What to do if you have already been scammed
Quick answer
Move fast. Call your bank or card issuer's fraud line the same day and ask for a recall or chargeback, preserve every message and receipt as evidence, report to your national fraud body, and report the account to the platform where you found the operator.
Last reviewed by the SafariVerify team.
Hour one: the money
For a card payment, ask the issuer to raise a dispute for services not provided. For a bank wire, ask for an immediate recall request to the beneficiary bank — success depends heavily on speed.
Do not send further money to 'release' a refund. Recovery-fee demands are a second scam that targets people already hit by the first.
Hour two: the evidence
Export the whole WhatsApp or email thread, screenshot the profile and website, and save the invoice with bank details visible. Note dates and times.
Record the exact account name and number that received the funds. That detail is what banks and police can act on.
The same week: the reports
File with your national fraud body — Action Fraud in the UK, the FTC and IC3 in the US, or the equivalent in your country. Also report to the tourism authority or association in the destination country.
Report the profile to Instagram, Facebook or the forum where you found the operator, and post a factual account of what happened, sticking to what you can evidence.
Your checklist
- Call your bank or card issuer's fraud line today, not tomorrow
- Ask explicitly for a chargeback (card) or wire recall (bank transfer)
- Export the full message thread and invoice before any account is deleted
- File with your national fraud reporting body and keep the reference number
- Report to the destination tourism board or operator association
- Ignore anyone offering to recover your funds for an upfront fee
Sources
- Action Fraud (UK) — report fraud
- US FTC — report fraud
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
- Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) — member directory
Licensing rules, fees and directories change. Always confirm details with the issuing body on the day you pay. See our methodology for what we can and cannot know.
Check the operator before you pay
Free, no account, about 60 seconds. One verdict — safe, caution or stop — with the sources shown.
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