My mom, 74, fell for a phone scam — and now I'm out $12,000 because our bank accounts are linked. What can I do?

Americans mislaid a shocking $3.5 cardinal to imposter scams successful 2025, according to information from the Federal Trade Commission (1). These losses are astir 3 times greater than successful 2020. Imposter scams were the starring origin of fraud past year, with astir 1 successful 3 fraud reports related to scammers impersonating others via phone, text, oregon different means.

Imposter scams impact a transgression pretending to beryllium idiosyncratic they're not, similar a slope rep oregon authorities official, to person the unfortunate to springiness them wealth oregon idiosyncratic details. These scams often people older Americans (2), but it's not conscionable seniors who wage the price. Young radical tin find themselves facing fiscal losses excessively — successful immoderate cases due to the fact that they tried to assistance a parent.

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Let's pretend, for example, that Rebecca has her slope relationship linked to her mother's successful lawsuit she needs entree to it successful the lawsuit of a death. Unfortunately, Rebecca's mom, Sally, fell unfortunate to a telephone scam and wired $12,000 to a transgression pretending to beryllium an FBI authoritative trying to halt slope fraud.

Since Sally didn't person capable wealth successful her ain relationship to transportation the $12K, the teller asked Sally if she should usage Rebecca's linked account, and Sally agreed. Now, Rebecca is retired the $12,000 and is acrophobic astir her ma perchance making a akin mistake successful the future. She's wondering if she has immoderate options.

Can Rebecca get her wealth back?

Rebecca's archetypal interest is whether she tin retrieve her money, but experts accidental that's not likely.

"Unfortunately, betterment is not guaranteed aft victims person fallen unfortunate to telephone scams," Katherine A. Kiziah (3), a lawyer and spouse astatine Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa, told MoneyWise. "The perpetrators of these scams are often extracurricular of the United States. Even wrong the USA, we are dealing with criminals who instantly walk oregon determination money."

Kiziah explained that acting precise rapidly is important erstwhile trying to get immoderate mislaid funds back.

"The champion accidental for betterment is with the fiscal instauration oregon institution done which wealth was transferred. And contiguous enactment is necessary. Every time that goes by reduces the accidental of recovery," she said.