If you sent money to a scam account, minutes can change the outcome. Here is the order to follow, from a payment freeze to a relief claim and stopping further damage.
Phishing rings move or withdraw the money as soon as it arrives. You have a chance of getting it back only if a freeze is placed while the money is still in the scam account; once it has left, recovery becomes much harder. So the first thing to do the moment you realize what happened is not to blame yourself or contact the scammer again, but to request a payment freeze. Even if you are not sure it was a scam, it is better to request the freeze first and check afterward.
A payment freeze locks the account used in the scam so no more money can leave it. You can ask either the bank you sent from or the bank that received the money. If you cannot get through, try another channel right away.
After requesting the freeze by phone, you must file a written relief application within a set period. The usual flow is to report the crime at a police station, obtain a document confirming the report, and submit it to the bank along with the damage relief application. If you miss the deadline, the freeze may be lifted, so be sure to check the deadline your bank gives you. Keep evidence such as transfer records, messages, call logs, and the names of any links or files the scammer sent; take screenshots and do not delete anything.
Scammers are after personal information as well as money. If you handed over an ID photo, account password, certificate or verification code, or installed a remote-control app, secondary damage can follow. Right after the freeze, take these steps.
Once your relief application is accepted, the money frozen in the scam account is returned to victims through procedures run by the bank and financial authorities. This involves steps such as a public notice period, so it does not happen immediately. Crucially, what can be returned is limited to what remained in the scam account. If there are several victims, the remainder is shared among them, so you may not recover everything you sent. Ask the bank where you filed the application for updates.
People who have just been defrauded are anxious and easy targets for another scam. If someone contacts you offering to recover your money or asking you to cooperate with an investigation, hang up and check by calling the agency's official number yourself. Investigators and banks do not ask for money or information this way.
If a parent or relative has been scammed, the most important thing is not to blame them. Victims already feel shock and shame, and scolding can lead them to hide facts or report further damage late. Go through the transfer records together and help with the freeze and the report. If they are still in contact with the scammer, have them end the calls and check the state of their phone. Afterward, it helps to agree that any request from an unknown number to send money will be checked with family first.
Right after the scam, call 112 for a payment freeze, and if the procedure is confusing, get advice from the Financial Supervisory Service at 1332. Use only your bank's number as shown on the back of your card or on its official website. Numbers and links received by text or messenger may have been set up by the scammer. Details such as filing deadlines and refund procedures can change, so confirm them in official guidance. If the situation is complicated or the amount is large, get help from a lawyer or a public legal aid service. These are general steps, not legal advice.
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