Quick answer

If you believe you were scammed through an online shop, marketplace, messaging app, or social-media account, act immediately:

Contact the bank, e-wallet, card issuer, or payment service you used. Report the transaction as fraudulent or disputed, request that remaining funds be traced or temporarily held, secure your account, and obtain a case or reference number.
Use the platform’s official dispute and reporting tools. Ask for a refund, preserve the complaint record, and request that the seller’s account, listing, and transaction data be retained.
Report the incident to law enforcement. You may approach the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, the nearest police station, or the NBI. The government’s 1326 anti-scam hotline may also provide immediate reporting and referral assistance.
File a DTI consumer complaint if the transaction involved a business seller and you seek a refund, replacement, repair, or other consumer remedy.
Secure compromised accounts and preserve evidence. Do not delete messages, block the scammer before saving the conversation, or publicly post sensitive banking information.

These steps serve different purposes. A platform or DTI complaint may help obtain a consumer remedy; a bank report may help trace or preserve funds; and a police or NBI complaint may start a criminal investigation. Filing with only one does not necessarily accomplish the others.

First: stop further loss

Call the payment provider now

Use only the telephone number in the bank or e-wallet’s official app, website, card, or statement. Tell the provider:

when and how the payment was made;
the amount and transaction reference number;
the recipient’s name, account number, mobile number, or QR details;
why you believe the transaction was fraudulent;
whether you personally authorized the transfer and, if so, whether deception caused you to authorize it;
whether your password, PIN, one-time password, card details, or device may have been compromised; and
that you want the transaction traced, the recipient institution notified, and any available disputed funds temporarily held.

Ask what supporting document must be submitted and by what deadline. Record the report number, time of the call, and agent’s name or identifier.

Under the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act, covered financial institutions may temporarily hold funds involved in a disputed electronic transfer and must participate in coordinated verification. Current BSP regulations on disputed transactions provide for an initial hold of up to five calendar days and a possible extension of up to 25 additional calendar days when the required grounds and procedures are satisfied.

A hold is not automatic, does not guarantee recovery, and generally cannot recover money already withdrawn or moved outside the traceable financial system. The regulations also exclude ordinary erroneous transfers and generally exclude credit-card transactions unless the card was used for an electronic fund transfer through an automated clearing house. Different chargeback or card-dispute rules may apply to card purchases.

If a temporary hold is initiated, promptly submit whatever the provider requests. For a possible extended hold, BSP rules contemplate supporting documents such as a sworn complaint, affidavit, police report, or other document explaining the transaction and why it is disputed, ordinarily within the initial holding period.

Secure your accounts

If you disclosed credentials, clicked a suspicious link, installed an app, shared your screen, or allowed remote access:

change passwords using a clean, trusted device;
sign out other sessions;
change the PIN where appropriate;
enable multi-factor authentication;
freeze or replace affected cards;
ask your mobile provider about an unauthorized SIM replacement or account takeover;
remove unknown apps and device permissions; and
review recent transactions and linked accounts.

Never give an OTP, PIN, password, recovery code, or screen-sharing access to someone claiming they can recover the money. Legitimate investigators and financial institutions should not require you to transfer more funds to “unlock,” “verify,” or “release” a refund.

Preserve evidence before it disappears

Save complete, readable copies of:

the product listing, advertisement, livestream, or social-media post;
the seller’s profile URL, username, account ID, page name, and contact details;
messages from the first contact through the last demand or promise;
order confirmations, invoices, receipts, delivery records, and tracking information;
proof of payment and the complete transaction reference;
the destination bank or e-wallet details;
photographs and an unedited unboxing video, if the item received was fake, defective, substituted, or empty;
emails, SMS messages, call logs, phone numbers, and voice messages;
the platform dispute, seller response, and refund decision;
URLs of linked websites and the date and time each was accessed; and
your reports to the platform, payment provider, DTI, police, or NBI.

Whenever possible, retain the original electronic files—not only cropped screenshots. Export conversations if the app permits it. Keep the device used in the transaction and avoid factory-resetting it if account intrusion or malware may be relevant. Investigators may need metadata or other information that a screenshot does not preserve.

Prepare a short chronology showing dates, amounts, representations made, payments sent, goods expected, goods actually received, and your attempts to obtain a refund. Separate facts you personally observed from information supplied by another person.

Report the account and transaction to the platform

Use the marketplace or social-media service’s in-app reporting and buyer-protection process. Report both the transaction and the seller’s account or listing. Clearly state the remedy requested—for example, cancellation, refund, return at no cost, preservation of seller records, or removal of a fraudulent listing.

For covered business-to-consumer transactions, the Internet Transactions Act of 2023 requires marketplaces and other covered digital platforms to provide a redress mechanism. An aggrieved party generally must use that internal mechanism before pursuing an administrative complaint, court action, or alternative dispute resolution under the Act. The internal remedy is deemed exhausted if the complaint remains unresolved seven calendar days after filing.

Do not let that seven-day period delay an urgent report to your financial institution or necessary steps to protect an account, preserve funds, or address an ongoing crime or threat.

The Act generally covers business-to-business and business-to-consumer internet transactions connected to the Philippine market. It does not cover a genuine consumer-to-consumer transaction—for example, an isolated sale of a personal item by another end-user. That exclusion does not make fraud lawful and does not prevent a criminal complaint under other laws.

Buyer-protection windows imposed by platforms or card issuers may be much shorter than legal prescriptive periods. Check the applicable terms immediately.

File a DTI consumer complaint

A DTI complaint is appropriate when the dispute concerns a business seller, e-retailer, marketplace, or other transaction within DTI’s consumer-protection jurisdiction. Possible issues include:

non-delivery;
an item materially different from its description;
defective, unsafe, counterfeit, or substituted goods;
refusal to honor a lawful warranty or refund;
deceptive representations; or
unfair or unconscionable sales practices.

Submit the complaint through the DTI Consumer CARe System. For complainants in Metro Manila, DTI also identifies consumercare@dti.gov.ph and in-person filing with the Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau as available channels in its official filing guidance. Outside Metro Manila, contact the appropriate DTI regional or provincial office.

Include:

your complete name and contact details;
the seller’s known name, address, contact details, and platform account;
a clear chronological statement;
the amount paid;
the specific remedy requested;
proof of payment and purchase;
the listing, messages, and relevant photographs; and
proof that you used the platform or seller’s internal complaint mechanism, when applicable.

Under the Internet Transactions Act, consumers may pursue repair, replacement, refund, or other remedies recognized by the Consumer Act and applicable law when goods are defective, lost without the consumer’s fault, fail to meet the warranty, or do not conform to the contract. A seller’s “no return, no exchange” statement does not erase remedies for defective or nonconforming goods, although a simple change of mind is different from a legal defect or breach.

The Act provides a two-year period for filing a claim for damages under its damages provision, counted from when the cause of action arose. Do not treat that as permission to wait: evidence, accounts, platform records, and recoverable funds can disappear quickly.

DTI mediation or adjudication is not the same as criminal prosecution. If the seller used deliberate deception to obtain money, report the matter to law enforcement as well.

Make a criminal report

You may report an online scam to:

the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group or your nearest police station;
the NBI Cybercrime Division, through an NBI office that receives complaints; or
the government’s 1326 anti-scam hotline for prompt assistance and referral.

Use current contact and office information from the official PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group and National Bureau of Investigation websites. Office channels can change; avoid relying on contact details copied from unofficial posts.

Bring printed and electronic copies of your evidence, a government-issued ID, and a written chronology. Be ready to execute a complaint-affidavit or sworn statement. State only facts you can support. Identify unknown persons as unknown rather than guessing their identity.

Online selling fraud may constitute estafa under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code when its elements are established, including qualifying deceit, reliance, and resulting damage. When a crime under the Revised Penal Code or a special law is committed through information and communications technology, Section 6 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 may apply, subject to the precise charge and proven facts.

Not every failed delivery, poor-quality product, delayed refund, or broken promise is automatically criminal fraud. A criminal case ordinarily requires proof of deceit or another offense, not merely proof that a contract was breached. Conversely, a scammer’s use of a false profile, mule account, fabricated proof, repeated victims, or immediate disappearance may be important evidence of fraudulent intent.

If the bank or e-wallet does not resolve the complaint

First complain directly to the BSP-supervised financial institution and retain its response or proof that it failed to respond. If the matter remains unresolved, escalate it through the BSP Consumer Assistance Mechanism, including the BSP Online Buddy or the official complaint form sent to consumeraffairs@bsp.gov.ph.

Provide:

a summary of the concern;
the resolution requested;
your contact details;
the complaint previously filed with the institution;
the institution’s response, if any; and
supporting documents.

BSP consumer assistance concerns the conduct of BSP-supervised institutions. It is not a substitute for reporting the scammer to the police or NBI, and the BSP does not guarantee reimbursement merely because a complaint is filed.

Special situations

You paid cash on delivery

Report the seller and order through the marketplace immediately. Preserve the parcel, label, waybill, packaging, photographs, and unboxing video. Contact the courier, but recognize that a courier may only have transported the package and may not be the seller or party responsible for its contents.

Do not return the item to an address supplied privately by the seller until the platform or responsible business confirms the official return procedure.

You paid by credit or debit card

Contact the issuer immediately and ask whether a card dispute or chargeback is available. Describe the transaction accurately: distinguish an unauthorized card use from a purchase you authorized but did not receive or received in materially different form. Deadlines and documentary requirements depend on the card network, issuer, transaction type, and account agreement.

The seller is abroad

Philippine law may still apply to an online business that avails itself of the Philippine market and has sufficient contacts here. Actual enforcement and recovery may be harder when the person, records, and funds are abroad. Report promptly so authorities and financial institutions can assess available domestic and international measures.

It was an investment, loan, insurance, or cryptocurrency scheme

DTI may not be the principal regulator. Report suspected investment solicitations to the Securities and Exchange Commission and financial-account issues to the relevant provider and BSP, as applicable. Verify investment entities and advisories through the official SEC Philippines website. Cryptocurrency transfers can be difficult or impossible to reverse, but the exchange or virtual-asset service provider should still be notified immediately.

Your identity or personal data was stolen

In addition to securing financial and online accounts, notify any organization whose account or identification document was compromised. A personal-data breach or misuse may also be reported through the official National Privacy Commission channels when it falls within the Commission’s jurisdiction.

The scammer is threatening or blackmailing you

Do not pay merely because of the threat. Preserve the entire conversation and seek police or NBI assistance urgently. If there is an immediate threat to life or physical safety, call 911 or go to the nearest police station.

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting for the scammer’s repeated promises before contacting the payment provider.
Sending a second payment for “tax,” “insurance,” “verification,” “release,” or “recovery.”
Deleting messages or blocking the account before preserving evidence.
Reporting only the social-media username and omitting the profile URL, transaction reference, and recipient-account details.
Posting full account numbers, IDs, addresses, or complaint affidavits publicly.
Threatening, impersonating an officer, attempting unauthorized account access, or arranging a private entrapment.
Paying an unverified “recovery agent” who promises guaranteed retrieval.
Filing exaggerated or knowingly false reports. Malicious reporting that causes funds to be held can itself carry liability under the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act.
Assuming a police blotter, DTI complaint, platform report, and bank dispute are interchangeable.

When legal help is urgent

Consult a Philippine lawyer promptly when:

the amount is substantial or several victims are involved;
the bank rejects the claim despite possible security-control failures;
a platform or seller invokes a waiver, settlement, or release;
the suspect has threatened, blackmailed, stalked, or doxxed you;
your identity, business account, or corporate funds were used;
you are asked to sign a sworn statement you do not understand;
you receive a subpoena, counter-complaint, demand letter, or court document;
the transaction crosses national borders; or
a filing or platform deadline is near.

The Public Attorney’s Office may assist qualified indigent persons, subject to its mandate, merits assessment, and documentation requirements.

Frequently asked questions

Can I recover money transferred voluntarily?

Possibly, but recovery is not guaranteed. A transfer can still be disputed when deception or a social-engineering scheme caused it. Success depends heavily on how quickly it is reported, whether funds remain traceable, the provider’s verification, and the available evidence.

Should I message the scammer first?

You may make a brief written demand if it is safe and useful, but do not delay reporting to the payment provider. Do not send more money or reveal that investigators are tracing the account. Preserve any response.

Can I report without knowing the scammer’s real name?

Yes. Give investigators every identifier you have, including usernames, profile URLs, phone numbers, recipient accounts, transaction references, email addresses, and delivery details. A competent authority may seek records through lawful process.

Is a social-media report enough?

No. It may remove or restrict the account, but it ordinarily does not replace a bank dispute, DTI complaint, or criminal report.

Does DTI handle every Facebook Marketplace sale?

No. The Internet Transactions Act excludes genuine consumer-to-consumer transactions. DTI jurisdiction also depends on the nature of the seller, product, and dispute. Fraud may still be reported to law enforcement even when DTI consumer remedies do not apply.

Must I wait seven days before going to the police?

The seven-day rule concerns exhaustion of the platform’s internal redress mechanism for remedies under the Internet Transactions Act. Do not delay urgent financial-account protection, evidence preservation, or reporting of an ongoing crime, threat, or account compromise.

Does filing a complaint guarantee an arrest or refund?

No. Authorities must evaluate jurisdiction, evidence, legal elements, and the identity and location of the responsible persons. A bank hold, platform refund, DTI remedy, investigation, prosecution, and civil recovery are separate processes with different requirements.

Official references

This article provides general legal information, not advice for a particular case. Rights, jurisdiction, evidence requirements, and available remedies depend on the transaction and documents involved. Official sources and procedures were checked as of 15 September 2026.