Scammed by a fake trading platform? What to do in the first 48 hours
The Sentinelle Markets team · 29 October 2026 · 5 min read · How we write
In short
- Send nothing more and call your bank's fraud line first.
- Keep receipts, screenshots and messages before the site disappears.
- Expect recovery scammers, and never pay anyone who calls you.
If you have sent money to a platform that now refuses withdrawals, asks for new fees or has stopped answering, the first 48 hours matter most. Banks can sometimes stop or recall a payment that is still in transit; a week later, the money has usually moved on. This is a practical order of steps for France, Belgium and Switzerland. Check each official site for the current procedure, as they change.
Hour 0 to 2: stop the bleeding
- Send nothing more. No "tax", "unlocking fee" or "insurance". Every new payment is lost too.
- Call your bank's fraud line (the number on your card or the bank's own site). Say it is a fraud, give the date, amount and beneficiary, and ask what they can block or recall.
- Change your passwords if you gave access to your email or accounts, and uninstall any remote-access software the "adviser" asked you to install.
Hour 2 to 24: collect the evidence
| Keep | Why |
|---|---|
| Transfer receipts and card statements | Your bank and the police need them |
| Website address and screenshots of your "account" | The site can disappear overnight |
| Emails, chats, call logs, names used | They link the scam to other cases |
| Any contract or terms sent to you | They often show the fake company name |
Day 1 to 2: report it
| Country | Who to contact |
|---|---|
| France | Police or gendarmerie (complaint), the AMF's Epargne Info Service, and internet-signalement.gouv.fr for the website |
| Belgium | Local police (complaint) and the FSMA, through its consumer contact page |
| Switzerland | Cantonal police (complaint) and FINMA |
Reporting to the regulator helps it add the site to its warning list (how those lists work), even if it can't recover your money.
Why speed changes the outcome
| Moment the bank is told | Typical situation |
|---|---|
| Same day | The payment may still be stoppable |
| After a few days | Funds often already moved abroad |
| After several weeks | Recovery is rare |
Illustrative calculation, not an expectation of results.
Expect a second scam
Within weeks, you may be contacted by "recovery experts" who know your case. They are very often scammers too. Read how recovery scams work and never pay anyone who contacts you first.
Later: rebuilding safely
There is no hurry to trade again. When you do, verify the firm first, start small and decide risk before entry: the lot size calculator turns a fixed risk into a position size, and the market sessions tool shows when markets open in Paris time. Most retail traders lose money; trading to make back a scam loss adds a second risk to the first.
Questions people also ask
Can my bank cancel a transfer to a scammer?
Sometimes, if it is told quickly. Call the fraud line the same day and ask what can be blocked or recalled.
Where do I report a trading scam in France?
File a complaint with the police or gendarmerie, contact the AMF's Epargne Info Service and report the site on internet-signalement.gouv.fr.
And in Belgium or Switzerland?
In Belgium, the local police and the FSMA; in Switzerland, the cantonal police and FINMA. Check each official site for the current procedure.
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Take the quizTrading financial markets carries a high level of risk and can result in the loss of all the money you invest. Sentinelle Markets content is for education only and is not investment advice. Past results do not guarantee future results.