Scammed out of money or crypto in a fake investment, a crypto trading platform, a romance scam or someone impersonating a bank or business? The most important thing now is speed: the sooner your bank tries to recall the payment and asks the receiving bank to freeze it, the better the chance any funds still sitting there can be stopped. Recovering scammed money or crypto is often difficult and no one can guarantee it, but acting fast and in writing gives you the best footing.
Your rights after a scam
What you can ask your bank to do depends on how the money moved and whether you knowingly authorised it.
If the payment was unauthorised — a scammer accessed your account, obtained your codes or credentials, or used remote access — your bank should look at it under the ePayments Code, a voluntary code administered by ASIC that most banks subscribe to. A subscribing institution must investigate an unauthorised transaction and apply the Code’s liability rules, and commonly advises the outcome within 21 days. That does not mean an unauthorised transaction is automatically refundable; the outcome depends on the Code’s rules.
If you authorised the payment yourself after being deceived, there is no automatic right to a refund. Instead you can ask your bank to review whether it met its obligations to detect and prevent scams, to warn you, and to make inquiries where the payment bore the hallmarks of a scam. A new Scams Prevention Framework is being rolled out for banks, telecommunications and digital platforms, with most obligations commencing on 31 March 2027, so stronger scam-protection duties are coming rather than fully owed today.
If you paid by card, you can also ask for a chargeback through the card scheme. If the money went to the wrong account — a mistaken PayID, or BSB and account number — your bank can follow the mistaken or misdirected payment process and contact the receiving institution. If your bank does not resolve it, you can refer the complaint to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), the free external dispute resolution scheme for banking and payments complaints. From 12 March 2026, AFCA’s jurisdiction expanded so it can also examine receiving banks and unauthorised ‘mule’ accounts even where you are not that bank’s customer.
What to do
- Call your bank’s official fraud line now. Use the number on the back of your card or on your statement, never a number from a text, email or website a scammer sent you. Ask them to attempt an urgent recall, to contact the receiving bank to freeze the funds, and to give you a reference number.
- Report it to Scamwatch. Report to the National Anti-Scam Centre / Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au. This helps authorities disrupt the scam even if your own money cannot be traced.
- Report the cybercrime to ReportCyber. At cyber.gov.au, or call 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371). ReportCyber refers reports to police.
- Get free support from IDCARE. Australia’s free identity and cyber support service, especially if any of your identity details, logins or devices were exposed.
- Report a crypto, financial or investment scam to ASIC. If you used a crypto exchange, contact it straight away and ask it to freeze or trace the transfer and preserve records.
- Escalate to AFCA for free if your bank does not resolve it. From 12 March 2026 AFCA can also examine the receiving bank and the ‘mule’ account the money was sent to, even if you are not that bank’s customer.
- Secure your accounts. Change the passwords on your banking, email and any exposed accounts, turn on two-factor authentication, and if a device was given remote access have it checked. If you are in immediate danger or being threatened, call 000.
Ready to put it in writing?
Answer 3 quick questions to check you have the details your document needs, and see your next step.
1. Who owes you?
2. How much?
3. Do you have it in writing?
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Do it yourself, or have it drafted
You can write the scam report to your bank yourself for free, and report the scam through the channels above at no cost. If you would rather have it done properly, Claim Done drafts two documents for a flat $49: a formal scam report to your own bank — framed correctly by how you paid and whether the payment was authorised — that asks it to try an urgent recall, to get the receiving bank to freeze the funds, and to give you a reference and a written response; plus a plain-English step-by-step action guide. You download both and use them yourself. Claim Done is a flat $49 document service, does not send anything for you, and takes no percentage of anything you recover. We cannot guarantee recovery. Start your scam action pack.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get my money back?
Honestly, maybe, but we cannot promise it, and recovering scammed money or crypto is often difficult. The best chance comes from acting fast: the sooner your bank tries to recall the payment and freeze the receiving account, the more likely any funds still sitting there can be stopped. These documents help you do exactly that, quickly and in writing.
What do I do first?
Call your bank’s official fraud line now — use the number on the back of your card or on your statement, never a number from a text or email. Ask them to attempt an urgent recall, to freeze the receiving account, and to give you a reference number. The scam report we draft is your written follow-up to that call, and the action guide sets out every other step in order.
Is this a recovery scam? How is it different?
It is not. A recovery scam contacts you out of the blue, promises to get your money back, and asks for an upfront fee or more crypto or access to your accounts. Claim Done does none of that: it is a document service you chose to come to, the fee is a flat $49 for preparing two documents, it takes no share of anything you recover, and it never asks for access to your accounts. Never pay anyone who contacts you promising to recover your money.
What if I authorised the payment myself?
Many scam victims did — you were tricked into sending it. In that case there is no automatic refund, so the report does not claim one. Instead it asks your bank to review whether it met its obligations to detect the scam, warn you and make inquiries about a suspicious payment, and to explain what checks it applied. If the bank does not resolve it, you can take the complaint to AFCA for free.
Where do I report the scam?
To several places, and the guide walks you through each: your bank’s fraud line first; the National Anti-Scam Centre / Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au); ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au, 1300 CYBER1 / 1300 292 371), which goes to police; IDCARE for free support; and ASIC for crypto, financial and investment scams. If your bank does not fix it, escalate to AFCA for free.
Do you take a percentage of what I recover?
No. Claim Done charges a flat $49 for preparing these two documents and takes no percentage of anything you recover, ever. Anyone who asks for a cut of your recovered money, or an upfront fee to get it back, is running a recovery scam. Never pay them.
What happens when you send a Scam Action Pack
Same problem. What a prepared case looks like.
Getting it drafted
Can I have a Scammed? Bank Scam Report + Step-by-Step Action Guide drafted for me instead of writing it myself?
Yes. Claim Done (claimdone.com.au) drafts a Scammed? Bank Scam Report + Step-by-Step Action Guide from the answers you give about your situation for a flat $49 AUD. You read and confirm the draft, then the final PDF is emailed to you. Start at claimdone.com.au/begin/?service=crypto-scam-recovery. Claim Done is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
How much does a Scammed? Bank Scam Report + Step-by-Step Action Guide cost, and how long does it take?
$49 AUD flat, shown before you pay, with no subscription. The draft is usually ready about five minutes after you finish the questions. It covers every Australian state and territory.
Do I need a lawyer to send a Scammed? Bank Scam Report + Step-by-Step Action Guide in Australia?
No. There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor to write or send a Scammed? Bank Scam Report + Step-by-Step Action Guide; many people send their own. Claim Done drafts it for you and you approve it before it is sent.