How To Get Your Money Back From An Online Scam [5 Steps]

I’ve been scammed online… what do I do?

It’s a question you wish you didn’t have to ask, but it’s a necessary one if you’ve been scammed. I’ve seen my fair share of internet scams over the years, so I know how it feels.

The good news is, I also know some practical ways you can go about getting your money back from the scammers! Here’s what you need to know…

How To Get Your Money Back From An Online Scam

There are many types of scams online. From your typical ‘get rich quick’ scams, to investment and dating scams. The list goes on and on. You name it, there’s probably a scam for it. But regardless of what type of scam you’ve fallen victim to, this guide will help you.

Here’s the five steps to getting your money back from an online scam:

  1. Identify exactly who you purchased from
  2. Read the terms and conditions of the sale carefully
  3. Contact the vendor in writing to request a refund
  4. If you get nowhere, contact your financial institution and/ or;
  5. Consider legal action as a last resort

Some of these steps may sound obvious, but understanding them in detail is key if you want to get your money back. Read on for the details of each step…

Step 1: Identify exactly who you purchased from

The very first, and most essential step in the process, is finding out exactly who you purchased the product or service from.

As if you didn’t already know that, right? Yep. But you might be surprised at just how many people are unsure about who exactly they purchased from.

And there’s a good reason for this confusion as I’ll now explain.

One of the main ways online companies drive sales, is through their affiliates. They pay their affiliates a commission to bring sales their way. Think of an affiliate like a “middle person” who’s goal is to generate sales for a given company.

To make this process work, behind the scenes, there’s often a third party company involved, known as an affiliate network.

This is important to understand because it means that (in some cases) you are really buying from the third party affiliate network, not the vendor.

For example, here’s the checkout page for PWM Live, a program I discovered a while back:

Checkout Page Example Scam

In this case, the actual purchase is made to ClickBetter, a third party affiliate network.

Circling back to my point… you may think you’re buying from the vendor, when in reality you’ve bought from a third party. So it’s important to look at the invoice/ receipt you received for the sale (if you got one) and try to determine WHO exactly you bought the product from.

Either the vendor directly or a third party affiliate network.

You are (generally) more likely to get your money back if you buy through an affiliate network. This is because they facilitate many product sales for many vendors, so they often have strict return policies in place to protect customers.

In any case, figure out who you bought from and note that down.

Step 2: Read the terms and conditions of the sale carefully

Once you’ve identified who you’ve purchased from, the next step is to carefully examine the fine print on their website. Specifically, you want to find their refund policy.

There should be a page on the site somewhere that outlines what you’re rights are when you purchase. In most cases you can find the ‘terms’ page at the very bottom of the website. So that’s always a good place to start your search.

This is a good way to determine how likely you are to actually obtain a refund, and what rules the company has in place. Doing this can also help you avoid hidden fees. Since it’s common practice among scams to charge a relatively small amount upfront, and charge much higher hidden fees you aren’t aware of.

Either way, knowing the terms and conditions of the sale will only help you going forward.

Step 3: Contact the vendor in writing and request a refund

At this point, you know who you’ve purchased from and have a greater understanding of the companies refund policy. Whether it’s the vendor itself or a third party affiliate network.

So it’s now time to formally request a refund via email.

The email doesn’t need to be elaborate either. You just want to state your name, date/ time of purchase, and how you paid (without giving account numbers). Then, request a full refund for the product or service you purchased.

Here’s a quick example email to show you what I mean…

Dear (company name),

I purchased (product name) on (date) using (payment type). My customer/ invoice/ receipt number is (relevant number). I am not satisfied with my purchase because (clear and concise reasons you’re not happy). I’m hereby formally requesting a refund into the account the payment was made from.

Thank you and look forward to your prompt reply.

To be clear I’m not a lawyer, so this is just an example of what I would do personally. And what I have done in the past to get a refund for sketchy ‘make money online’ offers. It contains the basic elements for any reasonable company to work with you in processing a refund. Which is all that really matters.

Another thing worth noting is that it might be wise to avoid sharing too much information in those emails. Because, let’s not forget, you’re dealing with a potential scammer. So you may want to avoid sending any credit card details, for example.

In any case, if the company does accept refund requests and you are within the acceptable time period, this should be enough to obtain a refund. If they don’t have a refund policy, or flat out refuse refunds, this step probably won’t help you. But it can still be worth contacting the company in writing so that you can prove you’ve requested a refund if need be.

Step 4: If you get nowhere, contact your financial institution

This is your best hope of getting your money back if the vendor won’t play nice, without going to court. Just how effective this will be really comes down to financial institution and the details of the scam itself.

For example, PayPal has a Purchase Protection Program that allows customers to get their money back on any purchases made within a 180 day period. There are strict guidelines as to how this works and it’s not perfect, but it does help consumers obtain a refund when they are rightfully entitled to one.

Most banks also have a dispute resolution process in place which is worth looking into. How effective this is, comes down to the individual bank and the circumstances surrounding the scam. Also, given the nature of the internet, the scammers could be located anywhere. Which means they could be operating outside of your local bank’s jurisdiction.

In any case, contacting your financial institution (whatever it may be) is worthwhile. Best case, it could help you get your money back. Worst case, you can avoid future transactions coming out of your account from the same scammer.

If all else fails, and the amount you’ve been scammed for is substantial, it may be worth considering legal action. However, even if you do win the case, hiring an attorney might not be financially viable. Which is why some consider undertaking a class action lawsuit (suing a company as a group). If you can connect with enough people who have also been scammed from the same company, you could essentially join forces and take the company to court this way. In doing so, you share the costs of the legal representation, which can make it a viable avenue to explore.

Warning Others About Your Negative Experience

Whether you’ve been successful at getting your money back or not, you may want to warn others about your negative experience. This may not help you get your funds back, but it can help others to avoid falling into the same trap.

Either way it’s a good way to vent your frustration.

Many people rely on genuine customer reviews and oftentimes scams use fake testimonials and comments. So letting people know about what really happened, can help more than you might think.

You can do this on relevant blogs, forums, or anywhere else you can get the word out. Sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or Trustpilot are good options to consider.

In fact, posting on sites like the BBB can sometimes be enough to attract the attention of the vendor and get you a refund. After all, they want to appear to be operating a legitimate company, so it’s in their best interests to respond to complaints posted on such sites.

Tips On Avoiding Online Scams In Future

You know the old saying “if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is”. Well in the online world, you can remove the ‘probably’ part. Scams are everywhere so it pays to exercise caution when buying something.

Here are a few tips on avoiding common online scams:

  • Avoid anything that sounds too good to be true like the plague
  • Never buy in impulse, always take the time to research a product before you buy
  • Use PayPal wherever possible to ensure you can get a refund if need be
  • Be careful who you give your personal info to, many scam sites sell this for a profit
  • Never make transactions over the phone, they are near impossible to recover

Conclusion

The internet provides an excellent shopping experience for consumers. But it can also be a nightmare if you fall victim to a scam. So in this article, we covered some practical steps you can take to get your money back if you do find yourself in such a situation. Feel free to comment below if you want to share your experience or tips with others.

9 thoughts on “How To Get Your Money Back From An Online Scam [5 Steps]”

  1. I got ripped of by Email Elite Academy, aka: Instant Email Empire. They are diffidently a big Scam deal. They lied about providing a way to get paid the funds that you make once you make $1,500.00 with the 20 cent per click pay promise. I exceeded $1,500.00 and only got a big run around when it came to finding out why I can not get paid. Now I am going to make it my occupation to take these thieves down by way of legal action.

    Reply
  2. Financial freedom forever .com is the one I need stop from taking from my card. Nancy lavergne took 6.87 tried 47.00 put stop to 47.00.please. how I get this back.

    Reply
  3. I ordered from bysbewsnike.site two pairs of shoes but I’ve heard right now that this site is fake , I’ve tried to contact the company but I don’t have their email or something , what should I do ?

    Reply
    • When you get scammed online, you not only risk losing the amount you paid for the product, but also of losing you confidential information, such as your credit/debit card. Assuming you bought from this online vendor with some sort of card, they have access to all that information, which they may or may not use. They also could sell your information on the dark web or simply to other companies. The money you spent initally for the product is probably gone. When a scammer gets what they want, in your case, money, they try to spend it as quick as possible before you find out and mess anything up for them. So I’m guessing your money is long gone. What you can do, however, is report them to the BBB (Better Business Bureau) if I’m not mistaken. They might fine the company and force them to shut down.
      All this isn’t to scare you or anything. Who knows? You might get lucky and nothing will happen. Wishful thinking, right?

      Reply
      • Good comment Mason.

        One thing I will mention here is that the BBB cannot prosecute anybody, they are a private company. It’s definitely worth doing though, as this can aid you in getting your money back, because companies don’t like the negative press. The best place to report a scam is the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) if you want action taken against the company, or your attorney if you’re seeking damages.

        Reply
  4. Just got scammed by Helen Kinski. Lost £27000 which is minimal compared to what others lost after reading this column, But what I have just found out which is worse that my personal details like my bank account, card numbers, phone and passport details have all been sold on the black market. This is a heads up to everyone else to change your details immediately after you realised you’ve been scammed because the after effects are on-going.

    I am in touch with a Charge back company trying to recover my funds you can contact me if you need their service don’t forget they have our details try to change every thing. Gold investment is a scam, its a big scam!!!

    Reply
    • I will say this… the so called “chargeback company” is also a scam, and now at best, they have access to your personal information to sell on dark web. On the other side, the worst, im assuming you have probably paid these bad actors as well in order for them to provide you with their “chargeback services”. So you are also out of that money as well.

      EVERYONES NUMBER ON STEP WHEN BEING SCAMMED IS TO SIMPLY CONTACT YOUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT YOU USED TO SEND THE PAYMENT IN QUESTION. THEN ASK THEM TO DO A CHARGEBACK AND TELL THEM IT IS AN UNAUTHRIZED TRANSACTION.

      Reply

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