I was scammed by a fake online shop: how do I get my money back?

The parcel never came and the "80% off" site has vanished. The money is not always gone. Call your bank's fraud line now, on the number on your card, and ask it to stop or recall the payment and block the card. A card payment to a fake shop is often recoverable by chargeback. In the UK, a bank transfer to a scammer is usually covered by the APP reimbursement rules, up to £85,000 per claim, if you claim within 13 months. Crypto, gift cards and cash are the hard cases. Speed decides most of it.

The first hour

• Call the bank's fraud line from the number on your card or the official app. In the UK, 159 reaches many banks. Ask it to stop or recall pending payments and block your cards. Note the reference.
• Stop all contact with the scammer. Do not tell them you know, and do not threaten them.
• If you gave passwords, codes or remote access, use a clean device to change your email password first, then your bank. Turn on two-step login and remove any remote access app.
• If you shared ID documents, tell the bank. US: consider a credit freeze with the three credit bureaus. UK: Cifas Protective Registration.
• Report it to the police or national fraud service and get a reference.

What you can get back, by how you paid

The payment method matters more than the scam itself.

• Card to a fake shop: often good. Ask for a chargeback for goods not received or not as described. In the UK, a credit card purchase over £100 and up to £30,000 may also fall under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
• UK bank transfer by Faster Payments or CHAPS: often good, under the APP rules below.
• US transfer, wire or Zelle: harder. Ask the bank to recall the wire and contact the receiving bank. Some banks reimburse impostor scams under their own policy.
• PayPal goods and services: fair to good within 180 days. Friends and family: usually not covered.
• Marketplace checkout: the platform guarantee applies. Off-platform: weak.
• Crypto: low. A fast report to the exchange may freeze funds still there.
• Gift cards: low, unless you tell the issuer before the codes are used.
• Cash or a courier pick-up: low. Report to the police.

The rules by country

Where	What the rules say	Where to report
UK	APP reimbursement since 7 October 2024: Faster Payments or CHAPS to someone else's UK account, up to £85,000 per claim, claimed within 13 months of the last payment. A £100 excess may be deducted, but not from vulnerable customers. Decision within 5 business days, or up to 35 if the bank stops the clock	Report Fraud (reportfraud.police.uk) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland: Police Scotland on 101
US	Federal liability limits for unauthorised transfers depend on how quickly you report. Credit cards: Fair Credit Billing Act, write to the issuer within 60 days after the first statement showing the charge	ic3.gov, ReportFraud.ftc.gov, IdentityTheft.gov, your state attorney general, local police
EU	Unauthorised payments must generally be refunded promptly. Tricked, authorised payments are harder	The national police or cybercrime site, the national consumer authority or the European Consumer Centre
Canada	The bank's own fraud policy	The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and local police
Australia	A Scams Prevention Framework has been legislated, with codes being phased in: check Scamwatch	Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au), ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au), IDCARE for identity help

The UK rules do not cover cards, cash, cheques, international payments, payments to your own account, or civil disputes with a genuine seller. The regime is under review, so confirm the current position with your bank.

How to claim, step by step

1. Save the proof. Screenshots of the site or ad with the web address, every message with the scammer, the statement lines and transaction IDs, and a short timeline written today. Never delete the chats.
2. Put the claim in writing on day 0 or 1. Use the bank's fraud form or secure messages. Give the timeline, each payment, how the scam worked, any warning the bank showed, and one ask: reimbursement, chargeback or recall. Ask for a decision date.
3. Make the other reports by day 3. The platform, PayPal, the exchange or the gift card issuer. Add the police reference to the bank claim.
4. Chase when the decision date passes. Ask for the decision in writing.
5. Challenge a refusal. Send a formal complaint that answers their reason, with the date the site was taken down and your police reference, and ask for a final response letter.
6. Escalate to the ombudsman or regulator for your country.

The message to send

Keep it to 150 to 250 words, calm and factual.

Subject: Fraud claim FR-2211084: scam payments on 27 October 2026

Hello,

I reported this scam by phone on 2 November 2026 (reference FR-2211084).

On 27 October 2026 I ordered wireless headphones from a website called Nordvale Outlet, which advertised a 70% Black Friday discount. I paid £289 by debit card. The tracking number was fake, nothing arrived, and the site was taken down on 1 November 2026. I have reported it to Report Fraud and will send you the reference.

I now know this was a fake shop. I attach screenshots of the site, the confirmation email and my statement line.

Please raise a chargeback for £289 for goods not received, and confirm your decision in writing by 16 November 2026, or tell me if you need longer.

Kind regards, Priya Nair

For a UK bank transfer, ask instead for reimbursement under the APP scam reimbursement rules and give the five business day decision date.

Time limits and where to escalate

• UK APP claim: within 13 months of the last scam payment. After a final response, or 8 weeks with no answer, the Financial Ombudsman Service, which can also consider losses above £85,000 on fairness grounds.
• US credit card: within 60 days after the first statement showing the charge. If the bank mishandles it, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
• PayPal: 180 days from the payment.
• Australia: AFCA if the bank refuses. In Canada, the bank's ombudsman route.
• Recovery offers: anyone who asks for a fee, a tax or a release cost to get your money back is running a second scam. Real police and banks do not charge to return money. Do not pay, and report it.

The short version

Call the bank's fraud line now and get a reference. Save the site, the chat and the payment lines. Put the claim in writing within a day: chargeback for a card, APP reimbursement for a UK bank transfer. Chase on the decision date, complain if refused, then go to the ombudsman. Never pay anyone who promises to get it back.

Questions

I paid the fake shop by debit card. Can I get the money back?

Often, yes. Ask your bank for a chargeback for goods not received or not as described, and in the UK a credit card purchase over £100 and up to £30,000 may also be covered by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

I sent a bank transfer. Is that gone for good?

Not in the UK. Faster Payments or CHAPS transfers to someone else's UK account are covered by the APP reimbursement rules up to £85,000 per claim if you claim within 13 months. In the US and the EU a tricked transfer is harder, so ask the bank for a recall and a review under its own fraud policy.

I paid with PayPal. Does that help?

It depends on the payment type. Goods and services payments can be disputed within 180 days and the chance is fair to good, but friends and family payments are usually not covered.

Someone has offered to recover my money for a fee. Is that genuine?

Almost never. Fake lawyers, fake police and blockchain investigators who charge a fee are a second scam, and real police and banks do not charge to return money.

General information, not legal advice. Rules change and depend on where you live: check the official source before you rely on a date or an amount.

Sources

• FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov, report fraud and scams (US, checked November 2026)
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, IC3 (US, checked November 2026)
• FTC: IdentityTheft.gov, report and recover from identity theft (US, checked November 2026)