🔍 How to Find Someone Who Scammed or Defrauded You: Complete Guide
Being scammed is devastating—financially and emotionally. But scammers aren’t as invisible as they want you to believe. This comprehensive guide shows fraud victims exactly how to track down the person who stole from them, using investigation techniques, professional skip tracing, and legal remedies that can help you recover your money and hold scammers accountable.
Whether you lost money to a romance scam, business fraud, contractor theft, investment scheme, or online marketplace deception, finding the perpetrator is the first step toward justice. Scammers rely on victims giving up—but with the right approach, many can be identified, located, and pursued through civil courts or criminal prosecution.
This guide covers everything from immediate evidence preservation to professional investigation services, legal options, and realistic expectations about what recovery looks like. The path to justice isn’t always easy, but for many fraud victims, it’s absolutely possible with persistence and the right resources.
🚨 Immediate Steps After Discovering Fraud
The actions you take in the first 24-72 hours after discovering you’ve been scammed are critical. Evidence disappears, scammers move on to new identities, and your memory of details fades. Act quickly to maximize your chances of finding them and recovering your money.
📸 Within 24 Hours: Preserve All Evidence
Screenshot everything before the scammer deletes it: social media profiles, messages, emails, transaction records, website pages, phone numbers, and any photos or documents they shared. Save emails with full headers (not just forwarded copies). Download chat histories. Print physical copies of critical evidence. The scammer may delete their profiles within hours of completing the fraud.
📝 Within 48 Hours: Document Everything
Write down everything you remember while it’s fresh: how you met, what they told you about themselves, names and details they mentioned, timeline of events, every payment method used, and any identifying information. Even seemingly minor details may prove important later.
🏦 Within 48 Hours: Contact Financial Institutions
Report the fraud to your bank, credit card company, or payment platform immediately. Many have fraud departments that can freeze transactions, initiate chargebacks, or provide information about where money went. Time limits apply—some chargebacks must be initiated within 60 days.
👮 Within 72 Hours: File Official Reports
Report to local police (get a case number), the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the FBI’s IC3 for internet crimes, and any relevant regulatory agencies. These reports create official records, may connect your case to others, and are often required for insurance claims or legal proceedings.
🎭 Common Types of Fraud and Investigation Approaches
Different types of fraud require different investigation strategies. Understanding what kind of scam you experienced helps focus your search efforts.
Romance Scams
Fake romantic relationships built to extract money. Scammers use stolen photos and fabricated identities. Focus investigation on reverse image searches, phone number traces, and patterns across dating platforms. Often connected to organized fraud rings.
Contractor Fraud
Contractors who take deposits and disappear, or perform grossly substandard work. Usually real people using real identities—meaning they’re often findable through contractor licenses, business registrations, and professional databases.
Business/Investment Fraud
Ponzi schemes, fake investment opportunities, or fraudulent business deals. Perpetrators often have real identities but elaborate cover stories. SEC filings, business records, and corporate databases may reveal true information.
Online Marketplace Fraud
Fake sellers on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or other platforms. May use real or fake identities. Platform records, shipping addresses, and payment traces offer investigation paths.
Rental Scams
Fake landlords collecting deposits for properties they don’t own. Often use real property listings with fake contact information. Property records can verify true ownership; payment traces may reveal real identities.
Tech Support/Impersonation Scams
Scammers pretending to be from tech companies, government agencies, or utilities. Often operate from call centers using temporary phone numbers. IP addresses, payment destinations, and call patterns may help identify operations.
🔎 DIY Investigation Methods
Before hiring professionals, you can conduct significant investigation yourself. Many fraud victims have successfully identified scammers using free online tools and careful detective work.
Analyzing What You Already Have
Start with the evidence you’ve collected. Every piece of information the scammer provided—even lies—can be investigated:
Social Media Deep Dives
🔍 Facebook Investigation
Search their name, phone number, and email on Facebook. Check the “People You May Know” feature from any profile they created—it often reveals real associates. Look at who comments on or likes their posts. Check for alternate profiles with similar photos or details. Facebook’s “Transparency” feature shows when pages were created and name changes.
📸 Instagram and TikTok
Search usernames across platforms—scammers often reuse them. Check tagged photos and location tags for real geographic clues. Look at who they follow and who follows them. Early posts often reveal more real information before they refined their fake persona.
If they claimed professional credentials, search LinkedIn for verification. Fake profiles often have inconsistent employment histories or schools that don’t exist. Real profiles may reveal true employment information even if they’re trying to hide.
Public Records Searches
Many public records are freely searchable and can help verify or disprove information the scammer provided:
- 🏛️ Court Records: Search for their name in court databases. Prior fraud convictions, civil lawsuits, or other legal troubles may appear. Many states have free online case searches.
- 🏠 Property Records: If they claimed to own property, county assessor websites can verify ownership. This also reveals addresses associated with real property owners.
- 💼 Business Filings: Search Secretary of State databases for any businesses they claimed to operate. Real business filings include registered agent addresses and officer names.
- 📜 Professional Licenses: State licensing boards have searchable databases for contractors, real estate agents, financial advisors, lawyers, and other licensed professions.
- 🚗 Vehicle Records: If you have a license plate, some states allow limited searches. Vehicle information may reveal true owners.
Tracing Payments
The money trail often leads to the scammer’s real identity:
💳 Bank Transfers and Wires
Wire transfers include receiving bank and account holder information. Your bank may be able to provide details about the receiving account. If the money went to a business account, that business can be researched through state filings.
📱 Payment Apps
Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, and Cash App accounts are often linked to real identities for verification purposes. Usernames, profile photos, and transaction histories may reveal real information. Payment platforms may assist law enforcement with subpoenas.
₿ Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency transactions are recorded on public blockchains. While wallets are pseudonymous, specialized services can trace funds through exchanges where identity verification occurred. This often requires professional blockchain analysis.
🎯 Professional Skip Tracing Services
When DIY methods hit dead ends or you need faster, more comprehensive results, professional skip tracing services offer access to databases and investigative techniques unavailable to the general public.
What Professional Investigators Can Access
Licensed investigators have access to comprehensive databases aggregating information from credit headers, utility connections, property records, vehicle registrations, employment records, and dozens of other sources. They can cross-reference fragmentary information—a phone number here, a partial name there—to build complete profiles and identify real individuals behind fake personas.
| Information Type | DIY Access | Professional Access |
|---|---|---|
| Identity Verification | Public records only | Credit headers, SSN traces, identity databases |
| Current Address | Limited to social media clues | Utility records, postal records, credit data |
| Phone Number Owner | Basic reverse lookup | Carrier records, registration data, history |
| Associates Network | Visible social media only | Comprehensive family and associate mapping |
| Asset Information | Public property records | Vehicles, property, business interests |
| Criminal History | Some court records | Nationwide criminal database searches |
Need to Find a Scammer?
Our professional skip tracing team helps fraud victims track down perpetrators. Get real identities behind fake personas, current addresses, and information to support legal action.
Start Your Investigation →When to Hire Professionals
Consider professional skip tracing when:
Significant Loss
When thousands of dollars are at stake, the $75-150 cost of professional skip tracing is a worthwhile investment toward potential recovery through legal action.
Fake Identity Used
If the scammer used an obviously fake name or identity, professionals can work backward from phone numbers, payment accounts, or other traces to find real information.
Time Sensitivity
Assets may be dissipated, the scammer may flee, or statutes of limitations may be running. Professional searches typically return results in 24-72 hours versus weeks of DIY searching.
Legal Action Planned
If you’re planning to sue or pursue criminal prosecution, you need reliable, verified information. Professional reports carry more weight than DIY social media research.
⚖️ Legal Options for Fraud Victims
Once you’ve identified the scammer, several legal avenues may help you recover money or see justice served.
Civil Lawsuits
Suing the scammer in civil court can result in a judgment you can then collect through wage garnishment, bank levies, and property liens.
Small Claims Court
For losses under your state’s small claims limit (typically $5,000-$15,000), small claims court offers a fast, affordable option. You can represent yourself, filing fees are minimal ($30-100), and cases often resolve within weeks. You just need the defendant’s name and address for service.
Civil Court
For larger losses, civil court allows you to pursue the full amount plus potential punitive damages, attorney fees, and costs. While more expensive and time-consuming, the potential recovery justifies the investment for significant fraud losses.
Criminal Prosecution
Fraud is a crime. Your police report and evidence may lead to criminal charges, especially if:
- 👥 Multiple victims are identified (pattern of fraud)
- 💰 The amount stolen exceeds felony thresholds (varies by state)
- 📧 Wire fraud (federal crime) or mail fraud was involved
- 🏦 Financial institutions were defrauded (bank fraud)
- 👴 Elderly or vulnerable victims were targeted
Restitution Through Criminal Cases
If criminal charges are filed and result in conviction, courts often order restitution—repayment to victims as part of the sentence. While collection isn’t guaranteed (you can’t get money from someone with none), restitution orders provide powerful enforcement tools including probation violations for non-payment.
💰 Collecting After You Find Them
Finding the scammer is step one. Collecting money from them requires additional steps, especially if they don’t pay voluntarily after receiving your demand letter or lawsuit.
Pre-Judgment Actions
Even before winning a lawsuit, certain actions can protect your ability to collect:
Post-Judgment Collection
After winning a judgment, powerful collection tools become available:
💪 Collection Methods Available
- 💵 Wage Garnishment: Take up to 25% of their paycheck directly from their employer
- 🏦 Bank Levy: Freeze and seize funds from their bank accounts
- 🏠 Property Liens: Attach to real estate, collected when property sells
- 🚗 Vehicle Seizure: In some states, vehicles can be seized and sold
- 📊 Credit Damage: Judgments appear on credit reports, creating pressure to pay
- 💼 Business Asset Seizure: Levy accounts receivable or business property
Ready to Collect Your Judgment?
We help fraud victims locate assets and employers for judgment collection. Employment verification, asset searches, and ongoing skip tracing support your recovery efforts.
Verify Employment →🤝 Working with Law Enforcement
Law enforcement can be a powerful ally, but understanding how to work effectively with them improves your chances of getting their help.
Making Your Case Compelling
Organize Your Evidence
Present evidence in a clear, organized package. Timeline of events, copies of communications, financial records, and any suspect information should be easy to review.
Do Your Homework
The more investigation you’ve done, the easier their job becomes. Identifying the suspect, connecting to other victims, and documenting the scheme makes prosecution more viable.
Identify Jurisdiction
Crimes may be reportable where you are, where the scammer is, or where financial institutions are located. Federal jurisdiction may apply for internet crimes crossing state lines.
Connect with Other Victims
Multiple victims make cases more attractive to prosecutors. Search online for others scammed by the same person—fraud forums, Reddit, and social media often reveal patterns.
Agencies to Contact
Reporting Resources
- 👮 Local Police: File a report for documentation and local investigation
- 🏛️ FBI IC3: Internet Crime Complaint Center for online fraud
- 📊 FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov aggregates data and shares with law enforcement
- 📧 Postal Inspectors: If mail was used in the fraud scheme
- 💰 State Attorney General: Consumer protection divisions investigate fraud patterns
- 📈 SEC: For investment-related fraud
- 🏦 CFPB: For fraud involving financial services
🛡️ Protecting Yourself During Investigation
As you investigate, take precautions to protect yourself from further harm or retaliation.
Security Considerations
📊 Realistic Expectations
While many fraud victims successfully locate scammers and recover money, it’s important to have realistic expectations about outcomes and timelines.
Factors Affecting Recovery
Favorable Factors
Real identity used, scammer has job/assets, local to you, smaller fraud operations, documented evidence, quick action, multiple victims identified.
Challenging Factors
Completely fake identity, overseas perpetrators, professional fraud rings, cryptocurrency payments, no assets to collect, delayed discovery.
🔄 Building Your Case Over Time
Fraud investigation is often a marathon, not a sprint. Building a comprehensive case may take weeks or months, but persistence often pays off.
Creating a Case File
Organize all information in a structured case file that will be useful for attorneys, law enforcement, and courts:
Connecting with Other Victims
Finding other people scammed by the same perpetrator dramatically strengthens your case and may be the key to successful prosecution.
Where to Find Other Victims
- 🔍 Search the scammer’s name, phone, email with “scam,” “fraud,” or “warning” in Google
- 💬 Post your experience (without identifying yourself if preferred) on Reddit’s r/Scams community
- 📋 Check ScamWarners, Scamalytics, and other scam-reporting databases
- 📱 Search the phone number on sites like WhoCalledMe or 800notes
- 👥 Contact the FTC—they may connect you with others who filed similar complaints
Maintaining Momentum
Fraud investigation can feel overwhelming and discouraging. Here’s how to maintain momentum:
Set Small Goals
Break the investigation into manageable tasks. Today: reverse image search. Tomorrow: check court records. Small progress adds up.
Track Progress
Keep a log of actions taken and results. Seeing what you’ve accomplished helps maintain motivation through setbacks.
Know When to Get Help
If DIY methods stall, professional help can break through plateaus. Sometimes a fresh perspective reveals new angles.
Balance Effort and Life
Investigation shouldn’t consume your life. Dedicate specific time to it, then step away. Sustainable effort produces better results than obsessive burnout.
🎯 Special Situations
Certain fraud scenarios present unique investigation challenges and opportunities.
Cryptocurrency Scams
Cryptocurrency adds complexity but isn’t untraceable. Blockchain transactions are public—the challenge is connecting wallet addresses to real identities. Professional blockchain analysis services can trace funds through exchanges where identity verification occurred. If significant amounts were stolen, this specialized investigation may be worthwhile.
Business Partner Fraud
When a business partner commits fraud, you often have more information to work with: real names, addresses, tax IDs, bank accounts, and business records. The challenge is often proving the fraud rather than identifying the person. Forensic accountants can analyze business records to document theft or embezzlement.
Family Member Fraud
Fraud by family members is emotionally complicated but often easier to investigate since you know who they are. The decision to pursue legal action against family is personal. If you proceed, the same legal options apply—civil lawsuits, criminal reports, and collection remedies. Consider whether recovery is worth potential family rupture.
Elder Fraud
If an elderly family member was scammed, additional resources may be available. Adult Protective Services investigates elder exploitation. Many states have enhanced penalties for defrauding seniors. Area Agencies on Aging can provide guidance and support for victims and families.
💔 Emotional Recovery Alongside Investigation
Being scammed causes real emotional harm—shame, anger, betrayal, and self-doubt are common reactions. Taking care of your emotional wellbeing while investigating helps you make better decisions and maintain the persistence needed for resolution.
Common Emotional Reactions
Fraud victims often experience a predictable range of emotions that can interfere with effective investigation if not acknowledged:
- 😤 Anger: At the scammer, but also at yourself for “falling for it.” This anger can be channeled productively into investigation efforts.
- 😔 Shame: Many victims feel embarrassed, which prevents them from reporting or seeking help. Remember: sophisticated scams fool intelligent people every day.
- 😰 Anxiety: About financial loss, about what the scammer knows about you, about whether you’ll be victimized again.
- 🤔 Self-Doubt: Questioning your own judgment can undermine confidence in your investigation abilities.
Support Resources
You don’t have to navigate this alone. Several organizations provide support specifically for fraud victims:
- 📞 AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline: 877-908-3360 (free for everyone, not just AARP members)
- 💬 Online Support Groups: Reddit’s r/Scams community provides peer support and investigation tips
- 🏥 Mental Health Support: If emotional impact is severe, therapists experienced with financial trauma can help
- 📚 Consumer Protection Offices: State attorneys general often have victim assistance programs
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to the most common questions fraud victims ask about investigating and pursuing scammers:
📚 Related Resources
Continue your research with these comprehensive guides:
Don’t Let Scammers Get Away
Our professional investigation team has over 20 years of experience helping fraud victims find justice. We locate perpetrators, verify identities, and provide the information you need for legal action.
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