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Falmori GuidesFor adults

How to Get Your Money Back After an Online Shopping Scam

Scammed by an online store? Step-by-step: dispute the charge, use PayPal or gift-card recovery, report to the FTC, and protect yourself from identity theft. Act fast.

Written & edited by Philip Wong

Last reviewed 2026-07-23

Falmori is responsible for this editorial guide. It is general information for adults, not medical, legal, financial, or product advice. Read our editorial standards.

In this series

Quick Answer

Question: I think I was scammed by an online store — how do I get my money back?

Short answer: Move quickly. Dispute the charge with your card issuer or bank (a chargeback), or open a case in PayPal if you paid that way. If you paid by gift card, contact the card company right away to try to freeze it. Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, keep every record, and if you shared personal details, watch for identity theft. Recovery is much more likely with a card or PayPal than with wire transfer, crypto, or gift cards.

TL;DR: The payment method decides your odds. Card and PayPal have real dispute processes; wire, crypto, and gift cards are hard to reverse but still worth reporting. Either way, act fast, keep records, and report it so others are warned.

Key Takeaways

  • Dispute the charge fast — card and PayPal protections are time-sensitive.
  • Contact the store once, briefly, but don't wait on them before disputing.
  • Gift card, wire, or crypto payments are hard to reverse — contact the provider immediately anyway.
  • Report it to the FTC (and, for larger fraud, the FBI's IC3) so it's on record.
  • Protect your identity if you shared personal or card details.

Step by step

1. Contact the store once — then don't wait on them

Send one clear message asking for a refund or the missing order, and keep a copy. If there's no real reply, or the "store" has vanished, move to the next steps without delay.

2. Dispute the charge (card or bank)

Contact your credit or debit card issuer and ask to dispute the charge (a chargeback). For credit cards, U.S. law (the Fair Credit Billing Act) gives you the right to dispute billing errors — including goods that never arrived — generally within 60 days of the statement, so don't sit on it. Explain that the goods never arrived or the store appears fraudulent, and provide your records.

3. If you paid with PayPal

Open a case in PayPal's Resolution Center under its purchase-protection process. Do this within PayPal's stated time window.

4. If you paid with a gift card

Contact the gift card company right away (the number is usually on the card) and report that it was used in a scam. Acting fast occasionally allows a freeze, though gift cards are hard to recover — which is exactly why scammers ask for them.

5. If you paid by wire transfer or crypto

Contact your bank or the wire/crypto service immediately. These are the hardest to reverse, but a fast report is your best chance and creates a record.

6. Report the scam

  • File a report at the FTC's ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
  • For larger online fraud, you can also report to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov).
  • Your state attorney general's office may also take complaints.

7. Protect yourself from identity theft

If you shared card numbers or personal details, monitor your statements, consider a fraud alert or credit freeze, and use the FTC's IdentityTheft.gov if anything is misused.

*Falmori publishes general consumer information for adults. This is not legal or financial advice; steps and deadlines vary by bank, provider, and situation — confirm the current process with your own provider.*

Keep these records

  • The order confirmation, receipt, and any tracking.
  • The store's URL and its policy pages (screenshot them — scam sites disappear).
  • Every message you exchanged.
  • Your dispute or report reference numbers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get my money back after an online shopping scam?

Dispute the charge with your card issuer or bank, or open a case in PayPal if you paid that way. If you used a gift card, contact the card company immediately. Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and keep all your records. Card and PayPal payments have the best chance of recovery.

Can I do a chargeback for a scam?

Often, yes, if you paid by credit or debit card. Contact your issuer to dispute the charge; credit cards have dispute rights under the Fair Credit Billing Act (generally within 60 days of the statement), and the process is time-sensitive, so act quickly.

What if I paid with a gift card?

Contact the gift card company right away using the number on the card and report the scam. Gift cards are hard to reverse — that's why scammers request them — but a fast report is your best chance.

Should I report an online store scam, and where?

Yes. Report it at the FTC's ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and for larger fraud you can also file with the FBI's IC3.gov. Reporting helps warn others even when recovery isn't possible.

What if I gave the scammer my personal information?

Monitor your accounts, consider a fraud alert or credit freeze with the credit bureaus, and use IdentityTheft.gov if any information is misused.

Sources and editorial note

*General consumer information for adults; not legal or financial advice. Processes and deadlines change and vary by provider — confirm with your bank, card issuer, or payment service.*