Recovery Checklist
The Post-Scam Recovery Guide
Getting scammed is not a character flaw; it is a crime that happened to you. This checklist turns the panic into a plan. Work it top to bottom and check the boxes as you go.
Hour One
Stop the Bleeding
Cut off the scammer's access before anything else. Every minute counts here.
- Call ACU at 253-964-3113, or 1-866-767-0811 any hour for cards, and tell us exactly what happened. We can freeze activity, kill cards, and flag the account.
- Lock your cards in Digital Banking right now, even before you call.
- If money left by wire or transfer, say so first on the call. A recall attempt has the best odds in the first hours.
- Change your Online Banking password, then your email password, then any account that shares either password.
- Turn on two-factor authentication everywhere it is offered.
- If the scammer had remote access to your device, disconnect it from the internet and have it checked before using it for banking again.
Day One
Document and Report
Paper wins disputes. Build the record while the details are fresh.
- Write down the full story: dates, amounts, names used, phone numbers, websites, and how the money moved. Screenshot everything before it disappears.
- Report the crime to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. If it happened online, also file with the FBI at ic3.gov.
- File a police report for thefts involving identity, checks, or significant amounts. Get the report number.
- If your Social Security number was exposed, add fraud alerts with Equifax (800-525-6285), Experian (888-397-3742), and TransUnion (800-680-7289), and consider freezing your credit at all three.
- If identity theft is involved, complete the Identity Theft Affidavit on our Report Fraud page and follow its five-step plan.
The Weeks After
Rebuild and Watch
Recovery is mostly vigilance from here. Set it up so the watching happens automatically.
- Review statements weekly for the next three months. Small test charges come before big ones.
- Keep credit monitoring running. Command Center includes it for members.
- Watch for recovery scams: criminals sell victim lists, and the next caller may promise to get your money back for a fee. No legitimate recovery service charges up front.
- Replace compromised documents: new cards, new checks, and if needed a new driver's license number through the DMV.
- Tell someone you trust what happened. Scammers rely on silence, and the story you share is the scam your friend survives.
You Do Not Have to Do This Alone
Our team walks members through recovery every week. Bring us the story, and we will bring the process.