I think I may have been scammed. What should I do now?

Scammers are good at what they do, and they are very good at extracting highly personal and secure information. They will sound professional and knowledgeable. They may also give you what appears to be a legitimate web address, a real business address, and charity information that sounds valid. It is not uncommon to fall victim to charity scams, so it is important to know what to do if you have.

 

Start by making an assessment of the situation:

  • How did you pay/make your contribution? if you paid with a credit card or debit card, immediately call the company or bank that issued the card to report a fraudulent charge.
  • Did you send a wire transfer either through your bank or a company like Western Union? Contact your bank or the wire transfer company to report a fraudulent transfer.
  • Did you pay with a gift card? Contact the company who issued the gift card to report the scam.`
  • Did you pay with cryptocurrency? Contact the company from which you transferred the currency to report a fraudulent transaction.
  • Did you pay with cash? You can attempt to track your payment through the U.S. Postal Inspection Service or, if you sent money through a different service, contact the company to try and track the payment.
  • Did you give your social security number or a username and password to any type of personal accounts? Start by visiting Identitytheft.gov to see what the next steps are. If you gave out a username and password, immediately change the login information to a new username/password that is strong. If you have used the same password elsewhere, be sure to change it there as well.

Prevention Resources

What to do if you suspect a scam or if you’re the victim of a scam:

IMMEDIATELY contact your financial advisor or contact Schwab Alliance at (800) 515-2157

Learn more about scams:

LEARN MORE IN ONLINE SAFETY