What to do if you become the victim of an online scam

Cybercrime, and more specifically online fraud, is one of the most common types of crime today. According to data from the Ministry of Justice, 73,179 cybercrimes were detected in Catalonia in 2025, of which 68,335 were online fraud. The only type of crime that surpassed online fraud in number was theft (161,481 in Catalonia in 2025).

Despite the above, experience shows that these incidents often go unpunished, as identifying those responsible and recovering the lost money is complex. This leads many people to choose not to report the incidents, but as we will see later, good initial management not only increases the chances of recovering the money, but can also help eliminate or mitigate other risks.

Analysis of the scam

To begin, it's necessary to thoroughly investigate how the scam occurred. Among other factors, the following must be considered:

• What system did the scammers use to commit the fraud.
• What information have we given to the scammers.
• How the money was transferred (card, transfer, Bizum, cryptocurrencies, etc.)
• Where has the money gone.
• How communications with the scammers took place.

This analysis will allow for a better assessment of the true total damage, since it is not always just financial; criminals may also have obtained information from the victim that they can use to commit other crimes. Indeed, it is not surprising that with the victim's data, they may impersonate them to open accounts, commit other scams, launder money from crimes, or take out loans.

With this information, it is advisable to plan a legal strategy appropriate to the possibilities of recovering the money and the need to prevent other risks.

Reporting the incident

Even if the chances of recovering the money are small, it's usually advisable to report the incident. For a reasonable fee, a lawyer can help gather all the relevant information, draft a report, and accompany the victim to the police station to file it. This ensures all the facts are reported and also increases the likelihood of success.

Apart from filing a police report, in cases of very significant financial losses, or at least when it is more feasible to identify the perpetrators or recover the money, it may be more advisable to report the facts to the judicial authorities (for example, by filing a criminal complaint).

Dealing with banks and the tax authorities

It's worth reporting the scam. With a well-written complaint, you can justify a financial loss that can be deducted from your taxable income.

But that's not all; depending on the technique used by the scammers, the victim's bank may be held liable and have to compensate them.

Monitoring the procedure and promoting the investigation

When the appropriate path is to act before the judicial authorities, it is crucial that a lawyer experienced in these matters monitors the proceedings.

The courts are overwhelmed, and if no one is proposing means of investigation and insisting they be pursued, the proceedings may grind to a halt, giving the scammers all the time in the world to disappear with the victim's money. Therefore, it is advisable for the victim to be represented by someone who understands the scammers' methods to know which line of investigation to follow.

We must act as soon as possible.

After a scam, perpetrators act quickly to make the money disappear and eliminate any incriminating evidence. That's why it's advisable to contact an expert as soon as possible. This way, measures can be proposed to increase the chances of recovering the money, such as freezing bank accounts,seizing assets, etc.