How to Find Out Who Scammed You Online (2026 Guide)

Updated: July 2026 · 175+ platforms searched

How to Find Out Who Scammed You Online: Quick Answer

To find out who really scammed you online, work backward from the identifiers the scammer left behind — the name, email, phone number, username, payment handle, or crypto wallet they used. Reverse-search each one to map their online footprint, reverse-image their photos, and check whether every detail traces back to one consistent, real person or falls apart under scrutiny. Start free by entering the name, email, or phone into Lullar to scan 170+ sites and platforms at once, then confirm their real identity before you report them to the FTC and try to recover your money.

Most scammers reuse the same email, phone, or handle across multiple victims and platforms, which is exactly what makes them traceable. Your job is to collect every identifier, connect the dots, and document a real human behind the fake persona — evidence you'll need when you file with the FTC and the FBI's IC3.

This guide is for identifying and reporting someone who defrauded you and protecting yourself from further harm. People-search tools must never be used for employment, tenant, or credit screening, or any purpose governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Gather Every Identifier and Screenshot Before It Disappears

Your investigation is only as strong as the evidence you capture — and scammers delete accounts, block numbers, and vanish fast once they've been paid. Before you do anything else, preserve everything. Take full-screen screenshots of the profile, the entire message thread, the listing or investment platform, and every payment confirmation, and save them with dates.

Then collect every identifier the scammer exposed. Even fragments help, because scammers reuse them across victims:

• Names and aliases — the display name, any "real" name they gave, and any business name.
• Email addresses — including the domain of any "company" email.
• Phone numbers — the number that called or texted, plus any WhatsApp or Telegram number.
• Usernames and handles — the exact spelling on every app (Instagram, Telegram, dating apps, Marketplace).
• Payment details — the Zelle, Cash App, Venmo, or PayPal name/tag, bank account or routing numbers, gift-card numbers, or crypto wallet address.
• Profile and "lifestyle" photos — save the actual image files for reverse-image searching.
• URLs — the listing link, the fake trading site, or any shortened link they sent.

Keep this list in one document. Each identifier is a thread you can pull to unravel the real person.

Reverse-Search the Name, Email, Phone, and Handle

Now trace each identifier back to a real identity. A genuine person leaves a consistent, multi-year footprint; a scammer's details either lead nowhere or point to an unrelated person whose identity was stolen. Work through them free:

Step 1: Run every identifier through a multi-site search. Enter the name, email, phone, and username into Lullar to scan 170+ sites and platforms at once. This surfaces linked profiles, old accounts, and matches you'd never find one platform at a time — and shows whether the handle belongs to a real, long-standing person or a throwaway created days before the scam.

Step 2: Reverse-image their photos. Save their profile picture and anything they sent, then run the files through Google Images, TinEye, and Yandex. If the same face appears under other names, or belongs to a model or stranger, the photos are stolen — a near-certain sign of fraud.

Step 3: Search each identifier plus "scam." Google the email, phone, username, and wallet address with the words "scam," "complaint," and "review." Because scammers reuse identifiers, other victims may have already posted warnings that name the same account.

Here's what each identifier can reveal when you trace it:

Identifier	What tracing it can reveal
Email address	Linked social and forum accounts, breach records, other victims' reports
Phone number	Carrier type (VoIP vs. real mobile), linked messaging apps, name matches
Username / handle	The same alias on other platforms, account age, reused profile photos
Profile photo	Whether the image is stolen from a real person or AI-generated
Payment tag / wallet	Other transactions, scam-report databases, connected accounts

A VoIP number, a brand-new email, a handle with no history, and a stolen photo together paint an unmistakable picture: the persona is fabricated.

Trace the Money and the Digital Trail

The payment trail is often the clearest line to the real person, because money has to land somewhere — a bank account, a card, an exchange, or a wallet tied to an identity. You can't subpoena records yourself, but you can gather everything your bank and investigators will need:

• Peer-to-peer apps (Zelle, Cash App, Venmo, PayPal). Note the exact recipient name, tag, and any linked email or phone. Report the transaction as fraud inside the app and to your bank immediately — some transfers can still be frozen or disputed.
• Bank or wire transfers. Record the recipient account name, bank, and routing/account numbers. Call your bank's fraud line right away to request a recall; wire reversals are extremely time-sensitive.
• Gift cards. Keep the card numbers and receipts and report to the issuer (Apple, Amazon, Google) — some balances can be frozen if you act fast.
• Cryptocurrency. Record the wallet address and the transaction hash. Public blockchain explorers let you follow where funds moved, and reputable exchanges can flag addresses tied to fraud.

Also capture the digital breadcrumbs around the scam: the marketplace or dating-app profile URL, the account-creation date if shown, and the domain age of any fake website — a free WHOIS lookup reveals when a "company" site was really registered (scam sites are often days or weeks old). Together with the identifier trail, this builds a documented case that points at a specific person or account, not just a nickname.

When a Full People Report Confirms Their Real Identity

Free reverse-searches tell you whether a persona is fake and often surface a real name, phone, or city. But to confirm that the name behind the scam is a specific, real US person — and to hand investigators a verifiable identity — a full public-records report closes the gap.

This matters most when your free search returns a plausible real name or number and you need to know it's genuine. Spokeo compiles a person's real name, phone numbers, email addresses, address history, and public records into one report, so you can:

• Confirm a name is a real person with a consistent address and phone history — not an identity invented for the scam.
• Match an email or phone to a name when the scammer slipped and used a real one.
• Check whether the identity they claimed lines up with the age, location, and relatives on record — or belongs to an unrelated victim of identity theft.

A people report won't unmask a fully anonymous overseas operation, but for domestic marketplace, fake-seller, and rental fraud — where the scammer used a traceable US name, phone, or account — it's often the piece that turns "a guy named Josh on Marketplace" into a documented identity you can name in your FTC and police reports. Use it only to verify someone you're personally dealing with, never for employment, tenant, or credit decisions.

Report the Scammer and Try to Recover Your Money

Once you've documented who scammed you, report it through the right channels and move fast on recovery — freezes and reversals are time-sensitive. Take these steps in order:

1. Contact your bank, card issuer, or payment app now. Report the transaction as fraud and ask about a freeze, recall, chargeback, or dispute. The sooner you call, the better your odds.
2. File with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. This is the primary US consumer-fraud report and feeds a database that law enforcement uses.
3. File with the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov. Use this for any online scam, especially ones involving wire transfers, crypto, or larger losses.
4. Report to the platform. Flag the profile, listing, or account on Facebook Marketplace, the dating app, or wherever the scam began so it can be removed and others warned.
5. File a local police report. A report number is often required by banks and helps if the loss is large.
6. Report to your state Attorney General for consumer-fraud follow-up in your state.

Attach your evidence — dated screenshots, identifiers, payment records, and any real identity you confirmed — to every report. Use this checklist to make sure nothing is missed:

Task	How
Preserved all evidence	Dated screenshots of chats, profiles, listings, and payments
Traced every identifier	Reverse-search name, email, phone, and handle on Lullar
Confirmed a real identity	Match name/phone to records with a Spokeo report
Contacted your bank / payment app	Report fraud; request a freeze or chargeback immediately
Filed federal reports	FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and FBI IC3 at ic3.gov
Reported the platform + police	Remove the account; get a local police report number

One last warning: ignore anyone who contacts you promising to recover your money for an upfront fee. "Recovery" services that demand payment first are a second scam that specifically targets victims — legitimate help never asks for money up front.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find out who is really behind a fake name or email?

Work backward from every identifier the scammer left — the name, email, phone, username, or payment tag. Enter them into Lullar to scan 170+ sites and see whether they trace to one consistent, real person or a throwaway account. Reverse-image their photos to catch stolen pictures, then confirm any real name against public records with a Spokeo report before you report them.

Can I find out who scammed me on Facebook Marketplace or Zelle?

Often, yes. Note the exact profile name, the Zelle or Cash App recipient tag, and any linked email or phone, then reverse-search each on Lullar to map their footprint. Report the payment as fraud to your bank and the app right away, since some transfers can still be frozen. If a real name surfaces, verify it with a Spokeo public-records report.

How do I report an online scammer in the US?

File with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov, report the profile to the platform where it happened, and file a local police report if your loss is large. Contact your bank or payment app first to attempt a freeze or chargeback. Attach dated screenshots and every identifier you traced through Lullar to strengthen each report.

Can I get my money back after being scammed online?

Sometimes, if you act fast. Contact your bank, card issuer, or payment app immediately to request a freeze, recall, or chargeback — reversals are time-sensitive. Documenting who scammed you helps: trace their identifiers free on Lullar and confirm a real identity with a Spokeo report to attach to your bank dispute and FTC filing. Ignore any 'recovery' service that demands an upfront fee — that is a second scam.

Is it legal to look up the person who scammed me?

Yes. Searching publicly available information about someone who defrauded you is legal, and Lullar only links to public profiles. Keep in mind that people-search reports like Spokeo can't be used for employment, tenant, or credit decisions under the FCRA — but identifying a scammer to report fraud and protect yourself is a permissible personal-safety use.

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