Parent Lost Money to a Scam? What to Do in the First 24 Hours

If your parent just lost money to a scam, the first call goes to whoever moved the money: the bank, card issuer, payment app, wire company, gift card company or crypto ATM operator, using a number you find yourself. Ask them to stop, reverse or freeze the payment. Then cut off the scammer's access to your parent's phone, computer and accounts, and file reports with local police, the FBI's IC3 and the FTC. If your parent is 60 or older, the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 can help. Speed matters most in the first few hours.

This is the plan for after the money is gone. For how these calls work and how to prepare your parent, see our guides to the grandparent scam and setting up a family safe word.

Hour one: stop the scam from growing

Scammers rarely stop after one payment, so first make sure nothing more goes out.

• End contact. No more calls, texts or emails with the scammer, even ones promising to "fix" things.
• No more payments for any reason, including a fee to "release" a refund.
• Unplug the computer if anyone was given access to it.
• Don't delete anything. Texts, call logs, receipts and the gift cards themselves are evidence.

Then write down what happened while it's fresh. Ten minutes now saves your parent from retelling it six times.

• How much went out, how, and at what time
• Every phone number, email address, website or app name the scammer used
• Receipt numbers, confirmation numbers, gift card numbers, crypto wallet addresses or tracking numbers
• Anything else your parent shared: Social Security number, bank logins, a code texted to their phone, a debit card number
• A description of anyone who came to the house, and their car

Hours 1 to 3: call whoever moved the money

Use the number on the back of the card, on a bank statement, or on the company's own website. Never use a number the scammer gave, or one from a pop-up or a text.

This follows the FTC's page on what to do if you were scammed. The details that matter are below.

Bank transfer, Zelle or a payment app

Here's the part that surprises families. Federal rules on electronic transfers, called Regulation E, protect people from unauthorized transfers. The CFPB's guidance on electronic fund transfers says that covers a scammer who tricked your parent into handing over login information, a texted confirmation code or a debit card number and then moved the money themselves. In those cases the bank has to investigate, and your parent's carelessness can't be held against them beyond what the rules allow.

The harder case is when your parent pressed "send" themselves because a convincing liar told them to. Banks often treat that as an authorized payment (sometimes called an authorized push payment), which generally falls outside those protections. Some banks refund anyway. Many don't.

So be precise on the call. If the scammer ever had your parent's login, a texted code, a card number or remote control of their computer, say so plainly and ask the bank to treat the transfer as unauthorized. Ask for a formal error investigation and follow up in writing. The CFPB notes that Regulation E gives consumers 60 days after the bank sends the statement showing the transfer to report it, but don't wait for the statement. Speed also shrinks your parent's share of the loss: under the liability rules in Regulation E, the limit is lowest when the bank hears within two business days of your parent learning that a card, PIN or login was stolen or given away. If the bank's answer seems wrong, you can submit a complaint to the CFPB.

Wire transfers

The CFPB puts it plainly: wiring money is like sending cash, and once it's sent you usually can't get it back. Usually isn't always.

The FBI's 2025 IC3 annual report says time is of the essence: contact the bank immediately and ask for a recall of the funds, then file at ic3.gov with the full transaction details, whatever the amount. The IC3's Recovery Asset Team works with banks to try to freeze the money, and the report says tech support and account takeover scams were its most common cases involving victims 60 and older. A freeze only works while the money is still sitting somewhere it can be reached, so make both calls today.

Credit and debit cards

Call the issuer right away and say the charge was the result of fraud. For a credit card, the CFPB says to also send a written billing error notice within 60 days after the charge appeared on the statement, and keep copies. Ask for a new card number while you're at it.

Gift cards

Call the company that issued the card, using the number on the back, and tell them a scammer got the card number and PIN. If the scammer hasn't spent the balance yet, the company may be able to freeze it. The FTC's gift card scam page keeps a list of how to reach the major gift card companies, and it says to keep the cards and store receipts and take a photo of both.

Cryptocurrency or a crypto ATM

Report it to the exchange or the crypto ATM operator (the company name and phone number are usually on the machine and the paper receipt) and ask them to freeze or reverse the transaction. The CFPB notes that crypto payments don't come with legal protections, and you usually can't get the money back unless the person you paid sends it back. Report it to IC3 with the wallet address and transaction ID from the receipt.

Cash by mail or courier

If your parent mailed cash through the Postal Service, call the US Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 now. A package that hasn't been delivered can sometimes be intercepted for a fee. Cash handed to someone at the door goes straight to the police, with the time, a description and any plate number your parent or a neighbor noticed.

A check

Ask the bank for a stop payment. The CFPB says to contact the bank right away, that there may be a fee, and that in most states a written stop payment request made before the check clears lasts six months. Since the check shows the account number, ask whether a new account is safer.

Hours 3 to 8: lock the doors behind them

Getting money back is one job. Making sure the scammer can't take more is the other, and families often skip it.

Remove any remote access

Fake tech support and "your account was hacked" calls often start by getting your parent to install a program that lets the scammer control the computer. The FBI's warning about "Phantom Hacker" scams describes exactly this, followed by a fake bank employee telling the victim to move money to a "safe" account. If that happened, uninstall the program, run a security scan, and have someone you trust check or reset the device. Then change passwords from a different device you know is clean, and tell the bank the scammer had remote access.

Change passwords and protect the phone number

Email comes first, since whoever controls it can reset everything else. Then banking, investment accounts and the cell phone account, where it's worth asking the carrier to add a PIN or passcode so nobody can move your parent's number to a new phone. Turn on two-step login with codes going to a phone your parent keeps with them. If your family has been meaning to write down where your parent's accounts and logins live, our guide to digital estate planning for parents walks through a safe way to do it.

Check for new accounts and freeze credit

Look through recent statements for anything unfamiliar, and pull your parent's credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com, which USAGov calls the only federally authorized site for free reports (1-877-322-8228).

If your parent gave out a Social Security number, date of birth or bank details, place a credit freeze at all three bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. USAGov explains that a freeze is free and stops new credit from being opened in your parent's name, that online or phone requests take effect within one business day, and that it can be lifted within an hour when your parent needs to apply for something.

Then report it at IdentityTheft.gov (1-877-438-4338). USAGov points identity theft victims there for a list of recovery steps.

Hours 8 to 24: file the reports

Reports rarely bring money back on their own, but they create the paper trail banks and investigators ask for. Roughly in this order:

1. Local police. Get the report number and the officer's name. Banks and card issuers often ask for it.
2. FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov. Include every transaction detail from your notes. For wires, do this first thing rather than last.
3. FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
4. National Elder Fraud Hotline, 1-833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311), for victims 60 and older. The Justice Department's Office for Victims of Crime says a case manager helps with reporting at the federal, state and local levels and stays your point of contact. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.
5. Adult Protective Services, when it fits. If someone your parent knows is involved, if the scam has been going on for weeks, or if your parent may not be able to protect themselves, call APS. The Justice Department's Elder Justice Initiative points families to APS through the National Adult Protective Services Association's state directory, or the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.

The FBI's 2025 IC3 report counted 201,266 complaints from people 60 and older that year, with losses in the billions of dollars. Your parent has a lot of company, and it's worth telling them so.

How to talk to your parent about it

Your parent is probably mortified. The Office for Victims of Crime says many of these crimes go unreported because victims are scared, embarrassed, or don't know who to call. If the first reaction they get from you is "How could you?", the next scam call is one you won't hear about.

What helps:

• Start with thanks. "I'm really glad you told me" does more than any lecture.
• Put the blame where it belongs. The people who did this are practiced and good at it. Your parent was rushed, frightened and working without a rehearsal.
• Give them a job. Let them make the bank call with you on speaker, or write the timeline. Doing something beats sitting with the shame.
• Save the prevention talk for another week. Today is about money and access.

The next few weeks

Expect the recovery scam

Paying once tends to bring more calls, not fewer. The FTC warns that scammers call back offering to recover the lost money for a fee, and that real government agencies never charge to help you get a refund. The FBI adds that private recovery companies can't issue seizure orders for cryptocurrency and that law enforcement doesn't charge victims to investigate. Anyone who wants an upfront fee, or account numbers, to "get your money back" is the next scam.

Keep watching the accounts

Check statements weekly for a while. With your parent's agreement, ask the bank to send you alerts for large withdrawals. Our guide to organizing an elderly parent's bills covers which alerts and limits to ask about.

If this is the second or third time

Repeated losses can be an early sign of memory or judgment changes, and they deserve a doctor's visit, not just a bigger lock. Our guide to planning after early memory loss covers what to put in place while your parent can still sign, and our comparison of a representative payee vs. power of attorney helps if someone else may need to handle the money.

Frequently asked questions

Can my parent get money back after being scammed?

Sometimes, and speed decides most of it. Card charges and transfers made with stolen login information have the strongest protections. Wires and unspent gift card balances can sometimes be frozen if you move fast. Crypto and cash handed over in person are the hardest to recover.

Will the bank refund a Zelle payment my parent sent to a scammer?

It depends on who pushed the button. If a scammer used your parent's login or codes, that's an unauthorized transfer under Regulation E and the bank must investigate. If your parent sent it after being deceived, many banks treat it as authorized. Report it right away either way, in writing.

Where do I report a scam against an elderly parent?

Local police, the FBI at ic3.gov, and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For a parent 60 or older, the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 can help with the reporting. Add Adult Protective Services if someone your parent knows is involved.

Should I freeze my parent's credit after a scam?

Yes, if they shared their Social Security number, date of birth or bank details. A freeze at all three bureaus is free, blocks new credit in their name, and can be lifted within an hour when needed.

Have the numbers ready before the next bad day

Every step on this page goes faster when someone already knows which bank your parent uses, which cards are in the wallet, and who in the family can call on their behalf. You can gather that yourself with a notebook. Or Emergency Binder Now can do the organizing from about 25 minutes of guided questions, producing a printable binder with your parent's accounts, contacts and key documents in one place. You can see a sample binder first.

This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. Refund rights depend on the payment method, the company involved, its account agreement and state law. For a specific loss, talk to the bank, the National Elder Fraud Hotline, local police or an attorney.