Quick answer

If you have been scammed through an online shop, marketplace, or social media account in the Philippines, act immediately:

Contact your bank, card issuer, or e-wallet provider and report the transaction as fraudulent or disputed. Ask whether the transfer can be held, recalled, reversed, or traced.
Report the seller and transaction through the platform’s official dispute system. Request a refund and save the case or ticket number.
Preserve all evidence before the account, listing, or messages disappear.
Report the suspected crime to the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, NBI Cybercrime Division, or Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center.
For a business-to-consumer purchase, file a consumer complaint with the Department of Trade and Industry if the platform or seller does not resolve it.

Do not wait for the seller to “send the refund” before contacting your payment provider. A report does not guarantee recovery, especially if the money has already been withdrawn or transferred, but prompt action can improve the chance of tracing or preserving funds.

First: secure your money and accounts

Call the payment provider immediately

Use only the bank or e-wallet’s official app, website, hotline, or branch. Tell the provider:

the transaction was connected with a suspected scam;
whether you authorized the transfer yourself or someone gained access to your account;
the exact amount, date, time, transaction reference, and receiving account;
whether you disclosed an OTP, password, card information, or identification document; and
what remedy you are requesting, such as a hold, recall, reversal, chargeback, or investigation.

Ask for a complaint or reference number and written confirmation of your report.

Under the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act, BSP-supervised institutions may temporarily hold funds involved in a disputed transaction while it is verified. The statutory holding period may not exceed 30 calendar days unless extended by a competent court. Whether funds can actually be held or recovered depends on the transaction, the available balance, the institutions involved, and the results of verification.

A buyer-authorized payment is not automatically refundable merely because the seller later proved dishonest. Likewise, voluntarily entering an OTP can affect the provider’s assessment, but it should not stop you from reporting the incident.

Secure any compromised account

If the scammer obtained credentials or controlled your device:

change the affected password and any reused passwords;
sign out other devices and sessions;
enable multi-factor authentication;
block or replace compromised cards;
remove unknown linked devices or beneficiaries;
notify your mobile provider if your SIM stopped working unexpectedly;
scan the device for malicious applications; and
monitor accounts for unfamiliar transactions.

Never give an alleged “recovery agent” another OTP, PIN, password, remote-access permission, or advance payment.

Preserve evidence before reporting the account

Do not delete the conversation, even if it is embarrassing or upsetting. Preserve the original records and make backup copies.

Collect, where available:

the seller’s profile name, username, account ID, page URL, and profile URL;
the complete product listing, including price, description, photos, and claimed condition;
the full conversation, not only selected messages;
order confirmation, invoice, electronic receipt, and delivery information;
payment confirmation and transaction reference;
recipient name, bank or e-wallet, account number, mobile number, or QR code;
dates and times of the offer, payment, promised delivery, and follow-ups;
courier records, tracking information, and parcel labels;
an unboxing video and photographs if the parcel was empty, counterfeit, damaged, or materially different;
the platform’s dispute ticket, seller response, and resolution;
telephone numbers, email addresses, websites, and links used by the scammer; and
proof of your losses, including related charges.

Capture screenshots that show the date, time, URL, and account identity when possible. Also save message exports, emails with their headers, electronic receipts, and original image or video files. Screenshots are useful, but the underlying files and account records may contain additional identifying information.

Do not publicly post your unredacted identification documents, account numbers, home address, or other sensitive information. Give complete records only through verified reporting channels.

Report the seller through the platform

Use the marketplace or social network’s built-in reporting and dispute functions. Report both:

the transaction or order, to seek a refund or buyer-protection remedy; and
the account, page, advertisement, or listing, to help stop further victimization.

State the remedy clearly: refund, cancellation, replacement, release of withheld payment, or removal of the fraudulent listing. Keep the ticket number and take screenshots of each submission.

For transactions covered by the Internet Transactions Act of 2023, an aggrieved party generally must first use the platform, e-marketplace, or e-retailer’s internal redress mechanism before filing a complaint in court or with the appropriate government agency. That mechanism is deemed exhausted if the complaint remains unresolved seven calendar days after filing.

That seven-day rule does not mean you should delay reporting a suspicious transfer to your bank or reporting a possible crime to law enforcement. Those steps may be time-sensitive.

Platform buyer protection is contractual and may impose shorter filing periods. Check the order page and the platform’s current terms immediately. Do not press “order received,” close a dispute, or move the discussion outside the platform merely because the seller promises a later refund.

File the appropriate government reports

Different reports serve different purposes. Filing with one office does not necessarily replace filing with the others.

PNP, NBI, or CICC for suspected criminal fraud

If the seller used deception to obtain your money, report the incident to a law-enforcement cybercrime office. The circumstances may support investigation for estafa or another offense, potentially in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. The exact offense and responsible persons depend on the evidence; a failed or delayed transaction is not automatically a crime.

The BSP’s current official complaint guide identifies these channels:

PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group: acg@pnp.gov.ph
NBI Cybercrime Division: ccd@nbi.gov.ph
Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center: report@cicc.gov.ph
CICC hotline: 1326

Contact details can change, so confirm them through the agency’s official website or the current BSP scam-reporting guide before sending sensitive documents.

A preliminary email or hotline report may not by itself be a formal criminal complaint. Investigators may require you to appear, execute a sworn complaint-affidavit, present identification, authenticate records, or provide devices and original files for examination. Ask the receiving office what is required to begin a formal investigation and obtain a reference or docket number.

DTI for an unresolved consumer transaction

For a purchase from an online merchant or business, complain first through the seller or platform’s internal mechanism. If it remains unresolved, submit the matter through the DTI’s official consumer channels, including the DTI Consumer Complaints portal or the appropriate DTI regional or provincial office.

Include:

your contact information;
the merchant’s known identity and contact details;
a short chronological account;
the amount paid;
the specific remedy requested;
proof of purchase and payment;
the platform dispute and its outcome or proof that seven calendar days have passed; and
the relevant messages, listing, and delivery records.

The Internet Transactions Act gives consumers remedies such as repair, replacement, or refund when goods are defective, lost without the consumer’s fault, fail to conform to a warranty, or do not match contractual obligations. The proper remedy depends on what happened and on the condition and availability of the goods.

The Act generally makes the online merchant primarily liable for consumer loss. A platform may have subsidiary or solidary liability only in circumstances specified by law; it is not automatically liable for every dishonest seller. A claim for damages under the Act must be filed in court or with the DTI within two years from the time the cause of action arose.

Special rule for private, person-to-person sales

The Internet Transactions Act excludes genuine consumer-to-consumer transactions—sales between end-users that are not made in the ordinary course of business. A one-time sale by a private individual may therefore fall outside that Act’s consumer remedies.

However, calling an account “personal” does not necessarily settle the issue. A person who regularly sells goods for profit may in substance be acting as an online merchant. DTI or a court may need to examine the actual activity.

Even when the sale is genuinely private, you may still:

use the platform’s dispute system;
report the payment immediately;
file a criminal complaint if there was fraudulent intent; and
consider a civil claim based on the contract and the Civil Code.

BSP escalation for a bank or e-wallet complaint

First report the matter through the financial institution’s Financial Consumer Protection Assistance Mechanism or customer-service channel.

If its action or response is unsatisfactory, escalate the financial-services complaint through the BSP Online Buddy (BOB) on the BSP website. Continue until BOB issues a BSP case reference number. If BOB is inaccessible, the BSP permits submission of its Complaint, Inquiry and Reply form, proof of the prior complaint to the institution, and supporting documents to consumeraffairs@bsp.gov.ph.

BSP handles complaints involving institutions under its supervision. It does not take the place of police or prosecutorial investigation of the scammer.

What to write in your report

Keep the account factual and chronological. A useful structure is:

On [date and time], I saw a listing for [item] posted by [account and URL]. The seller represented that [specific promise]. On [date and time], I paid PHP [amount] through [provider] to [recipient details], transaction reference [number]. The seller then [failed to deliver, blocked me, sent a different item, or made another false representation]. I reported the matter to [platform or provider] under reference [number]. I request [specific remedy or investigation]. Attached are the listing, complete conversation, payment record, delivery evidence, and platform complaint.

Separate what you personally observed from what you suspect. Do not exaggerate the amount, invent an identity, edit messages, or accuse an unrelated account holder without supporting evidence.

Common mistakes that can weaken a report

Waiting several days before notifying the bank or e-wallet.
Continuing to send “release,” “insurance,” “tax,” or “verification” payments.
Deleting the chat after blocking the scammer.
Saving cropped screenshots that omit usernames, dates, URLs, or transaction references.
Communicating only by disappearing messages or telephone calls.
Closing the platform dispute in exchange for a promise of an off-platform refund.
Sending evidence to unofficial social media accounts posing as government offices.
Paying someone who claims to guarantee fund recovery.
Posting the recipient’s personal data publicly instead of submitting it to the proper authority.
Treating a DTI complaint, platform dispute, BSP escalation, and criminal complaint as interchangeable.

When help is urgent

Seek immediate assistance if:

additional transactions are still occurring;
the scammer obtained remote access to your device;
your SIM, email, bank, or e-wallet account has been taken over;
the scammer is threatening violence, extortion, or publication of intimate material;
a child, senior citizen, or vulnerable person is being targeted;
your identity documents are being used to open accounts or solicit money;
the loss is substantial or involves many victims;
police, a prosecutor, or a court has issued a deadline; or
you are considering civil or criminal proceedings and need advice about evidence, venue, or prescription.

For an immediate threat to life or physical safety, contact emergency services or the nearest police station.

Frequently asked questions

Can the bank or e-wallet reverse the transfer?

Possibly, but not automatically. Recovery may depend on whether the funds remain available, whether the receiving institution can place a lawful hold, the payment method, the provider’s rules, and the verification results. Report immediately even if you personally authorized the transfer.

Should I report to both the bank and the police?

Usually, yes. The financial institution can address the transaction and account controls; law enforcement can investigate the people and accounts involved. One report does not necessarily perform both functions.

Must I wait seven days before contacting the police?

No. The seven-calendar-day internal-redress rule under the Internet Transactions Act concerns exhaustion of the platform, e-marketplace, or e-retailer complaint mechanism before an administrative or court consumer complaint. It should not be used to postpone an urgent bank report or criminal report.

Is non-delivery always estafa?

No. Non-delivery may be a contractual or consumer dispute, especially where there was a genuine supply, courier, or refund problem. Criminal liability generally requires proof of the elements of the charged offense, including the relevant deception or fraudulent conduct. Investigators and prosecutors assess that evidence.

Can I report an anonymous or fake seller?

Yes. Provide every identifier you have. The Internet Transactions Act requires covered platforms to maintain merchant information and permits competent authorities, subject to legal process and the statutory conditions, to obtain information relevant to an investigation.

What if the seller is overseas?

Report the transaction in the same way. The Internet Transactions Act may apply where the seller or platform avails itself of the Philippine market and has sufficient contacts here. Actual enforcement and recovery can nevertheless be more difficult when the persons, accounts, or assets are abroad.

Will reporting guarantee a refund or conviction?

No. Refunds, account holds, administrative remedies, and criminal cases have different legal requirements. Outcomes depend on the evidence, the availability of funds, the identity and location of the responsible persons, and the findings of the relevant institution or authority.

This article provides general Philippine legal information, not legal advice for a particular case. Procedures and contact details should be confirmed with the relevant agency or institution. Sources checked as of 19 September 2026.