Payment options · International; issuer, network and local law determine rights
Card payment after a scam: chargeback questions to ask your issuer
Explain the merchant's role, preserve the promised service and avoid assuming every crypto purchase qualifies for a refund.
By Stonebridge Resolution · Published 4 October 2026 · Updated 4 October 2026
AI-generated illustration; not a depiction of a real case.
The short answer
Contact your card issuer promptly and describe the transaction accurately. Chargeback rules, unauthorised-payment protections and statutory claims are different routes with different conditions and deadlines.
Identify the merchant and the disputed event
Find the card statement entry, payment date, amount and merchant name. Explain what was promised and what failed: an unauthorised charge, goods not supplied, a misrepresented service or another issue.
If a legitimate exchange supplied crypto that you later sent to a scammer, the card merchant may have delivered the service you purchased. That differs from a direct card payment to a fraudulent merchant. Do not assume the later loss makes the initial purchase automatically refundable.
Ask which process applies
A chargeback is generally a card-network dispute process handled by the issuer. Local consumer law may provide separate rights, and unauthorised transactions may be governed by other rules.
Ask the issuer to identify the available route and deadline for your specific circumstances. Deadlines can depend on the payment, expected delivery or discovery of the problem. Avoid relying on a universal number quoted by a recovery advertisement.
Build evidence around the promise
Useful records include the receipt, original terms, advertising, delivery dates, communications and attempts to resolve the issue. Keep evidence showing what you actually bought rather than only stating that the merchant felt suspicious.
For a subscription or repeated charges, identify each payment and any cancellation request. Preserve the confirmation and the date it was sent. Ask how to stop future charges separately from disputing past ones.
Understand provisional credit
An issuer may credit an amount while reviewing a dispute. That does not necessarily mean the case is final. The merchant may respond, and the issuer may ask for more evidence or reverse a temporary credit.
Read the correspondence, respond before deadlines and keep money available if a provisional credit might be withdrawn. Ask for the final outcome in writing rather than relying on a balance change in the app.
Escalate honestly if the claim is refused
Request the reason, the rule applied and any missing evidence. Use the issuer's complaint process and relevant independent dispute-resolution route where available.
Do not pay someone to submit invented evidence or relabel an authorised purchase as card theft. A truthful, well-supported complaint protects your position better than a template that misstates how the payment occurred.
Checklist
- Identify the actual card merchant and promise.
- Ask the issuer about routes and exact deadlines.
- Preserve terms, receipts and communications.
- Track provisional credit and final decisions separately.
Common questions
Can I charge back crypto I bought and then sent away?
Not automatically. If the exchange delivered the purchased crypto, the later scam transfer may not establish a dispute against that merchant.
Is temporary credit a final refund?
Not necessarily. Ask the issuer whether it is provisional and what further evidence or review is pending.