Hi, I’m using a throwaway account to share this and ask for advice.
I’m a teen living in Europe and studying photography at a private art school. I stay in a dorm because my school is far from home. My dad passed away a few years ago, and my mom and I manage everything financially. With the inheritance from my dad, I pay half of my school and dorm fees while my mom, who gets a small income from me being part orphan, covers the rest.
Recently, I was scammed, and I feel absolutely stupid. It was through my friend’s hacked Discord account, which made it even more humiliating. The scammer told me my account was sending scam links and asked for my Discord login to check. It escalated to him saying I needed to make purchases to verify my bank wasn’t involved. He manipulated me into buying gift card codes on Eneba and G2A. It started small but grew until my bank finally caught it and blocked further transactions. My mom also called me, and that’s when I realized how much I had lost—$2000. G2A refunded $480 since one code wasn’t redeemed.
I’ve reported this to my local police and contacted my bank, but they said they couldn’t help because I made the transactions willingly. I still have screenshots of his emails, accounts, LinkedIn profile, and our conversations. The money I lost would’ve covered two years of school and dorm fees. I know I’ll probably never see the money again, but is there anything else I can do to recover even a small part of it? Or at least make sure this guy faces some consequences? He’s overseas, so I’m not hopeful about the police catching him.
Any advice or help would mean a lot. Thank you for reading, and feel free to ask any questions.
Hello, just a quick reminder for anyone reading this. Scammers might contact you privately, claiming they know a hacker or recovery agent who can help. These are scams too! Do not trust anyone asking for fees in private messages.
Make sure to keep all advice out in the open so everyone here can help you spot bad actors. If you see something suspicious, report it. Stay safe, everyone!
Sadly, you’re probably right that you won’t get the money back. Be careful of scammers trying to trick you again, especially anyone offering to recover your money.
Wyatt said:
Sadly, you’re probably right that you won’t get the money back. Be careful of scammers trying to trick you again, especially anyone offering to recover your money.
Scammers often target people who’ve already lost money. They may pretend to be law enforcement or recovery agents. They’ll ask for fees upfront and then disappear. Always be cautious and avoid sharing private details with anyone claiming to help you.
Wyatt said:
Sadly, you’re probably right that you won’t get the money back. Be careful of scammers trying to trick you again, especially anyone offering to recover your money.
I thought as much, but I figured it was worth asking just in case I missed something. Thanks for the advice—I’ll be careful and avoid falling for another trick.
It’s a tough lesson, but you probably won’t get the money back. Don’t be too hard on yourself—it’s not your fault they tricked you. Focus on rebuilding your savings. You can do it!
Brianna said:
It’s a tough lesson, but you probably won’t get the money back. Don’t be too hard on yourself—it’s not your fault they tricked you. Focus on rebuilding your savings. You can do it!
Thank you for the kind words. It’s hard not to feel guilty, especially because my mom is working so hard to support me. I’ll do my best to move on and learn from this.
Gerald said:
I know it’s frustrating, but you’re not getting that money back. Watch out for people offering help privately—they’re just trying to scam you again.
Scammers might message you pretending to be recovery experts. Block and report them immediately. Always keep discussions public where others can help spot red flags.
Gerald said:
I know it’s frustrating, but you’re not getting that money back. Watch out for people offering help privately—they’re just trying to scam you again.
Thanks for the warning. Someone already tried messaging me, but I ignored and blocked them. I’ll stay on guard.
Sorry this happened to you. Watch out for scammers posing as law enforcement or anyone else asking for more money—they’ll just try to take even more from you.
SavvyGenX said:
Sorry this happened to you. Watch out for scammers posing as law enforcement or anyone else asking for more money—they’ll just try to take even more from you.
Thank you for the reminder. I’ve already had a few people try to message me, but I blocked them right away. I won’t let them take anything else from me.