If a scam website took money from you, contact the payment provider today. Don't wait for the seller to answer, and don't assume every scam should be reported as an unauthorized transaction.

Pick the category that matches what happened:

• You didn't approve the purchase: unauthorized transaction.
• You ordered it, but nothing arrived: merchandise or services not received.
• The item was fake, damaged, missing parts, or far from the listing: not as described.
• The amount was wrong or the charge repeated: billing error.

Your payment method controls the process. A credit-card billing dispute, debit-card investigation, PayPal claim, wire recall, and crypto report don't follow the same rules. A chargeback can result in a refund, but it isn't an automatic reversal or a guaranteed outcome.

These steps are for U.S. consumer accounts. PayPal terms, bank procedures, and legal deadlines can differ by country and account type.

Match the payment method to the first route

Visa, Mastercard, and American Express are networks or card companies, not always your first stop. The issuer that gave you the card normally handles the initial dispute, so use the number on the back of the card, the statement, or the official banking app.

Stop more losses before filing

If the card number or login may be exposed, secure the account and device first.

1. Lock or replace the card.
2. Ask whether recurring charges from the merchant can be blocked.
3. Change any password you used on the scam site, email account, or payment account.
4. Turn on multi-factor authentication and transaction alerts.
5. If you shared bank details, ask the bank what blocks or account protections are available.
6. Ignore follow-up emails claiming to process a refund, especially if they include links.
7. If you installed remote-access software, remove it and run a security check before signing in to financial accounts.

Use contact details from your statement, card, or provider's app. A phone number on a cloned website or in a refund email may route you back to the scammer.

Preserve evidence while it still exists

Scam sites can disappear quickly. Before opening the case, save a short timeline and copies of:

• Website address and screenshots of the product, checkout, and terms
• Order confirmation, receipt, invoice, and statement descriptor
• Purchase date, amount, currency, and last four digits of the card
• Emails, texts, chat logs, and promised delivery dates
• Tracking information, delivery records, or proof that the tracking number is invalid
• Photos showing counterfeit, damaged, or materially different goods
• Your attempt to contact the seller, including bounce-back or undeliverable messages
• Seller name, address, phone number, and refund policy
• Any payment-app case number or marketplace decision

Keep the original files and a separate backup. Before uploading evidence, redact full card numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers, and other unnecessary personal information. Providers usually need enough data to identify the transaction, not unrestricted access to identity documents.

A police report or Internet Crime Complaint Center report can create a record, but don't wait for one before notifying the bank or card issuer.

Describe the transaction accurately

The wording controls what evidence the provider will request.

You didn't authorize the charge

Say so immediately. This applies when someone used your card or account without permission. Tell the issuer whether the physical card is still with you and whether you gave the number to anyone.

Don't label an order you placed as unauthorized just because the merchant turned out to be dishonest. The issuer may treat that as a merchant dispute instead.

You authorized the order but received nothing

Explain that you approved the purchase, but the merchant never provided the goods or services. Include the promised delivery date, tracking details, and what you did to seek a resolution.

The item was counterfeit or misrepresented

Use specific facts. The listing promised an authentic product, but the item was fake. The quantity was wrong. The product differed materially from the description. Photos and the original listing are stronger than a general accusation that the site is a scam.

A subscription or repeat charge is involved

State when and how you canceled, and whether the merchant confirmed the cancellation. Recurring-charge disputes often need cancellation proof and details about the original authorization.

Credit-card chargeback process

For many U.S. consumer credit-card purchases, the Fair Credit Billing Act provides a written process for certain billing errors. The Federal Trade Commission's credit-card dispute guidance explains the basics.

1. Notify the issuer right away

Call to protect the account and open a case. Ask where to send a written billing dispute because the billing-inquiries address may differ from the payment address.

If the charge was unauthorized, say so. If merchandise never arrived, say it wasn't received. Write down the case number, date, representative's name, and instructions.

2. Use a written dispute when relying on the federal billing-error process

The FTC says your written notice should reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent. The deadline is tied to the statement, not simply the day you discovered the website was fraudulent.

Include:

• Your name and account number, or only the permitted identifying digits
• Transaction date, amount, and merchant name
• A clear explanation of what is wrong
• The reason that matches the facts
• Copies of supporting documents
• A request to correct the account

Send copies, not irreplaceable originals. Keep the letter, attachments, and proof of delivery.

A phone call or online form may open a dispute quickly, but ask whether the issuer also requires mailed notice for the federal billing-error procedure. The FTC also has guidance for consumers billed for goods they never received.

3. Pay the undisputed part of the bill

For a covered written billing dispute, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges while the issuer investigates. Undisputed charges still need to be paid according to the account's instructions. Ignoring the rest of the bill can create a separate late-payment problem.

4. Track the investigation and provisional credits

The issuer generally must acknowledge a written complaint within 30 days unless the issue is already resolved. It generally must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and no later than 90 days after receiving the complaint.

A temporary credit isn't necessarily final. If the investigation finds the transaction valid or the evidence weak, the issuer may remove it. Respond by every deadline in the issuer's letters or app messages.

5. Appeal a denial

If the issuer rejects the claim, request the decision in writing. Ask for:

• The reason or category used
• The merchant's response and evidence, if available
• The deadline and method for reconsideration
• Any additional documents needed

Answer the stated reason directly. If the merchant claims delivery, provide the tracking record, delivery address, and evidence that you didn't receive the package. Don't send different versions of the facts to the merchant, PayPal, and the card issuer.

Simple dispute-letter format

I dispute the $ transaction from dated . The first statement showing this transaction was sent on . I [did not authorize the transaction / ordered the goods but did not receive them / received goods that materially differed from the description]. Please investigate this billing error and correct my account. Copies of the order confirmation, communications, and other supporting records are enclosed.

Adjust the wording so it matches what actually happened.

Debit cards and bank-account payments

Debit-card purchases and electronic withdrawals generally follow different rules from credit-card billing errors. Regulation E and your account agreement may apply, and timing can affect available protections.

Contact the bank immediately and ask:

• How to report the transaction as an unauthorized electronic transfer or other account error
• Whether written notice is required
• What information must be included
• Whether the bank can block the merchant or replace the debit card
• How provisional credits and the investigation will work

If the charge came through an ACH authorization, ask about stopping future withdrawals as well as disputing the payment that already posted. Stopping a future debit doesn't necessarily recover an earlier one.

Don't copy the credit-card 60-day process without checking. Give the bank the same evidence: transaction details, seller communications, promised delivery date, and proof of cancellation or non-delivery.

PayPal disputes for scam-website purchases

PayPal's process is separate from a card chargeback. Start with the transaction details in PayPal and use the Resolution Center when the purchase is eligible.

A typical path is:

1. Open a dispute within the deadline shown in PayPal's instructions.
2. Choose the description that matches the problem, such as item not received or significantly not as described.
3. Upload the order record, listing, messages, tracking information, and photos.
4. Respond before the case deadline.
5. Escalate to a claim if PayPal's instructions require that step.

PayPal may ask you to contact the seller first. Keep that communication brief and in writing. Don't send more card details, identification documents, or payment to release a supposed refund.

Buyer Protection terms are country-specific. PayPal's published Buyer Protection terms describe potential coverage for non-delivery and items that differ significantly from their descriptions, but that page is UK-specific. U.S. customers should use the terms attached to their own account rather than relying on another country's deadline.

Don't seek duplicate recovery for the same transaction. If you're considering both a PayPal claim and a card-issuer dispute, tell each provider about the other case and ask which route to use. A refund from one route should be reported to the other.

Bank of America, Chase, and other issuers

Bank of America, Chase, and other banks use their own apps, forms, notices, and case systems. There isn't one universal phone number, deadline, or success rate that applies to every account.

For any issuer:

1. Use the official app, statement, or number printed on the card.
2. Ask whether the bank classifies the issue as unauthorized use, non-receipt, not as described, or another billing error.
3. Ask for the address for a written billing dispute.
4. Save the confirmation page and case number.
5. Ask when the bank expects a decision and when an appeal must be filed.
6. Watch for document requests and respond before the stated deadline.

If the bank denies the claim, request the merchant's evidence and the specific reason. A concise timeline often works better than a large folder of unrelated screenshots. Explain exactly why the merchant's evidence is incomplete or inaccurate.

A bank's internal workflow doesn't replace federal rights that apply to a qualifying credit-card billing error. But a network or issuer policy may have requirements that differ from the federal written-notice process. Ask which rule the bank used.

AliExpress, Temu, Shein, and other marketplaces

If you paid inside a marketplace, open a case from the order page and follow the deadline shown there. Marketplace buyer protection is a company policy, not a universal refund guarantee.

Save the order number, listing, seller messages, tracking history, photos, and the marketplace's decision. If the platform offers a partial refund, understand whether accepting it closes the case or releases further claims.

If the marketplace denies the case, provide that decision to your card issuer or bank. Describe the transaction honestly and disclose the marketplace case. If the marketplace already refunded you, don't pursue a chargeback for the same amount.

If the website only copied a marketplace's branding and the payment descriptor shows an unknown merchant, treat it as a direct merchant transaction and contact the payment provider.

Wire transfers, cryptocurrency, and payment apps

Wire transfers

Call the bank that sent the wire and request a fraud recall immediately. Ask whether it can contact the receiving bank and place an alert on the transfer. Speed matters because funds can move quickly, but a recall isn't a guaranteed cancellation or refund.

Provide the wire confirmation, recipient details, amount, date, instructions, emails, and any impersonated identity. Report the scam to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, and consider local law enforcement if appropriate. A report helps document the event but doesn't by itself force a bank to return the money.

Authorized wires are often harder to recover than unauthorized card transactions. Don't pay a person or company promising to retrieve the wire for an upfront fee.

Cryptocurrency

Contact the exchange or service you used as soon as possible. Preserve the wallet address, transaction hash, dates, messages, website address, and receiving account information. Report the scam even if the blockchain transfer can't be reversed.

A fraudulent recipient doesn't automatically turn a crypto transfer into a credit-card chargeback. If you bought the cryptocurrency by card and the card transaction itself involved unauthorized use or another valid billing problem, discuss that separate card transaction with the issuer. Don't describe a voluntary crypto transfer as a stolen card payment.

Payment apps

Report the transaction in the app and contact the linked bank or card issuer immediately. Explain whether you authorized the transfer, were tricked into approving it, or had an account taken over. The provider may distinguish between an unauthorized transfer and a payment you approved after being deceived.

Reporting and escalation

Report the website, payment details, and communications to the relevant authority. For an online scam involving a U.S. consumer, an IC3 report is a useful starting point. Keep the report confirmation with your dispute records.

Reporting doesn't guarantee a refund. A bank normally decides a payment dispute based on its investigation and the applicable rules. If the provider mishandles your complaint:

• Request a written explanation and the next appeal step.
• Ask a supervisor or specialist to review the file.
• Resubmit missing evidence in a clear timeline.
• Keep proof of every submission.
• Use the complaint or regulator route identified in your account agreement and billing statement.

Court action may be practical only when you can identify the business and serve it in a court with jurisdiction. An anonymous overseas scam site is often difficult to pursue, so don't spend money on a recovery service without independently verifying who operates it, what it charges, and what it can legally do.

Mistakes that weaken a scam dispute

• Calling an authorized purchase unauthorized
• Waiting for the seller before notifying the bank
• Missing the written credit-card billing-error deadline
• Sending full card numbers, passwords, or Social Security numbers by email
• Relying on a verbal refund promise
• Closing a dispute before the refund posts
• Ignoring evidence requests
• Filing duplicate claims without telling the providers
• Paying a tax, release charge, or recovery fee
• Treating a provisional credit as permanent
• Using screenshots without the transaction date, amount, or merchant descriptor

There isn't a reliable universal chargeback success rate. A strong claim usually has a clear payment record, an accurate dispute category, a short timeline, and evidence tied to each fact.

Frequently asked questions

Can I dispute a charge if I placed the order myself?

Possibly. If the seller never delivered the goods or the item was materially different from the listing, explain that merchant problem rather than calling the transaction unauthorized.

What if more than 60 days have passed?

Notify the issuer immediately anyway. The federal written billing-error process may have a deadline tied to the first statement showing the error, but an issuer or card-network process may use different timing. Ask what options remain and file before any additional deadline expires.

Does an IC3 or police report guarantee a refund?

No. It documents the fraud and may help investigators or the payment provider, but it doesn't replace the bank's or platform's dispute process.

Can I use PayPal and my credit card at the same time?

Don't seek two recoveries for one transaction. Tell both providers about any existing case and ask which process applies before escalating both claims.

Can a wire or crypto payment be reversed?

Sometimes a bank can recall a wire if action is taken quickly and the funds remain available, but there's no guarantee. Cryptocurrency transfers are generally difficult to reverse. Contact the provider immediately and beware of anyone demanding an upfront recovery fee.

Pick the statement or app entry now, copy the transaction date and amount, and use the official dispute channel for that payment method. If the charge is recent, make the first contact today and follow up in writing when the provider requires it.