Scammed? Try to Stop the Payment


Printable Version of Stop The Payment

If you were scammed, act quickly to stop a scammer from getting your money. Scammers move fast, so every minute counts. Success isn’t guaranteed, but taking these steps may limit your losses.

If the payment was made:

Through a bank (including wire transfers, ACH or EFT payments, and checks):

Immediately report the loss to your bank’s fraud department.

By mail or courier (U.S. Postal Service, UPS, FedEx):

Call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455, press Option 2 to report the scam and request a parcel intercept. You’ll need the tracking number for the parcel and/or the delivery address when you call.

With gift cards or MoneyPaks:

Contact the contact card issuer (the company whose brand is on the cards). Check the card packaging for fraud contact info. The FTC has fraud numbers and links for select gift card issuers at consumer.ftc.gov/articles/paying-scammers-gift-cards#Report

OR contact the store(s) where the cards were purchased to tell them you were scammed. You will need the card numbers/images and receipts to freeze unspent cards.

The Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs serves as a clearinghouse for Scam Squad, a multiagency financial fraud task force. Scam Squad provides one-on-one help to scam victims and refers scam reports to the agency best suited to investigate. Reporting scams helps law enforcement and your community.

 

 

Report suspicious calls and emails:

Scam Squad at 216-443-SCAM (7226) or using our online form.

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