Lost money to a scam? A free help guide

If you have lost money to an investment, crypto or online scam, act quickly. The steps below are free and you can do all of them yourself — you do not need to pay anyone to report a fraud.

1. Contact your bank or card provider straight away

• Call the number on the back of your card, or dial 159 (UK) to reach most banks' fraud teams safely.
• Ask them to stop or recall pending payments and block further payments to the scammer.
• Ask whether your payment qualifies for reimbursement under UK rules for authorised push payment (APP) fraud.
• If you are unhappy with the bank's answer, you can complain for free to the Financial Ombudsman Service

2. Report it to the police

• England, Wales and Northern Ireland: report online or call 0300 123 2040 — Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud)
• Scotland: call Police Scotland on 101.
• Keep the crime reference number you receive — your bank may ask for it.

3. Keep the evidence

• Bank statements and payment confirmations showing dates, amounts and recipient details.
• Crypto transaction hashes (TX IDs) and the wallet addresses you sent funds to.
• Screenshots of the website, trading platform, app and your account balance.
• All emails, chat messages (WhatsApp, Telegram, social media) and phone numbers used.
• Names, usernames and any documents the scammer sent you.

Do not delete conversations, even if they are upsetting. Store copies somewhere safe.

4. How to spot a recovery scam

People who have already lost money are often targeted a second time by "recovery" scams. Be very careful if anyone:

• contacts you out of the blue saying they can get your money back;
• asks for an upfront, "activation", "release", tax or withdrawal fee before you receive anything;
• guarantees that your funds will be recovered;
• shows you a balance or receipt of "recovered" funds that you can only withdraw after paying;
• pressures you to act fast or says your case will be closed or lost forever;
• asks you to install remote-access software or share passwords or wallet recovery phrases;
• claims to work with the police, a regulator or a government agency.

• Check any firm on the official register: FCA Register
• Read the regulator's scam guidance: FCA ScamSmart

5. Get support

• Free, confidential support (England and Wales): Victim Support
• Free, impartial money guidance: MoneyHelper

6. About us

Opening a case and the initial review with Fintech Claim Refund are free. We never ask for upfront payments and no one can guarantee that money will be recovered. support@claim-fintech.online