How to Track Down Someone Who Scammed You: Method 7

Falling victim to a scam can leave you feeling helpless and overwhelmed. This guide on how to track down someone who scammed you is crafted specifically for scam victims, private investigators, and legal professionals. We explain both proven and cautionary methods to ensure you can separate effective strategies from those that may mislead you.

After spending over 60 hours researching and consulting with digital forensics experts and legal advisors, we’ve distilled the most reliable strategies for tracking down scammers. Our comprehensive approach blends traditional evidence collection with advanced digital tools and legal guidelines, ensuring you have a trustworthy and complete set of actions at your disposal.

Methods to Track Down Someone Who Scammed You

Let me discuss with you the methods that I found to be useful in tracking down the scammer:

Method 1: Taking help of Reverse People Search Tools

Using Social Catfish Reverse Phone Lookup Social Catfish

Social Catfish is a popular people search platform that specializes in online identity verification and background checks. Whether you’re connecting with someone on a dating app, considering a job offer, or simply interacting online, it’s crucial to be vigilant and protect yourself from potential scammers. I’ve been there, tricked into sending money for a rare collectible that never materialized. It’s not a fun experience! After realizing I had been duped, I was determined to find out who was behind the scam. That’s when I turned to Social Catfish.

I had the scammer’s phone number, so I decided to use it to conduct a reverse phone lookup search on Social Catfish. To my surprise, the platform quickly generated a report with the individual’s real name, address, and even links to their social media profiles. The report also revealed the names and addresses of three people known to him, including one chiropractic specialist. This vital info helped me report the scammer to the authorities and take steps to recover my lost funds. You can find resources and information on reporting scams and recovering funds on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website.

While Social Catfish was instrumental in my case, I did encounter a few challenges. Initially, I had trouble interpreting some of the information in the report, as it contained many technical details and jargon. However, Social Catfish’s customer support was very helpful in guiding me through the results and explaining the significance of each piece of information. Another challenge was the cost of the service. While not exorbitant, it can help you decide whether to use this platform or consider other alternatives.

Steps to use Social Catfish reverse phone number search to detect scammers:

Step 1) On the Social Catfish website, I entered my phone number in the space provided and clicked Search.

Step 2) Social Catfish started searching from billions of available resources to find the name, address, email, and other details associated with the number.

Step 3) Upon completion, Social Catfish displayed partial information on my computer screen.

Step 4) To view the complete report, I had to enter my email ID and pay $5.73.I could generate 100 reports for 3 consecutive days.

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Identifying Scammers with Spokeo’s Reverse Email Lookup

Spokeo is a people search platform with over 18 million monthly visitors. It uses proprietary technology to organize billions of records, including names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, and social networks, into accessible profiles. When you perform a reverse email lookup, Spokeo searches through various databases, social media platforms, and other available resources on the public domain. Once the email owner is identified, Spokeo compiles all the relevant information about them and presents it in a comprehensive report. You will be able to see the email sender’s phone number, photos, street address, criminal history, social profiles, and more.

The information provided by Spokeo wasn’t always completely up-to-date. For example, in one instance, Spokeo displayed the wrong pin for a street address. In another case, the report showed incomplete data on qualification details. Despite these irregularities, the information still gave me a starting point for my investigation.

Additional Tips: If you receive spam texts or phishing messages, forward them to 7726 (SPAM) on your cell phone. This approach helps authorities track spam and phishing attempts and take action against those responsible.

Steps to use a reverse email search from Spokeo to identify Scammers

Step 1) From the URL, I entered the email address that I suspected to be a scam in the space provided and clicked on “Search” to begin the process.

Step 2) Spokeo started the search, collecting data from 120+ networks to provide personal details about the email sender and their social media and dating site presence.

Step 3) Once the search process is completed, I had to click “unlock full result”. Upon paying $0.95, I was able to view 18 addresses where the target has lived. It also revealed the target’s social profiles, dating sites, phone numbers, and other details.

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Method 2: Investigating Social Media for additional leads

Social media platforms are a treasure trove of information. You can use these platforms to uncover additional leads about the scammer’s identity. You can search people by their name, phone number, location, and even email on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), or other popular ones. Look at their friends, comments, and tagged locations for possible real-life connections. However, you will not be able to access profiles with stringent privacy settings. In such cases, consider looking through specialized communities and forums.

If the username is unique, such as koolboy56 or warcry14, there is a high chance of catching them up on gaming sites. You can visit sites like PC Gamer forums, JoyFreak, or even Reddit’s r/gamers, as there is a higher probability of extracting some helpful info. But be careful, as fake profiles can prove to be a spoilsport in your quest for truth.

If they claim to be a business or professional, check LinkedIn as a free option and business databases like Crunchbase or ZoomInfo for paid membership. You can also verify them on Better Business Bureau (BBB), OpenCorporates, or the Secretary of State website.

Additional Tip: If the scammer used a profile picture, upload it to Google Reverse Image Search or TinEye to see if it appears elsewhere. While using Google Reverse Image Search, try Advanced Settings for better output.

Method 3: Investigating Payment Transactions

Money scams are so common these days. I receive quite a few emails, messages, and even phone calls every day. Scammers often pose as bank officials, insurance agents, or even lotto representatives, making false claims to scam me of money. If you have fallen victim to such a scam, there are specific ways to fight it and trace the scammer.

Credit Card or Bank Transfer

If you have made a bank transfer or paid money through a credit card to a scammer, immediately contact your bank and file a dispute. Although it may not always be possible, you can file a chargeback.

In my case, the bank was able to track the details of the recipient since I had made a wire money transfer. But I cannot guarantee you 100% success in recovering the lost money.

PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle

If you have used Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, or similar payment options, the only ray of hope is reversing the transaction. However, you need to report the scam to the concerned platform’s customer support and see if they can reverse the transaction.

Crypto Transactions

Victims of crypto frauds can consider using blockchain explorers like Etherscan (Ethereum) or BTC Explorer. It will help them track transactions and wallets. But remember, crypto transactions are risky, and there is no guarantee of your loss being recovered.

Additional Tips: You can contact the USAGOV official site and learn more about the best places to file the complaint to the concerned department. But the process can be time-consuming. The customer support team has a delayed approach to addressing these issues.

Method 4: Contacting Legal Authorities

Whether you have faced a dating scam or some kind of financial fraud, the first step to take is gathering all the pieces of evidence possible. Any type of relevant information, be it transaction records, screenshots of conversations, or something else that you think to be useful, must be collected before you contact the legal authorities. Once you have the evidence, file a report with your local police or cybercrime unit.

If you suspect you have been a victim of securities fraud, contact the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 or online at the SEC’s official portal.

Additional Tips: Here are some additional places to report the scam:

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): You can submit a complaint to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). at

Federal Trade Commission (FTC): You can file a complaint report through the FTC’s online portal. You can easily submit all the necessary information, such as the scammer’s contact details, scam type, and any financial losses incurred from the portal. The FTC shares this information with over 2,800 law enforcement partners to investigate scams, track trends, and potentially take legal action against scammers.

Warning: Scammers have recently been impersonating the FTC to collect money. Keep in mind that the FTC will never threaten you, demand money transfers for “protection,” or instruct you to withdraw cash or buy gold for someone else.

Method 5: Addressing Postal Mail Frauds

I once received a letter claiming that I had won a 15-day all-inclusive vacation to Central Europe. The mail stated I only had to pay the international departure tax. I was suspicious and immediately contacted the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-800-372-8347. They took only 5 days to verify the postal mail and reported it as a scam.

You can also access them online at postalinspectors.uspis.gov. They investigate a variety of mail-related crimes, including mail fraud, mail theft, and the illegal mailing of prohibited materials. But you need to be patient as the reports don’t come instantly. The process takes a fair bit of time before you can receive a result.

Method 6: Seeking Help from a Professional Detective Agency

I’ve hired a private detective to track down a scammer who’d defrauded my sister of a significant sum. I was impressed by the dedication that the investigator reflected in tracing the fraudster. Although the process was expensive, my purpose was to serve as the detective who traced down the scammer within 3 days.

My suggestion to you is always to hire a highly experienced detective with a proven track record in digital investigations. With the intricate nature of cybercrime, which often involves cross-border operations and sophisticated concealment tactics, finding a suitable investigator can be a challenge.

Method 7: Online Community Help

You can publicize your issue on online community pages. Websites like Reddit (r/scams), ScamWarners, and The Ripoff Report can help you connect with others who might have encountered the same scammer. They have dedicated discussion pages for scam victims. You can get some ideas and helpful tips on how to proceed after being scammed. It will also help you stay updated on the latest scamming trends going around.

However, not all the tips or ideas people share in these forums will get you out of trouble. Information you get from these communities and forums is usually unverified. It depends upon you to verify the authenticity of the information. Keep your senses alert and handle these pages smartly.

Primary Steps to Take When You Suspect a Scam

If you suspect of being scammed, here are the steps you should take firsthand:

• Gather information: Save emails, messages, transaction records, and every other information you can gather as evidence.
• Report to authorities: Produce the evidence while filing a complaint to the legal authorities.
• Notify banks and credit cards: Alert your financial institutions to potential fraud. Here again, you need to produce the related information you have collected as evidence.
• Monitor accounts: Keep a close eye on your accounts for suspicious activity.
• Do not engage: Avoid further communication with the scammer.

Legal Actions Against Scammers

In the U.S., victims of fraud can pursue legal actions through civil and criminal courts. In civil court, the victim needs to prove fraud by a “preponderance of the evidence” to recover money as restitution or damages. Federal agencies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can file civil lawsuits to halt fraudulent activity and seek restitution. Criminal fraud charges require proof of purposeful deception, intent to deprive, and actual or potential loss. Victims can also consider class action lawsuits to join with others harmed by similar scams. It’s essential to report scams to the FTC and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). You may even contact your bank to reverse fraudulent transfers in case of transaction scams.

Essential Tips for Scam Victims

Since you are already reading this article, you have likely been scammed. Let’s be honest: The chances of recovery are not guaranteed towards success. But that doesn’t mean you will remain silent and get into the shell. You should expose the scam camp to as many people as possible so they do not fall victim, just like you. Here are my essential Tips:

1. Record the website details: Before reporting a scam website, record details like screenshots, the site’s URL, a description of why you think the site is illegitimate, and payment details.
2. Contact your bank if necessary: If you’ve provided financial information or made a purchase on a scam website, contact your bank or payment service provider and provide them with the transaction and website details.
3. Report to the host: Find out where the website is hosted using the ICANN Lookup tool, and then navigate to the contact section to send a report to the company that registered the domain.
4. Tell Google all about it: You can report the scam site manually via Google’s web form or by email at support-in@google.com.
5. Report to the FBI: Report scams and fraud to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov. The IC3 is the central hub for reporting cyber-enabled crime and is run by the FBI. You can also file a report at Tips.fbi.gov.
6. Report scam attempts to the U.S. Department of the Treasury: If the scammers claim to be employees of the Treasury Department, report it by visiting Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse. For IRS-related scams, report to phishing@irs.gov with the subject line: “IRS phone scam”.
7. Talk to newsprint media: You can report the scam to the newsprint media at the local newspaper office, requesting them to publish the news for additional awareness.
8. Taking the help of digital media: You can publish a video on YouTube, explaining your situation. If you know someone running a YouTube channel, ask them to publish your video or spread the information. Alternatively, you can also spread the news via social media like Facebook, Insta, Twitter, or even LinkedIn.

FAQs

Conclusion

While tracking down a scammer can be challenging, it is not impossible. Tools like Spokeo and Social Catfish can help you identify scam phone calls, marketing emails, and social network frauds. By taking swift action and gathering evidence, you can increase your chances of identifying the perpetrator. Remember to prioritize your safety and involve law enforcement when necessary to potentially recover your losses.