I got scammed $1000 and can’t feel more stupid. Especially since a friend of mine told me, “I can’t believe a grown man in 2025 fell for a spoofed bank number,” and that just made me feel even more miserable I just never knew about spoofed numbers till now I know I’m dumb
I spent so much time collecting that money, saving it bit by bit, and it’s just gone now. I feel ashamed, angry, and honestly I NEED that money I fucking need it for so many reason I swear I can’t handle this I worked for that shit fuck everything
Spoofing is when scammers fake the exact same number as your bank. At first, it seemed like a scam call. They told me there was a suspicious transaction on my account for $1,000 and that I needed to cancel it before the money was taken. The number they used was exactly the same as my bank’s. They said they would send me a link to the bank’s website to cancel the transaction.
What was strange is that the message came from the same number the bank usually uses—I could even see my previous transaction messages, like purchase alerts. That’s when I started to trust them. But once I entered my information, all my money disappeared and they knew exactly how much money was on my account
When I called the real bank, the first thing they said was, “The bank never calls the customer,” so I should’ve known it was a scam from the start. I hope they burn in hell.
I really can’t accept this
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You have two choices.
I suggest the
latterformer.“What was strange is that the message came from the same number the bank usually uses—I could even see my previous transaction messages, like purchase alerts. That’s when I started to trust them. But once I entered my information, all my money disappeared and they knew exactly how much money was on my account.”
If they knew how much money was in your account, then they probably have access to something that provided them that number. Do you suppose there is a keylogger or similar on your computer?
How did the money disappear from your account? Did you provide them a Venmo account password or similar?
Also, telephone numbers are easily spoofed. Phone number appearing on caller ID is not an ID verification factor.
Call the police non-emergency number and file a report with them. You’re right; you likely won’t get your money back, but this can help the cops in an investigation.
Hi mate, I recently got scammed $450 I feel what your feeling.
We have this trading site in NZ called trademe it’s essentially ebay, anyway account i purchased from had good ratings and nothing out of the ordinary to bank transfer after auction is won, I paid immediately then the following day i got an email from trademe saying do not complete this purchase as the account had been compromised.
Sure enough I lost $450 with no recourse possible from the banks nor police due to it going into a NZ bank account which i then learnt was what they call a Wise account which then gets transferred overseas.
Absolutely gutting as I am in the security industry and am high up in the tech world, this circumstance blind sided me and I would have never thought this would happen to me.
I have accepted losing $450 is better then loosing multiple thousand (of what the auction could have ended up going for)
The site trademe has no protection policy in place for any bank transfers even though I’ve argued that it is not my fault that there site wasn’t secure enough for an account to be compromised.
No recourse what so ever.
Actually stressed me out more trying to explain and threat the situation over and over.
In due course you will come to realize $1,000 although seems like a lot at the time really isn’t, and you will come back from this.
It really is an empty pit feeling for the first few weeks.
Learn from this as I have.
I will never bank transfer anything over $100 now, I will use my credit card instead atleast then you can generally claw back the funds.
Nobody is immune to this. It’s just a matter of getting caught off guard. I fell for an Ebay scammer once because they staged their own reviews. Don’t be mean to yourselves, just focus on getting this rectified with your bank ASAP.
So, first, that sucks. From personal experience I can tell you that A) you will probably always harbor some bitterness over this, long past the point where you need the money. B) it gets easier to ignore over time.
The faster you find ways to stop looking at it, the better, because it’s not helping, just making you angry. It’s a lesson, and one that most people get hit with at some point.
If it makes you feel a little better, remember that for the scammer this is a full time job. For you it was one transaction.
Also, your friend is an asshole.
I’m sorry my dear. People of all ages, income levels, and intelligence levels get scammed every single day. My closest friends are some of the brightest people I’ve ever met, and they have all been personally scammed in some way within the past year.
I know how embarrassing it can feel, but try to remember that you’re a victim in this scam. Scammers are getting better and smarter, so it’s no surprise that more people are falling for them.
So first things first, make sure your accounts are all secure now. Next, take a break from talking to your mean “friend”. And finally, go get yourself some ice cream! It’s gonna be okay.
don’t feel too bad i got scammed out of 150 thousand. I just need to hear this “I made a mistake, I am too trusting, I am a fool, but I will live and move on. make a mistake 1 admit it, 2 learn from it, 3 Move on.
I’m sorry my dear. People of all ages, income levels, and intelligence levels get scammed every single day. My closest friends are some of the brightest people I’ve ever met, and they have all been personally scammed in some way within the past year.
I know how embarrassing it can feel, but try to remember that you’re a victim in this scam. Scammers are getting better and smarter, so it’s no surprise that more people are falling for them.
So first things first, make sure your accounts are all secure now. Next, take a break from talking to your mean “friend”. And finally, go get yourself some ice cream! It’s gonna be okay.
OP, be aware there may be people messaging you saying they can recover your money. They’re scammers too.
I worked in online fraud prevention in the past, and let me tell you it is an ongoing arms race. They spoofed the number so it looked so legit because that works, and when your bank comes up with more bells and whistles for safety measures the scammers will fall behind for a bit until they figure out how to mimic that too.
You didn’t fall for it because you’re stupid or irresponsible, you got duped by people who were actively and maliciously working to specifically trick you. Believe me, scammers have some sophisticated setups.
Please try not to beat yourself up over this. I know it’s a lot of money and I know it’s hard, but know that that lesson will serve you well in the future (Google “pig butchering scam” and know it could have been so much worse).
Hang in there. I’m sorry this is hard.
Just wanted to say, anecdotally, that the “bank never calls you” claim is not always true. I tried to use my credit card for a high dollar purchase and it got declined which was weird because I had enough in there, so I tried again and it got denied again and then they immediately called me and asked if that was me trying to make that purchase and had me provide details to prove it was me. They knew the exact amount of the transaction and knew where I was so I was confident it was them. They turned my card back on and it went through.
I’m sorry this happened to you. Fuck scammers! Next time, take the time and go inside the bank to ask questions. It’s better to do business transactions in person anyway.
I know it sucks now, but it’s a relatively cheap lesson in the grand scheme of things. You’re going to be extra vigilant now and never allow yourself to be scammed again. Some people lose hundreds of thousands to learn that same lesson(and some people never learn and get scammed over and over again)
Don’t beat yourself up. I once did a dispute for a very American person who had sent $5000 in gift cards to “border patrol” because they were going to deport her. They use urgency and mimic how bank reps talk to goad you into giving up info.
As a former bank rep: the bank will only call you if there is something going on and generally you’ll know what the call is about. If you get a text, look up the banks official site and get their number or call the number on your card. If you’re on the line with someone and something feels off, tell them you want to hang up and call back. Actual bank reps won’t give you any pushback scammers will.
I’m not sure if it’s for all banks, but I know at the bank I work at we can’t see your entire card number nor can we see the CVV code so if someone is asking you to confirm those with them, they are scammers because we can’t confirm that information except for the last four digits of the card number. If a bank calls you, they will not ask for your pin. They will have a different way to authenticate you.
Again, don’t beat yourself up. I understand that it’s a hard hit, but it’s also a lesson to be learned. Moving forward, you know to be more cautious.
as someone who does chat support for one of the largest FCU’s in america, this is so, so much more common than you think. fraud is so rampant. there are multiple people that chat in every single day who got a scam text or call from someone pretending to be us. contact your bank, talk to them about the context. as long as they have no reason to assume you are attempting to defraud them, they should help.
How was the money transferred and what country are you in?
Depending on the specifics, there may be ways to reverse this
It was an unauthorized transaction on your account. Go in and file a dispute with the bank on that activity. You will need to change your account number, jump through some hoops, maybe file a police report. Don’t let the bank put it all on you. They can afford the loss better than you can.
I run a technological consulting company. Mostly handle businesses but I have a lot of home clients too. Those that can afford me are doctors, lawyers, financial specialists… generally very bright people with six or seven degrees hanging up with the titles ‘Harvard’ or ‘Stanford’.
Each and every one of them at some point have been scammed over my 15 years of doing this. Some for small amounts, some for over 300k. Every one felt extreemly foolish and stupid after the fact.
Being intelligent doesn’t make you immune to being scammed. Our brains aren’t wired to believe people can be so blatantly evil.
I wonder if your phone provider or bank can setup their phone system so that when they call, it tells you who’s calling instead of just the number. When my bank calls me, it shows up as my bank name and not a number.
I’m sorry this happened and that your friend said that to you.
This happens a lot more than people think, to fully grown adults, because scammers do everything they can to make things look legit. Try not to beat yourself up over it.
Well, now you know never to click a link. Ever.
I tell these guys I’ll call the bank myself. They usually hang up after that.
Considering your ignorance on the subject, take some online courses for “how to protect yourself from identity theft.” I have found Khaun Academy is reliable. But I am sure there are many free classes or seminars.
You don’t know what you don’t know. And don’t beat yourself up if you don’t know. One bitten twice shy. Learn and move on.
I’m so sorry this happened to you. It has happened to a lot of people, including professionals. They are experienced and prey on the panic you experience with that initial contact.
Go into the bank and ask to speak to someone, see if they can escalate it to their fraud dept. Explore all avenues before giving up.
For one, no one can tell if a bank account number is spoofed. They don’t have to be a certain number length, like a routing is always 9. Second, avoid going all in on anything, especially if you need the money.
Always verify everything. I would have had the bank on 3-way by that point- scammers can make phone numbers look similar.
Why don’t you just charge back the transaction with your bank or card company?
Report it to the police. Make a formal report to your bank. Your bank may be able to help you recover the money.
Can your bank reverse the transaction?
I’m sorry, that sucks so fucking much
Be careful. You’ll likely get messages from scammers now telling you they or someone they know can help you get your money back. They will only scam you further. Don’t believe anyone.