What to do after being scammed

Immediate steps

• Contact your bank immediately if money was transferred
• Report to An Garda Síochána: 1800 837 837
• Change passwords for any accounts that may be compromised
• Document everything — screenshots, numbers, messages — for the investigation

Emotional recovery

Being scammed causes genuine emotional distress — shame, embarrassment, anger. These feelings are normal and expected. Scammers are professionals who manipulate people for a living.

• Tell someone you trust — isolation makes recovery harder
• Do not blame yourself — report to help prevent others being targeted
• Contact the Samaritans if you are struggling: 116 123 (24 hours)

Financial recovery options

• Bank transfers: request a recall — banks have recovery processes
• Card payments: request a chargeback through your bank
• Crypto: limited recovery — report to Garda for intelligence purposes
• Gift cards: contact the issuer immediately