Blog: Security
Gave details to a phone scammer? What to do after a vishing call
By the TelecomsXChange engineering team ·
Act in the next hour, and start with what you gave away. Card or bank details, or money sent: call your bank on the number on your card. A password or a one-time code: change the password and turn on two-factor authentication. Remote access: disconnect the computer from the internet. Then report the scam, and expect the scammer to call again.
First
Stop the damage: what to do for each thing you shared
Use a number you find yourself for every call below: the back of your card, a statement, or the company's own website. Never the number the scammer called from or gave you.
| If you gave | Do this first | Then |
|---|---|---|
| A card number, expiry date or the three digits on the back | Call the number on the back of the card and have it blocked | Report any charges you did not make as fraud and ask for a refund; watch the next statements |
| Bank account or online banking details, or you sent money | Call your bank's fraud line now and ask them to reverse the payment | Change your online banking password; ask the bank what else to watch |
| A one-time code or a password | Change the password, and anywhere you reused it | Sign out other devices, check the recovery e-mail and phone were not changed, turn on two-factor authentication |
| Remote access to your computer | Disconnect it from the internet and uninstall the program they had you install | Update your security software and run a scan; change passwords from another device; tell your bank |
| A Social Security or Social Insurance number | US: report it at IdentityTheft.gov. Canada: tell your bank and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre | Ask the credit bureaus for a fraud alert and watch for accounts you did not open |
| Gift cards | Contact the company that issued the card right away and tell them it was used in a scam | Keep the card and the receipt |
| A wire transfer, a money-transfer app or cryptocurrency | Contact the transfer company or the exchange at once and ask them to stop or reverse it | Report it quickly: these payments are the hardest to get back |
Based on the FTC's guide, what to do if you were scammed, which covers more payment methods.
Then
Report it
Reporting rarely brings the money back on its own. It does help investigators link cases, and your bank or insurer may ask for the report.
- United States
- ReportFraud.ftc.gov for any scam; IC3.gov, the FBI's service, for internet-enabled crime; IdentityTheft.gov if your identity was used.
- Canada
- The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, at 1-888-495-8501 or online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca, and your local police.
- United Kingdom
- Report Fraud, at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040. It replaced Action Fraud in December 2025. To reach your own bank safely, call 159.
- Australia
- Scamwatch, and ReportCyber to reach the police.
Next
Expect the second call
Someone who paid once is worth calling again. The second call often has a new story: the police investigating the first scam and needing your help, the bank's fraud team "reversing" the loss, or a service that can recover your money for a fee. It is the same people.
- No police force or bank asks you to move money or buy anything to help an investigation.
- No legitimate recovery service charges you up front to get scammed money back.
- Every follow-up gets the same answer: hang up, and call back on a number you found yourself.
At work
If an employee was vished
- Tell IT or security at once. Disable or reset the account involved, end its sessions, and reset any multi-factor login the caller may have changed.
- If money moved, call the bank now. Ask for the payment to be recalled. The first hours matter most.
- Keep the evidence. The number, the time, what was said, what was given. A recording, if you have one, is the best evidence there is.
- Warn the team. The same caller usually tries several people.
- Report it, using the list above.
This is where a business with Open Voice Shield on its phone line starts ahead. The call is already recorded and transcribed, the red flags are quoted in a report you can share with the bank or the police, and the caller's next attempt, on any of your lines, is blocked automatically. In standard mode the verdict lands minutes after the call. Realtime mode, set up on request at a higher cost, scores the call while it is still up, in time to cut or divert it. How to prevent the next one.
Last
It happens to careful people
Vishing callers do this all day, with scripts refined on thousands of calls, caller ID that looks right and details that make them sound informed. Being caught by one says nothing about your judgement. The sooner you tell your bank, your family or your team, the more can be saved, and the less likely the second call works.
What vishing is and how the calls work · seven scripts and their red flags
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if I gave my bank details to a scammer on the phone?
Call your bank's fraud line straight away on the number on your card or statement, tell them exactly what you shared, and ask them to block the card or account and reverse any payment. Change your online banking password. Then report the scam: ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the United States, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre in Canada, Report Fraud in the UK or Scamwatch in Australia.
Can I get my money back after a phone scam?
Sometimes, and speed matters. Card charges can often be disputed, and a bank transfer can sometimes be stopped if the bank acts before the money moves on. Gift cards, wire transfers and cryptocurrency are much harder to recover, so contact the company involved at once. Anyone who offers to recover your money for a fee is running a second scam.
What if I gave a scammer remote access to my computer?
Disconnect the computer from the internet, uninstall the program they had you install, update your security software and run a full scan. Change your passwords from a different device, starting with e-mail and banking, and tell your bank, because remote access is usually a step toward your accounts.
Where do I report a scam call?
In the United States, ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and IC3.gov for internet-enabled crime. In Canada, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca. In the UK, Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040. In Australia, Scamwatch, and ReportCyber to reach the police.
Will the scammer call me again?
Often, yes. Someone who paid once is worth calling again, sometimes with a new story: the police investigating the first scam, the bank's fraud team, or a service that will recover your money for a fee. Treat any follow-up the same way: hang up and call back on a number you found yourself.
Should I call back the number that called me?
No. That number may be spoofed, or it may reach the scammer. Call the organization on a number you found yourself: the back of your card, a statement or the official website.