Getting scammed is an unfortunate part of life for millions of people. It may happen to you as a result of a business opportunity presented to you by telephone, the internet or mail or an investment by a seemingly legitimate financial planner. This article will not look at measures you should take to avoid getting scammed. We will look only at what to do after it happens.
First. Don't panic. I know, this will most likely happen at first. But after a few days when you have had a chance to recover a little and get a breath of air - count your blessings. This may seem impossible to do and may take some time, especially if your loss is large and/or is of sentimental value. Talk about this with friends or family, a trusted clergy member or therapist. Talking about your loss with someone you trust is therapeutic and will help to alleviate the stress you are feeling. It will also help to offset some of the stigma, embarrassment and guilt associated with these types of crimes. Remember, You are the victim - it is not your fault.
Second. Take inventory of what you have lost. Identify the dollars and cents of the investment opportunity you have participated in. Separately include email costs, phone calls and mail you may have sent. List the items you may have exchanged - property, vehicles, clothing, furniture, or any other valuables (anything with an asset value) that you provided as a result of the con and give an estimate of their value.
Third. Detail the transaction. To the best of your ability, detail exactly what was stated, the phone calls that were made and at what time and how long they lasted, print out all relevant emails, assemble all mailings and documentation you received. Write down everything that was said to you and even what you thought they meant by what they said. Be sure to note your thoughts as thoughts only, not what was actually stated. If you have the technical savvy and if the scam involves the internet, obtain screen shots of each website involved and get visitor statistics for each.
Fourth. Go over the incident in your mind. How were you first contacted? How did the scam progress? Who said what to whom? What were your feelings? You want to lay out in a timeline form all the events, statements, emails, phone calls, mail, and emails between you and the scammer. You use these to provide as detailed as possible a record of events in the order they occurred. Then rehearse this. Ask yourself questions. How did they first contact you? What did they say? What promises were made? Also ask yourself if there is anything you have forgotten. This question often serves to bring up pertinent facts and details we may have otherwise overlooked. Now, assemble everything in order and make multiple copies of everything, storing at least one copy in a safe location where only you have access and will not need it.
Fifth. Contact the appropriate authorities. A scam is illegal. You have been materially and possibly emotionally injured and damages are owed to you. You can expect to receive the appropriate compensation if available or justice to be done to those who have hurt you.
The first step is to contact your local police. Let them know what happened, how it happened and how much you may have lost. They will most likely request copies of your documentation although there may be nothing they can do about the incident as it may lie beyond their jurisdiction.
Next is the Better Business Bureau. Although they have been helpful in many cases, for this matter, you are not expecting their help; you are simply informing them of a scam being operated by a business in their jurisdiction. Cooperate with them fully if requested, but they have no legal authority to prosecute a crime. This is a crime, focus your energy in that direction.
Next, contact the state Attorney General in which the business or scammer is located. Let them know that you have been scammed, the amount of the scam, how much it has hurt you and ask them - politely - what they can do about it. Tell them you have documentation of the incident and will forward it to them upon request. Let them you know you expect progress and will check in on them at periodic intervals.
The FBI, the SEC, and the FTC. What happened to you may lie under the jurisdiction of any one or all of these organizations. With the rise of the internet, online frauds and scams have proliferated and each has a department tasked to handle such matters. Contact that department from their website and follow their lead. Tell them the scope and size of the scam providing all the detailed information you have. Tell them of your documentation and suggest you send it to them. As these organizations are very busy, they may or may not be able to help you depending on the size and nature of the scam, or they may take a long time to get back to you.
A local attorney. Your local attorney may be able to help you or refer you to an attorney who can. If you can afford their help, it may serve you to seek their assistance. You may wish to file for damages in civil court or - if you suspect a large scam - open a class action suit against the company or scammer.
If nothing much seems to be happening, start with step one again - the local police and ask them how their investigation is progressing. Continue with each step until you feel some progress is being made.
With these procedures, you should be able to recover some of your dignity and receive some satisfaction from the pain that was inflicted on you. The nature of these types of crimes make it unlikely that you will recover all of your money or property although it is possible you will receive some, but you must always maintain hope.
Good luck.
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