Quick answer

If you have just sent money or disclosed account credentials, contact your bank, e-wallet, card issuer, or remittance provider immediately through its official fraud channel. Ask it to secure your account, flag the transaction as disputed, trace the receiving account, and consider holding any remaining funds. Speed matters: reporting does not guarantee recovery, but delay can allow the money to be withdrawn or transferred again.

Then preserve the evidence and report the scam to the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), the National Bureau of Investigation Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD), or the nearest police station or NBI office. You may also call the government’s 1326 Anti-Scam Hotline or report through the eGovPH app. Use the appropriate regulator as an additional channel—for example, the BSP for unresolved complaints involving BSP-supervised financial institutions, the SEC for investment schemes, or the DTI for consumer transactions.

There is no general minimum amount that must be lost before a scam may be reported. Even an unsuccessful attempt can provide useful intelligence or involve an offense. A report, however, is not necessarily the same as filing the sworn criminal complaint needed for prosecution.

What to do immediately

1. Stop further loss

Do not send another payment for “verification,” “tax,” “release,” “insurance,” “refund processing,” or “account recovery.” A demand for one final payment is often part of the same scheme.

If you gave the scammer a password, PIN, one-time password, card number, recovery code, or access to your device:

Contact the affected financial institution through the number in its official app, website, or on the back of the card.
Lock or suspend cards and compromised accounts.
Change passwords from a clean device, beginning with your email account.
Sign out other sessions and enable multi-factor authentication.
Ask your mobile provider to secure your SIM if you suspect SIM swapping or loss of service.
Remove remote-access applications installed at the scammer’s request.
Review recent transactions and report every unauthorized entry separately.

Do not rely on a phone number, email address, or link supplied by the person who contacted you.

2. Report the transaction to the financial institution

Give both the sending and receiving details if available:

transaction reference number;
date, time, amount, and channel;
sender and recipient names;
bank or e-wallet names;
account, card, wallet, QR, or mobile numbers;
screenshots of the transfer confirmation; and
a short explanation of how the deception occurred.

Ask for a case or ticket number and written confirmation of your report.

The Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act, Republic Act No. 12010, and the BSP’s implementing framework allow regulated institutions to temporarily hold disputed funds under specified conditions while coordinated verification is conducted. A hold is not automatic, permanent, or equivalent to a refund. The institution must follow the law, BSP rules, and applicable industry protocols.

If you voluntarily approved the transfer because you were deceived, say so accurately. Do not describe it as an “unauthorized transaction” if you personally initiated or authenticated it. The distinction can affect the investigation and the institution’s assessment, although a scam-induced transfer should still be reported immediately.

3. Preserve evidence before blocking or reporting accounts

Save the original material where possible:

complete chat, SMS, and email threads;
profile names, usernames, account links, group links, and user IDs;
phone numbers and email addresses;
advertisements, listings, livestreams, and websites;
order confirmations, invoices, receipts, and delivery records;
deposit slips and transaction histories;
QR codes and account or wallet details;
voice messages, call logs, and recordings lawfully in your possession;
photographs of parcels, labels, documents, or counterfeit goods;
the scammer’s promises, representations, instructions, and threats;
your demand for a refund and the response, if any; and
case numbers from the platform and financial institution.

Capture the visible URL, date, and time. Export chats or download account data when the service permits it. Keep the original files; avoid editing, cropping, annotating, or repeatedly forwarding the only copy. Back everything up in at least two secure locations.

Screenshots help, but they are stronger when accompanied by the original messages, electronic files, transaction records, and an organized timeline.

Where to report a scam

PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group

For scams carried out through social media, messaging applications, websites, email, mobile phones, or other digital systems, report to the PNP-ACG or a Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit. You may also go to the nearest police station, which can record the incident and direct or endorse the matter to the appropriate cybercrime unit.

Because publicized phone numbers may change and scammers sometimes impersonate authorities, verify contact information through the official PNP-ACG website before sending documents.

National Bureau of Investigation

The NBI handles both cybercrime and other fraud investigations. Its official services include investigative assistance for victims of computer crimes and victims of fraud.

You may use the NBI online complaint page for initial reporting or visit the NBI Cybercrime Division, Fraud and Financial Crimes Division, or a regional or district office. Current division addresses are listed on the NBI Divisions and Services page. An online submission may still require personal appearance, identification, original records, or a sworn statement.

1326 Anti-Scam Hotline and eGovPH

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center operates the 1326 Anti-Scam Hotline. Government guidance also identifies the reporting feature in the eGovPH app and the email address 1326@dict.gov.ph as reporting channels. These channels can help receive, coordinate, or refer reports, but they do not replace an institution’s fraud process or every step required to initiate a criminal case. See the DICT’s official information.

BSP for bank, e-wallet, card, or other regulated financial-service complaints

First complain directly to the bank, e-money issuer, financing company, or other BSP-supervised institution through its Financial Consumer Protection Assistance Mechanism. This is the required first-level recourse.

If the matter remains unresolved or the institution does not act, escalate it through the BSP Consumer Assistance Mechanism. BSP accepts complaints through the BSP Online Buddy, or through its stated email, mail, phone, and walk-in alternatives. Include:

your complaint to the institution;
its response, if any;
the institution’s reference number;
a clear account of the events;
supporting documents; and
the specific resolution you are requesting.

BSP consumer assistance addresses the regulated institution’s handling of the matter. It is not a substitute for reporting the scammer to law enforcement.

SEC for investment scams

Report solicitations involving supposed investments, trading platforms, pooled funds, securities, guaranteed returns, or unlicensed lending and financing activities to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC’s iMessage ticketing system includes an investment-scam complaint category.

A company’s SEC registration alone does not authorize it to sell investments to the public. The authority to offer securities generally requires separate compliance and authorization. Include promotional materials, contracts, payment records, names of recruiters, referral arrangements, and representations about returns.

DTI for consumer transactions

For disputes involving goods or services sold by a business, file through the DTI Consumer CARe System. DTI guidance asks for the parties’ identifying and contact details, a narration of facts, the remedy requested, proof of transaction, and identification.

DTI mediation or administrative action may help with a genuine consumer dispute. A fake seller, stolen identity, or organized fraud should also be reported to law enforcement and the payment provider.

Platform, telecommunications provider, or other regulator

Also report the account, advertisement, number, domain, or listing to the platform where it appeared. Ask the platform to preserve relevant account and transaction records for lawful requests from investigators.

Report scam or spoofed messages to your telecommunications provider and, where appropriate, the National Telecommunications Commission. Spoofing a registered SIM with intent to defraud is specifically penalized by the SIM Registration Act, Republic Act No. 11934.

If the incident involves misuse of your personal information, identity theft, or a business’s possible failure to protect personal data, consider a separate complaint to the National Privacy Commission. Its formal complaint procedure requires the prescribed complaint, notarization, and supporting documents. A privacy complaint is distinct from the criminal complaint against the scammer.

How to prepare a useful complaint

Create a short chronological statement covering:

Who contacted you. List every known name, alias, profile, number, account, company, and intermediary.
What was represented. Quote or accurately summarize the important promise, identity claim, investment offer, product description, emergency story, or instruction.
Why you relied on it. Identify the documents, calls, messages, endorsements, websites, or supposed credentials that influenced you.
What you did. State what money, property, information, or account access you provided.
What happened afterward. Explain the nondelivery, disappearance, refusal, additional demands, unauthorized activity, or discovery that the representation was false.
What loss resulted. Itemize each payment or other measurable loss.
What action you already took. Include reports to the financial institution, platform, hotline, police, NBI, or regulator and all reference numbers.

Separate facts you personally know from suspicions or information supplied by someone else. If the account holder’s name may belong to a money mule or identity-theft victim, identify it as the name shown in the transaction—not automatically as the mastermind.

Bring a government-issued ID and both printed and electronic copies of the evidence. Authorities may ask for a complaint-affidavit and affidavits from witnesses. A complaint for preliminary investigation generally must be supported by sworn affidavits and documents under the Rules on Criminal Procedure.

What law may apply?

The correct charge depends on the evidence and method used. Common possibilities include:

Estafa by deceit under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code. Generally, the prosecution must establish a false pretense or fraudulent act made before or at the time of the fraud, the victim’s reliance on it, and resulting damage. The Supreme Court restated these elements in Dulay v. People. A broken promise, failed business, unpaid debt, or poor-quality purchase is not automatically estafa; the evidence must support the required deceit and other elements.
Cybercrime-related offenses. The Cybercrime Prevention Act, Republic Act No. 10175, covers computer-related fraud and identity theft. It also applies to crimes under the Revised Penal Code and special laws committed through information and communications technologies, subject to the Act’s provisions.
Financial-account scamming. Republic Act No. 12010 penalizes money-mule activities and social-engineering schemes involving financial accounts, subject to its defined elements and exceptions. Merely receiving money into an account does not by itself establish every person’s criminal liability; knowledge, intent, participation, and statutory defenses must be assessed from the evidence.
Access-device fraud. Misuse of cards, account numbers, codes, and other access devices may fall under the Access Devices Regulation Act, Republic Act No. 8484, as amended.
Other special laws. Investment solicitation, lending, data misuse, falsified documents, threats, impersonation, trafficking, and other conduct may trigger different statutes.

The complainant does not need to select the final charge perfectly. Describe the facts completely and accurately; investigators and prosecutors determine which offenses the evidence supports.

Reporting versus filing a criminal case

These steps serve different purposes:

A fraud report to a bank or e-wallet seeks account protection, transaction tracing, and possible fund preservation.
A platform report may remove or restrict an account and preserve internal records.
A hotline or police incident report alerts authorities and may start coordination or investigation.
A complaint-affidavit filed with the proper prosecutor or investigative agency can begin the formal process leading to preliminary investigation and possible filing of an information in court.
A regulatory complaint concerns compliance or consumer redress within the regulator’s jurisdiction.

Keep the reference number and receiving copy for each submission. Ask the receiving office what additional act is necessary if you intend to pursue prosecution.

Deadlines, loss amounts, and recovery

There is no single reporting deadline for every scam and no universal minimum-loss threshold. Applicable prescriptive periods depend on the offense, penalty, governing statute, date and manner of commission, and legally relevant interruptions. Do not wait for the scammer to promise repayment or for other victims to come forward.

Bank, card, e-wallet, insurance, marketplace, and regulatory procedures may impose their own notice or dispute periods. These can be much shorter than the period for bringing a criminal case. Review the provider’s current terms and report immediately.

Reporting does not guarantee that money will be recovered. Funds may already have been withdrawn, converted, spent, or transferred through several accounts. A bank or e-wallet generally cannot simply reverse every completed transfer on the sender’s request; legal rights, verification requirements, account restrictions, and the rights of other parties must be observed.

Common mistakes to avoid

Continuing to negotiate while delaying the bank or police report.
Sending a “recovery fee” to someone claiming to be an investigator, hacker, lawyer, or government employee.
Deleting chats after blocking the account.
Sending only cropped screenshots without URLs, dates, transaction references, or original files.
Publicly posting the receiving account’s full details, your IDs, or unredacted financial records.
Logging back into an account through a link supplied by the scammer.
Exaggerating facts or calling an authorized, scam-induced payment “unauthorized.”
Assuming that SEC registration proves authority to solicit investments.
Treating a DTI or platform complaint as a substitute for a police, NBI, or prosecutor complaint.
Paying private individuals who promise an arrest, account freeze, inside access, or guaranteed recovery.
Confronting or arranging to meet a suspected scammer without law-enforcement guidance.

When help is urgent

Contact the financial institution and law enforcement without delay when:

the transfer occurred recently and the funds may still be traceable;
the scammer has access to your email, device, SIM, bank account, or wallet;
identity documents, selfies, signatures, biometrics, or account-recovery information were exposed;
the scammer is making threats, blackmailing you, or demanding intimate material;
a child, older person, trafficking victim, or other vulnerable person is involved;
several victims or large transfers appear connected;
you are being instructed to receive and forward money for another person; or
someone is in immediate physical danger.

For immediate danger, contact local emergency services or the nearest police station. Do not attempt a sting operation on your own.

Consider consulting a Philippine lawyer when the loss is substantial, the facts involve a business or investment relationship, the identity or location of the respondent is uncertain, multiple possible offenses or jurisdictions are involved, assets may need to be preserved, or you need help preparing a complaint-affidavit and organizing electronic evidence.

Frequently asked questions

Can I report a scam if I did not lose money?

Yes. Report an attempted scam to the relevant platform, financial institution, telecommunications provider, or cybercrime authority. Preserve the message, account, link, number, and payment instructions. An attempt may still be relevant to law enforcement, and your report may help connect related incidents.

Can I report an anonymous or fake social-media account?

Yes. Give investigators the exact profile URL, username, user ID if visible, screenshots, message history, payment details, and dates. Do not assume that the displayed name identifies the real operator. Platforms and financial institutions may hold identifying records that can be obtained only through proper legal process.

Should I report to both the PNP and NBI?

You may approach either. Filing identical complaints with several investigative offices without disclosure can cause duplication. If you report to more than one office, disclose the earlier submissions and reference numbers and ask which office will take the lead.

Can the bank return my money immediately?

Not necessarily. The institution must investigate and follow applicable rules. The outcome may depend on whether the transfer was authorized, whether the institution complied with its duties, whether the funds remain available, and what the evidence shows. Prompt reporting improves the chance of useful action but does not assure reimbursement.

Is a demand letter required before reporting?

Not in every case. A written demand may be relevant to particular forms of estafa or useful evidence in a contractual dispute, but it is not a universal prerequisite for reporting fraud. Do not delay an urgent bank or law-enforcement report merely to send one. Obtain legal advice if the role of demand is important to the suspected offense.

What if the scammer promises to repay me?

Preserve the promise and any acknowledgment of receipt, but do not withdraw or postpone urgent protective measures solely because of it. Partial repayment or a promise to pay does not automatically determine whether a crime occurred, and the legal effect depends on the complete facts.

Can I name the scammer publicly?

Use caution. Public accusations can expose personal data, compromise an investigation, provoke retaliation, or create legal risk if the identification or allegations are inaccurate. Give complete information to authorized institutions and investigators. Redact your own sensitive information whenever public posting is genuinely necessary.

Do I need a lawyer to make a report?

Usually not for an initial report. You may personally contact the financial institution, platform, PNP, NBI, CICC, or regulator. A lawyer can be valuable when preparing a formal complaint, evaluating overlapping civil and criminal remedies, or handling a complex or high-value case.

Official resources

This article provides general legal information, not legal advice, and cannot determine the correct remedy or likely outcome of a particular case. Procedures and contact channels can change; confirm them on the linked official sites. Sources last checked: July 27, 2026.