What to Do If You Get Scammed Abroad: Steps to Take Immediately

Before doing anything else, write down or record:

• What happened, in order, with as much detail as possible
• The time and location
• Any names, descriptions of people involved
• Photos of receipts, signage, vehicles, or anything you were shown
• Any amounts of money involved and how you paid

Memory degrades fast under stress. Getting this down now makes every subsequent step easier.

**Cash:** Cash losses are generally unrecoverable. Move to the next steps.

**Credit or debit card:** Call your bank immediately. Most banks have 24/7 international lines. Explain what happened and ask about a chargeback. If your card was cloned or a fraudulent charge has appeared, request a freeze and replacement card.

**Online payment (PayPal, bank transfer):** Log in immediately. PayPal has buyer protection for many transaction types — open a dispute within 180 days. Bank transfers are harder to reverse but still possible if reported quickly.

**Crypto:** Generally unrecoverable. File a report for documentation purposes.

A police report feels pointless but it matters for two reasons: travel insurance claims often require one, and it creates a paper trail that consulates and banks can reference.

• Go to the nearest police station, not just any officer on the street
• Ask for a copy of the report with a reference number
• In major tourist cities, there is often a dedicated tourist police unit (common in Rome, Barcelona, Marrakech, Bangkok) — these officers handle foreign visitor incidents regularly and often speak English

If you have travel insurance, call your provider's claims line. Many policies cover:

• Cash theft up to a limit
• Fraudulent card charges
• Scam-related losses in some cases

Have your police report reference number ready. File the claim while the details are fresh — most policies have a short window.

If you have lost your passport as part of the incident, contact your country's embassy immediately. For financial scams without document loss, embassies have limited ability to help directly — but they can provide a list of local lawyers if the situation escalates.

• Report to the local tourist authority if one exists
• Leave a review on Google Maps, TripAdvisor, or similar platforms if a business was involved
• Report to the platform if the scam involved a booking site (Airbnb, Booking.com, etc.) — they investigate and sometimes provide compensation
• Submit a report on Before You Go so the warning reaches future travelers to that destination

• **Do not confront the person involved** — this can escalate dangerously
• **Do not pay additional money** to 'get your money back' — this is a common follow-up scam
• **Do not delay** on card disputes — the window to dispute is time-limited