If a scam website charged you, do not wait for the seller to respond before acting. Save the website and order records, contact the payment provider through an official channel, and ask which dispute process and deadline apply. For a U.S. credit card, a qualifying billing error generally must be disputed in writing within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent. PayPal, debit cards, ACH payments, wires, and bank transfers follow different rules.

A chargeback is a review, not an automatic refund. The card issuer, payment platform, and sometimes the card network will assess the transaction and the evidence. Your best approach is to describe what happened accurately, meet the applicable deadline, and submit a short, organized record.

Classify the charge before you dispute it

The dispute category should match the facts.

If you entered your card details and approved the payment, the transaction may be treated as authorized even if the seller deceived you. That is usually different from unauthorized card use. Do not describe an authorized purchase as unauthorized just because the seller failed to deliver. State that you placed the order, what delivery was promised, and how the seller failed to resolve the problem.

Do these steps today

1. Preserve evidence. Capture the homepage, product page, checkout screen, advertised policies, contact information, order confirmation, and payment details before the website changes or disappears.
2. Contact the payment provider. Use the number on your card, statement, bank website, or official app. Do not use a number supplied by the suspicious website. Ask which dispute category applies, what deadline controls, and for a case or reference number.
3. Send one clear refund or cancellation request to the seller if it is safe. Save the email, form submission, chat, and any response. Do not let a seller's promised investigation cause you to miss a bank or card deadline.
4. Secure your accounts. Replace a compromised card, change any reused password, enable multifactor authentication, and monitor for additional charges.
5. Stop recurring payments where possible. Cancel through the payment account or provider when that option is available, and notify the merchant. Replacing a card may not stop every type of recurring bank debit.
6. Report the conduct. A report will not guarantee a refund, but it creates a record and may help investigators connect complaints.

If you paid by wire, ACH, or bank transfer, ask the bank about a reversal, stop, or recall immediately. Recovery becomes harder after the money moves through several accounts.

How to dispute a scam website charge on a credit card

For a U.S. credit card, the Fair Credit Billing Act can cover certain billing errors, including charges for goods or services that were not delivered as agreed. The FTC's guidance on disputing credit-card billing errors explains the process.

1. Contact the issuer promptly

Call the issuer's fraud or billing-dispute department. Explain whether the charge was unauthorized, the goods were not delivered, or the product was materially different from the description. Ask where to send a written billing-error notice.

The billing-dispute address may not be the same address used for payments. Use the billing-inquiries address on your statement or the address the issuer provides.

2. Send written notice within 60 days

For the FCBA process, your written dispute generally must reach the issuer within 60 days after the date the first statement containing the error was sent to you. Include:

• Your name and the account number or other identifier the issuer needs to locate the account
• The merchant name or statement descriptor
• The transaction date and amount
• What you ordered and what went wrong
• The expected delivery date, if one was provided
• The steps you took to contact the seller
• Copies of supporting documents

Send the letter using a method that gives you a delivery record, and keep a copy of everything. A phone call or online report may start the issuer's internal process, but do not rely on a call alone if you want the protection associated with a written FCBA dispute.

3. Pay undisputed charges

During an investigation of a qualifying billing error, the FTC says you do not have to pay the disputed amount or related finance and other charges. Continue paying charges that are not part of the dispute, and follow the issuer's instructions so unrelated balances do not become delinquent.

The issuer generally must acknowledge a written dispute within 30 days unless it has already resolved the matter. It must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles and no later than 90 days after receiving the letter.

Some issuers may extend the 60-day period when shipment was delayed, but do not assume that exception applies. File as soon as you realize there is a problem.

A simple dispute-letter format

Subject: Billing error dispute

I dispute a charge of $_ from [merchant or statement descriptor] posted on [date] to the account ending in __.

I authorized the purchase, but [the goods were not delivered by the promised date / the goods were materially different from the description]. I contacted the seller on [dates], and [describe the response or lack of response].

Please investigate this billing error and correct the account. Enclosed are the order confirmation, payment record, communications, tracking information, and screenshots supporting my claim.

Do not include your online banking password, full card number, or unnecessary sensitive information. If the charge was truly unauthorized, replace the middle paragraph with a clear statement that you did not make or authorize the transaction.

How to dispute a PayPal transaction

PayPal has its own dispute and Purchase Protection rules. The U.S. credit-card 60-day deadline does not automatically govern a dispute paid from a PayPal balance, and a generic card-network deadline should not be treated as PayPal's deadline. Check PayPal's current terms and the deadline shown in your account or case, then act promptly.

1. Open the transaction in PayPal and use the Resolution Center or "Report a Problem" option.
2. Select the reason that accurately describes the issue, such as an item not received, an item significantly different from the listing, or unauthorized activity.
3. Upload the order confirmation, listing screenshots, promised delivery information, tracking results, seller messages, and your refund request.
4. Watch for a request for more information or an instruction to escalate the dispute to a claim by a stated date.
5. Save the case number and final decision.

If PayPal was funded by a credit card, contact the card issuer as well if the credit-card deadline is approaching. Tell the issuer that PayPal processed the payment and ask how it wants the platform dispute handled. Keep your explanations consistent and do not seek duplicate reimbursement. If one provider refunds you, notify the other provider.

A PayPal decision does not automatically require a card issuer to issue a refund. The issuer applies its own billing-error and network procedures.

Debit cards, ACH payments, wires, and bank transfers

The FCBA process applies to credit-card billing errors, not to every payment method. Contact the institution that handled the payment immediately.

• Debit card: Call the bank or debit-card issuer and ask about its unauthorized-transaction and merchant-dispute processes. Explain whether you entered the transaction yourself or someone else used your card.
• ACH or electronic bank debit: Contact the bank and, when appropriate, the company that initiated the debit. State whether the payment was unauthorized or whether you authorized it after being deceived. Those facts can affect which procedure applies.
• Wire transfer: Ask the bank's wire department for an immediate recall or fraud escalation. A recall is not guaranteed, but delay reduces the chance of stopping the funds.
• Peer-to-peer payment: Report the transaction through the payment app and notify your bank if the app was linked to your account. The app's rules and the underlying funding method may both matter.

Do not assume that a "bank chargeback" has the same protection or deadline as a credit-card chargeback. Ask the provider for the exact deadline in writing and keep the case number.

What evidence helps your claim?

Organize the documents in date order. A concise timeline is often more useful than a large folder of unsorted screenshots.

Save:

• The website address and screenshots of the product, price, checkout page, policies, and contact details
• The order confirmation, invoice, receipt, and transaction record
• The statement showing the merchant descriptor, date, and amount
• Emails, chats, text messages, and contact-form submissions
• The promised shipping or delivery date
• Tracking information, including a carrier record showing no delivery
• Evidence that the seller's phone, email, or website stopped working
• A written timeline of what happened and when
• Your FTC report number and IC3 submission details, if you filed reports

Keep original files where possible. Do not edit screenshots in a way that removes dates or context. Redact sensitive account information before sending documents to anyone who does not need it.

Your evidence should establish these points:

1. You made a particular purchase, or the charge was unauthorized.
2. The merchant promised a product or service.
3. The product was not delivered, was materially misrepresented, or was charged without permission.
4. You tried to resolve the issue, or contacting the seller was not reasonably possible.

Dispute deadlines: what controls

The commonly cited 120-day figure is not the FCBA's 60-day written-dispute rule, and it is not a universal deadline for every card dispute. Network procedures may measure time from the transaction, expected delivery date, or the date the problem became apparent. Start with the issuer, not the Visa or Mastercard logo on the card, and ask which rule applies to your facts.

If you missed the 60-day credit-card period, still contact the issuer. It may accept an internal dispute or a network claim, but you may no longer have the same FCBA protection.

What to do if the dispute is denied

A denial is not necessarily the end of the process, but your next submission should address the stated reason.

1. Read the decision and identify whether the issuer said the transaction was authorized, the goods were delivered, the evidence was insufficient, or the claim was late.
2. Ask for the records or explanation supporting that decision.
3. Request reconsideration or an appeal through the issuer's stated process.
4. Send a short chronology with only the evidence that answers the denial.
5. Confirm that the issuer classified the claim correctly. A non-delivery dispute and an unauthorized-use claim require different facts.
6. Ask how to pay any amount ultimately found valid, and continue paying undisputed amounts on time.
7. If the issuer failed to follow required written-dispute, acknowledgment, or investigation procedures, use its formal complaint channel and consider contacting the appropriate federal or state regulator.

A merchant's response can help, but the merchant does not control the final card decision. An FTC or IC3 report can document the scam without guaranteeing reimbursement from a bank or payment platform.

Report the fraudulent website

File a report with the FTC's fraud reporting service. The FTC uses reports to identify patterns and build cases, but a report does not replace your refund or dispute request with the payment provider.

For internet-enabled crime, submit a report to the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Include the website address, payment method, transaction details, communications, and any account or cryptocurrency information requested by the form. Do not send more money to someone who promises to recover your original payment for an upfront fee; recovery scams often target people who have already lost money.

Common questions

Can I charge back a purchase from a scam website?

Possibly. The result depends on the payment method, the facts, the applicable deadline, and your evidence. A credit-card purchase that was never delivered may be treated as a billing error, while an unauthorized transaction follows a different process.

Does the FTC refund scam victims?

No. An FTC report helps law enforcement identify fraud and may support a broader investigation. Your refund request must go to the card issuer, bank, PayPal, or another payment provider.

Is the credit-card deadline 60 days from the purchase?

Not for the FCBA billing-error process. The general rule is 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent. Card-network procedures can use different deadlines, so contact the issuer immediately.

Should I dispute the charge with PayPal or my credit-card issuer?

If PayPal handled a payment funded by a credit card, check both deadlines and ask the issuer how it wants the matter handled. Do not wait for a PayPal decision if that could cause you to miss the credit-card written-dispute period, and do not seek two refunds for the same loss.

Start with the official payment-provider number or app, record the deadline you are given, and submit the required written or in-app claim today.