What To Do If You Become The Victim Of A Scam Or Fraud
Once you've established that you're the victim of a scam or fraud, don't beat yourself up--and don't send any more money to the scammers. Stay focused on the tasks ahead so you can recover as much of your money and personal information as possible. Here's what you can do.
CHECK YOUR INSURANCE POLICY
If you have identity theft insurance, call your provider right away. Your insurance provider will be able to help walk you through the steps of recovery.
Even some checking accounts have benefits like identity theft monitoring. If you get an alert that you’re the victim of fraud, take it seriously and act quickly.
NOTIFY IMPACTED COMPANIES
You need to immediately ensure the scammers are cut off from having access to your accounts. Contact your credit union or bank and any of your credit card companies so they can help you freeze or close your accounts and make new ones. If scammers have used your personal information to open accounts with other companies, contact their fraud departments and follow their instructions.
GATHER DOCUMENTATION
Once you realize you’ve become the victim of a scam or fraud, write down a timeline of the events. Take screenshots of any conversations you’ve had with the scammer and what date and time they took place. Take note of the names the scammers used and how they contacted you. Collect any receipts or statements if your credit card was involved and record of any money transfers.
REPORT THE CRIME
The longer you wait to report the crime, the more that can potentially be stolen from you. And, as long as the scammers aren’t caught, more people could also become victims. Report what happened to the Federal Trade Commission. The information from your report is used to help with investigations.
You should also report the crime to other authorities. If the fraud happened within your local area, report it to the police and district attorney. If you plan to file an insurance claim for fraud losses, file a police report and also contact the state’s attorney general.
PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN
After becoming a victim of a scam or fraud, it’s important to learn what to look for to ensure it never happens again. Retrace the steps of how you became a victim of a scam or fraud. Were there red flags you missed? Take the time to learn about how to spot a scam.
When you bank with INOVA Federal, we help you protect your money. With our Shield Checking account, you get an identity theft monitoring and resolution service. As an INOVA member, we will never ask you for your account information through email. If you receive a message claiming to be from INOVA, please contact us immediately by calling 800-826-5465.