All incidents
I sent money to a scammer
You've realised that a payment or transfer you made went to a scammer rather than the person or organisation you believed it was going to. Time matters here — the sooner you report it, the better the chance of stopping or reversing the transaction.
Do this now
- Contact your bank immediately through their official fraud line — do not wait until office hours if the transfer just happened.
- Provide the transaction details: amount, time, and the account it was sent to.
- Ask whether the transfer can be recalled or the receiving bank can be notified to freeze the funds.
Then do this
- Get a reference number for your fraud report and keep records of all communication.
- Report the incident to the South African Police Service for a case number.
- Review how the scam happened so you can recognise the pattern next time.
Check these things
- Do you have the exact transaction reference and time?
- Do you have any messages, calls, or emails from the scammer saved?
Don't do this
- Don't send further money in an attempt to 'recover' the first payment — this is itself a common follow-up scam.
- Don't feel too embarrassed to report it — acting fast matters more than anything else.
When should I get help?
- Contact your bank's fraud line immediately.
- Report to the South African Police Service.