Scam Steps
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Marketplace purchase paid by Zelle, Venmo Friends, or cash

Paid the seller directly outside the platform's protected payment flow.

Realistic recovery rate
5–15%

Paying outside the platform's protected checkout is the single largest cause of unrecovered marketplace losses. The bank dispute path is real but weak; file it anyway.

Do this first

Same as authorized Zelle / Venmo fraud — call the sending bank's fraud line and request a Regulation E dispute. Report the seller on the platform in parallel. Honest expectation: low recovery rate.

Calls to make first

Phone calls move faster than online filings, especially in the first 24–48 hours. Make these calls before, or while, you work through the templated filings below.

  1. 1. Your bank's fraud department

    Most major US banks: 24/7
    On the back of your card, or look up '[your bank name] fraud department'

    What to say: Say: 'I'm a victim of fraud and need to file a dispute.' Ask for a dispute reference number before hanging up. Email any documents they request the same day.

    Why this one: Where the money lives. This is the single most important call — it starts the formal dispute timer and, for card fraud, usually triggers provisional credit within 10 business days.

  2. 2. Your local police non-emergency line

    24/7 for non-emergency; online forms available anytime
    Search '[your city] police non-emergency' or 311 in many cities. Online report option exists in most US cities.

    What to say: Say: 'I want to file a police report for fraud. I'm not asking for an investigation — I need a case number for my bank and federal filings.' Get the case number in writing or by email.

    Why this one: The case number is the deliverable. Most departments do not investigate losses under ~$5,000, but the case number is required by many banks for dispute processing and by the FTC identity-theft flow.

Find your bank's official fraud page

Each link goes to the bank's main domain. The current fraud phone number lives on that page — call the number listed there, or the one printed on the back of your card. Don't trust phone numbers found in a search result.

Don't see your bank? Type its name into a search engine with the words "report fraud" and only follow a link whose domain matches the bank's main website. Scammers buy ads on bank-name searches; the top result is not always real.

Free, official help from a real person

If you'd like to talk to someone before filing, these are free public services. They cannot recover funds for you, but they will walk you through what to do next.

  • AARP Fraud Watch Helpline — 877-908-3360. Free, 7 days/week, you do not need to be an AARP member or over 50. Trained volunteers who specialize in scam recovery guidance.
  • FTC ReportFraud advisor — reportfraud.ftc.gov. After filing, the FTC sometimes connects you with a consumer- advice specialist.
  • FTC IdentityTheft.gov — identitytheft.gov. Best place to start if your Social Security number, accounts, or personal information were exposed.
  • FBI IC3 — ic3.gov. Federal intake for internet-enabled crime.
  • CFPB — consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Use this if your bank refuses your fraud dispute.
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