Scam victims may have a chance to recover stolen money — but they must act fast

SALT LAKE CITY — We have all heard the warning: Once a scammer gets your money, it is gone.

"That's not always the case," said Robert Bohls, special agent in charge of the FBI's Salt Lake City field office.

In fact, millions of dollars sent by Utah victims have been stopped before reaching the crooks, according to the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report.

It does not work for every type of payment, and there is no guarantee that victims will get their money back. But the bureau is giving victims something they often believe they have lost: a chance.

FBI data shows Utahns filed 9,903 cybercrime complaints last year, reporting more than $195 million in losses.

Nationwide, victims reported $1.2 billion in theft, or, more accurately, attempted theft, that was eligible for the FBI's recovery process. The bureau froze $679 million before it made it to the crooks, a 58% success rate.

"Anecdotally, I've heard a story about somebody who is able to get their money back, but they're very few and far between," KSL Investigator Matt Gephardt told Bohls. "In my experience, 58%, though, of money that was reported quickly enough, your team was able to freeze. That's not nothing."

"It's not. It's a really good rate," Bohls responded. "And in fact, those were 2025 numbers. As of 2026, for Salt Lake specific alone, $19 million was reported, and they were able to get $16 million back."

"I can't tell you how many times I've interviewed somebody and they go, as soon as they hung up the phone, 'Oh,' and it clicked that they were a victim," Gephardt said. "So what should they do in that moment?"

"So the first thing to do is call the bank," Bohls said. "You call the bank and let them know, 'Hey, I think I've been defrauded.' Then the second thing you do is call your local FBI office, report it to them, and then report it to IC3.gov as well."

Acting fast is the key.

"So, yeah, the quicker the better," Bohls said.

Reporting the fraud within 48 hours is ideal, according to Bohls.

What victims should not do is stay silent because they are ashamed.

"Don't be embarrassed. No one's going to judge you," Bohls said. "All we want to do is help and get your money back."

The FBI's recovery team is built mainly to respond to fraudulent bank transfers. It generally cannot recover money sent through gift cards, peer-to-peer payment apps or cryptocurrency.

Related topics