where they asked for money or crypto, and any transaction confirmations. On Snapchat, screenshots normally notify the other person — that no longer matters because you are cutting contact. Save the screenshots to a folder you can email to your bank and to law enforcement.

3. Call your credit-card issuer, bank, wire provider, or gift-card company's fraud line right now to report the fraud and request a reversal where possible.

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   Credit card chargebacks have the strongest reversal odds. Wires can sometimes be recalled within 24–72 hours. Gift cards (Apple, Google Play, Steam) can occasionally be frozen if reported very quickly. Crypto transfers to a personal wallet are effectively irreversible — but exchanges sometimes freeze funds if notified before withdrawal.

1. If you gave the scammer any passwords or remote access to your computer, change those passwords from a clean device and run a full malware scan.

2. Document everything before it disappears: screenshot every conversation, profile, transaction receipt, and crypto wallet address.

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   Scammers often delete profiles and chats once they realize they've been caught. Capture: profile pages, full chat threads (scroll through everything), receipts/confirmation emails, and any crypto transaction hashes (TXIDs) — those are permanent and useful for blockchain tracing.

3. Report the scammer's profile on the original dating or social app where you first met.

   FTC: What to Know About Romance Scams
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   Scammers almost always pull victims off the original dating app (Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, Facebook, Instagram) onto Snapchat or WhatsApp so they don't get banned where they recruit new targets. Going back to the original app and reporting the profile is what gets them removed and protects the next victim.

4. Report the scammer's account inside Snapchat / WhatsApp / Telegram for 'Scam or Fraud'.

   Snap: Reporting Abuse
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   Reporting in-app triggers a Trust & Safety review, and the platform can preserve the account data for law enforcement even if the scammer tries to delete it. On Snapchat: long-press the chat → Manage Friendship → Report. Choose 'Scam or Fraud'.

1. 🇺🇸 US

   File a report with the FTC and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

   ReportFraud.ftc.govIC3.gov
2. 🇨🇦 CA

   Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

   antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca1-888-495-8501
3. 🇮🇪 IE

   Report at your local Garda station and get the PULSE incident number, then give it to your bank.

   Garda station directoryFraudSMART
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   Ireland has no scam-text forwarding number. Mark scam texts as spam, block the sender, and don't reply.

4. Reach out for support — falling for these scams is not a sign of weakness; they are professional psychological manipulators. Consider talking to a trusted friend or a victim support group like AARP's Fraud Watch helpline.

   AARP Fraud Watch · 1-877-908-3360

1. Treat any unsolicited investment, romance, or 'guaranteed return' contact from someone you've never met in person as a scam by default.

2. Never send crypto, gift cards, or wires to anyone you haven't met face to face.

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