The first 24 hours after fraud are critical. Here is the exact sequence of actions that gives you the best chance of recovering money and protecting yourself from follow-on attacks.
Being defrauded is disorienting. Scammers often leave victims in a state of shame and shock that delays the actions that could actually help. Here is what to do, in order.
Change your passwords. If you gave anyone your login credentials, or if a scammer had remote access to your device, change the passwords for every financial account immediately. Start with your bank, then email, then brokerage, then everything else. Use passwords you have not used before.
Enable two-factor authentication. If you have not done this, do it now for every financial account. An authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Authy) is more secure than SMS codes.
Contact your bank or card issuer. Call the number on the back of your card. If you sent a wire transfer, there is sometimes a brief window to recall it — usually only hours. Even if the window has passed, report the fraud and ask them to document it.
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