Financial Crimes & Cyber Fraud Investigation Unit

Department of Consumer Protection & Asset Recovery

Victim Recovery Guide: Self-Help Protocol

Document ID: SH-2026-RECOVERY-01 | Issued: March 2026

If your financial loss has not yet met the minimum threshold for a full-scale forensic investigation ($5,000+), do not lose hope. Follow this standardized U.S. protocol immediately to mitigate damage and create a legal paper trail.

Phase 1: Immediate Asset Protection

Time-Sensitive: Complete within 24–48 hours.

• Bank Fraud Alert: Call the number on the back of your card. Ask for the Fraud Department. Request a Chargeback or ACH Recall. State that the transaction was "authorized under fraudulent pretenses."
• Credit Freeze: Contact the three major bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to prevent identity theft.
• Device Sanitization: Uninstall remote access software like AnyDesk or TeamViewer. Reset all financial passwords using a secure device.

Phase 2: Federal & Local Reporting

• FBI - IC3: File an official report at www.ic3.gov.
• FTC: Report at reportfraud.ftc.gov. This provides the record needed for bank disputes.
• Local Police: File a report at your local precinct to obtain a Case Number.

Phase 3: Evidence Preservation

• Digital Footprints: Save URLs, IP addresses, and email headers of the perpetrators.
• Transaction Hashes (TXID): For crypto, document every TXID. This is the only way to track funds on the blockchain.
• Communication Logs: Export all chat histories (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.) before they are deleted by the scammer.