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Scammers ask for gift cards, wires, payment apps, cash couriers, bitcoin ATMs and crypto because those payments are fast and hard to reverse. Whether you can get money back depends mostly on how you paid and how fast you call. A credit card dispute gives you the most help. A bank or app transfer depends on who pressed send. A wire can sometimes be recalled within hours. Gift cards, cash, bitcoin ATMs and crypto rarely come back, though some states now require bitcoin ATM refunds. Call the company that moved the money first, today.
Why scammers care how you pay
The story is the bait. The payment method is the hook. A fake deputy, a fake bank fraud agent and a fake grandson all end the same way: with a request to pay in a form that can't be pulled back once it's gone.
The CFTC said it plainly in its August 2026 advisory, "Pause Before You Pay": scammers use crypto ATMs, gift cards and unfamiliar apps because the transactions are irreversible and hide who's on the other end. It added that no government agency, legitimate financial institution or reputable company will tell you to move money using crypto ATMs, gift cards or couriers. The FTC's consumer advice gives a similar warning about anyone who insists you pay only with crypto, a wire transfer service, a payment app or a gift card.
The FBI tracks the same list. Its 2025 Internet Crime Report sorts fraud losses by cryptocurrency, wire transfer or ACH, debit or credit card, peer-to-peer transfer, prepaid or gift card, check, and cash. Crypto kiosks alone figured in more than 13,400 complaints and over $388 million in losses in 2025, the FBI said in a May 2026 alert. Couriers who collect cash or gold at the door took over $55 million in just eight months, May to December 2023, according to an FBI alert from January 2024.
If you want to hear what these callers say before the payment request comes, our crypto scam call scripts guide has the five scripts, word for word.
Can you get it back? Every payment method compared
Most guides cover one or two of these. The first three columns come from the FTC, the CFPB and the FBI. The last column is our read of the odds, not a promise.
| How you paid | Who to call first | What's on your side | Our read of the odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit card | The card company, on the number on your card | Federal billing-error rules: send a written dispute within 60 days of the statement | The strongest on the list, though a purchase you made yourself, such as crypto, is harder to dispute |
| Debit card | Your bank's fraud line | Error rules for electronic transfers, with notice within 60 days of the statement | Fair if someone else made the charge, weaker if you approved it |
| Zelle, Venmo, Cash App or other payment app | Your bank and the app, then the card linked to it | Strong if a scammer sent it using your login or a code you gave them; weaker if you pressed send | Depends on who pressed send |
| Bank wire | Your bank: ask for a recall, then file at ic3.gov | The FBI's Recovery Asset Team works with banks to freeze funds | Real, but only for hours, not days |
| Wire through a money transfer company | The transfer company, right away | Report it at once and ask the company to reverse it | Low unless you catch it fast |
| Gift card | The card issuer, on the number on the back | Usually no refund right; ask anyway, and keep the card and receipt | Low |
| Cash, by courier or mail | Local police, at once | None, beyond a police case | Very low, unless police stop the pickup |
| Bitcoin ATM | The kiosk operator, on the number on the machine or receipt, then police | Refund laws in some states, for some new customers | Low, better in refund-law states |
| Crypto sent from a wallet or exchange | The exchange where it landed, if known, then police and IC3 | A freeze only if the funds reach an exchange that acts on a law enforcement request | Very low |
Banks and payment apps: it depends who pressed send
This is the question most guides skip, and it decides a lot of bank and app claims. Federal rules for electronic transfers protect you against unauthorized transfers. The CFPB's official guidance on those rules says a payment-app transfer counts as unauthorized when a scammer starts it using account details they tricked out of you. It gives an example that matches the fake bank fraud call: someone pretends to be your bank and gets your login, a texted code or your debit card number.
That guidance also says your carelessness can't be used to raise your share of the loss, and a bank's own terms can't waive these rights. You report the error within 60 days after the statement that shows the transfer.
When you pressed send yourself, because a caller talked you into it, the transfer is usually treated as one you authorized. Then a refund is up to your bank or the app. Ask anyway. So when you call, give the facts in order: who contacted you, who they claimed to be, what they asked for, and who actually made each payment. If a scammer had your login or a code, say so first.
⚠ Red flag
The payment request is the scam, whatever story comes with it. A real court, sheriff, bank, utility or tech company won't ask for gift cards, a bitcoin ATM, a wire to a "safe" account or a courier at your door. If someone insists on one of those, stop. You don't need to work out who they really are.
How to ask for your money back, payment by payment
Call the same day, and write down the date, time and name of everyone you speak to. Ask for a claim or case number on every call.
- Card. Call the card company, say the charge was fraud, and follow up with a written dispute. The CFPB says you must send a written billing error notice within 60 days after the charge appeared on your statement to protect your rights. You can dispute a charge even if you already paid it.
- Payment app or bank transfer. Report it to the app and your bank, and ask them to reverse it. If the app is linked to a card, report it to the card company too. If a scammer had your login, say the words "unauthorized transfer."
- Wire. Call your bank and ask for a recall right now, then file at ic3.gov with the full transaction details. The FBI's report says time is of the essence. In 2025, its Recovery Asset Team handled 3,900 incidents and froze $679 million of $1.16 billion in attempted theft, a 58% success rate. That figure covers fast reports routed through the team, not every wire.
- Gift card. Call the issuer on the number on the back of the card, say it was used in a scam, and ask for a refund. Tell the store that sold it, and keep the card and receipt.
- Cash or courier. Call local police at once, especially if a courier is due back for a "second pickup." Write down the car, the time and the passcode they used.
- Bitcoin ATM. Call the operator on the number on the machine or receipt and ask them to stop or reverse it, then file a police report. Keep the receipt, and note the transaction ID and wallet address for your report. Our bitcoin ATM scam refund guide lists the states with refund laws.
- Crypto from a wallet or exchange. Crypto usually comes back only if the person you paid sends it back. Tell the exchange you sent from, report the receiving address at ic3.gov, and ask police for a case number. Our guide on whether crypto scams can be traced explains when a freeze happens.
Then file with the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, even for small amounts. Our reporting guide shows what each form needs, and our first 24 hours plan puts everything in order.
Prefer to watch? Why a Bitcoin ATM payment is so hard to get back, in under a minute.
Watch for the second scam
People who just lost money get a second wave of calls. Someone says they're the FBI, a lawyer or a "recovery" firm, and they can get the money back for a fee, or they need your wallet's recovery phrase to "trace" it. That's the same operation, or one that bought your details. Anyone who wants an upfront fee to recover money is running a second scam. Our crypto recovery scams guide shows what these pitches look like.
Not sure whether a request is a scam? Our is this a scam? quiz takes a minute, and the Scams hub collects the rest.
Rob's take
I've held bitcoin since 2011, and the thing I like most about it is the thing scammers like most: nobody can reverse a send. That's a feature when you made the wallet yourself. It's a trap when a stranger hands you the address. So my rule is about the payment, not the story. If someone I didn't call first wants crypto, a kiosk, a gift card or a courier, the conversation is over.
Want every step in order on one page? Get our free Scammed? Your First 24 Hours plan when you join the Sunday Briefing.
Scammer payment methods FAQ
Can you get money back from a scammer?
Sometimes, depending on how you paid and how fast you report it. Credit card disputes give you the most protection, bank wires can sometimes be recalled within hours, and payment app transfers depend on who started them. Gift cards, cash, bitcoin ATMs and crypto rarely come back.
Can I get my money back if I paid a scammer with Zelle or another payment app?
Maybe. If the scammer made the transfer using your login or a code you were tricked into sharing, CFPB guidance treats it as unauthorized, and federal error rules apply. If you sent it yourself, a refund is up to your bank or the app. Report it to both right away.
Can a wire transfer to a scammer be reversed?
Sometimes, if you move within hours. Call your bank, ask for a recall, and file at ic3.gov with the transaction details. In 2025 the FBI's Recovery Asset Team froze $679 million in fraudulent transfers, a 58% success rate. The FBI stresses that time is of the essence.
Can you get money back from a gift card scam?
Rarely, but call the card issuer on the number on the back right away, say the card was used in a scam, and ask for a refund. Tell the store that sold it, and keep the card and the receipt.
Can a bitcoin ATM payment be refunded?
The transfer itself can't be reversed, but some states now require kiosk operators to refund certain new customers who report quickly. Call the operator on the number on the machine or receipt, file a police report, and keep the receipt with the transaction ID.
Why do scammers want gift cards, wires or crypto?
Because those payments are fast, hard to trace and hard to reverse. The CFTC says no government agency, legitimate financial institution or reputable company will tell you to move money using crypto ATMs, gift cards or couriers.
Want to spot the payment trap before anyone asks? Our free course Scam-Proof in 7 Days walks you through the checks one short lesson at a time.