Last Updated on October 27, 2026 by Domenica
It happens to the best of us. Scammers are always coming up with new, inventive ways to scam people out of their money.
But will Chase refund you if you get scammed?
It depends on whether you authorized the payment. Chase must reimburse unauthorized debit card, credit card and electronic transfers (including Zelle) under federal law, as long as you report them in time. Payments you authorized — even if a scammer tricked you — usually aren’t covered, though Zelle banks may reimburse certain imposter scams.
Will Chase Refund Your Debit Card or Checking Account After You Get Scammed?
Chase works hard to make sure you don’t fall victim to scams, and even harder if you do.
If a transaction on your account wasn’t authorized by you, federal law (Regulation E) limits how much you can lose, as long as you report it quickly:
- Within 2 business days of learning about it: you’re liable for no more than $50.
- After 2 business days but within 60 days of your statement: up to $500.
- After 60 days: you could lose the full amount.
Sometimes, it isn’t fraud at all. Chase treats charges like a forgotten free trial, a gym membership you canceled or a duplicate charge as charge errors, not fraud. You can still dispute them, but you’ll report them as a problem with the merchant rather than as fraud.
It’s not all rainbows and sunshine, as it can take the bank sometime to get your funds back. They usually conduct an investigation into the claim, looking at your account history and making sure you don’t have a history of calling things scams. They will also look at any history they have with the vendor, looking for a history of fraud against them too.
Provisional credit isn’t a courtesy for customers in good standing. For debit card and other electronic transfer claims, federal rules require Chase to finish its investigation within 10 business days. If it needs longer (up to 45 days), it must provisionally credit your account in the meantime.
Will Chase Refund My Credit Card If I Got Scammed?
If you did not authorize a transaction on your credit card, the same as your debit, Chase will refund your transaction.
Credit cards offer even stronger protection. Federal law caps your liability for unauthorized credit card charges at $50, and Chase’s zero liability policy typically covers the full amount. Because you’re spending the bank’s money rather than your own, the disputed charge doesn’t drain your checking account while Chase investigates.
Will Chase Refund My Zelle If I Got Scammed?
Zelle is one of the most popular peer-to-peer (P2P) transfer platforms around, so there are a lot of scammers operating on it. The scammers will act as someone you know, maybe even using their name or profile picture to deceive you.
Whether Chase refunds a Zelle payment depends on how the money left your account:
- Unauthorized payments (someone accessed your account and sent money without your permission) are covered by Regulation E, like other unauthorized electronic transfers.
- Imposter scams (someone posing as Chase, a government agency or a company you do business with tricked you into paying) may be reimbursed under a Zelle network policy that took effect in June 2023. It’s applied case by case, so tell Chase specifically that it was an imposter scam.
- Other scams you authorized, like paying for an item that never arrived, generally aren’t reimbursed.
Since March 2025, Chase may also block Zelle payments it identifies as originating from social media contacts, since nearly half of the scams reported to Chase start on social media.
Zelle money moves within minutes and usually can’t be recalled, so only send it to people you know and trust.
Will Chase Refund Your Transactions If You Authorized Them?
More often than not, no. Chase generally won’t refund transactions you approved, though you can still dispute certain merchant problems. Chase maintains that if you gave a vendor your permission, the transaction should go through.
There are some instances where Chase does actually refund those transactions. If you initially wanted the product and approved the purchase, but the product wasn’t what was advertised, Chase may refund your purchase. They will also refund multiple charges for the same transaction. Some companies may charge you two or three times for the same purchase, Chase has got that covered.
How Do You Get Chase To Refund Your Purchases?
There are two easy ways to place a claim on a transaction and get your purchases refunded: through the Chase Bank Mobile App, or by calling the claims department.
Placing a Claim Through The App
The mobile app makes this easy. Gone are the days of having to call someone, sit through multiple waiting tones, and finally placing a claim. If you use the mobile app, or Chase.com for that matter, you can place a claim on any transaction you did not approve.
To dispute online, the transaction needs to post first. Credit card charges usually post within 1–3 business days. For a pending debit card charge, you can start a dispute by phone at 1-866-564-2262.
Once the transaction has gone through, you can click on it in your transaction history to either see more details or place a claim. Click report a problem, and Chase will ask you why. They’ll want to know if the merchant was late, if the product was below your expected standard, or if they charged the wrong card.
There are even more options on there, so take your time and be truthful when letting Chase know what happened. The better the information you give them, the easier it will be for them to find the problem, fix it, and return your money.
Submit your dispute within 60 days of the transaction first appearing on your statement.
Placing a Claim by Calling The Claims Department
If you want to keep it old fashioned, or just want to hop on the phone for your banking needs, you can always call the claims department and they’ll help you file a claim. It may take longer than filing online.
There are different claims departments depending on what account type you have:
- Personal credit card fraud: 1-800-955-9060
- Personal debit card fraud: 1-800-978-8664
- Debit card disputes and claims: 1-866-564-2262
- Business credit card fraud: 1-888-269-8690
Only call numbers from chase.com or the back of your card. Scammers often pose as Chase’s fraud department.
Chase’s claims departments are patient and helpful. They will ask all the same questions the app would and more, trying to find out exactly what went wrong and what they can do to get your money back.
Conclusion
If you ever have a transaction on your account you didn’t authorize, likely from a scam, let Chase know as soon as possible. The sooner you report it, the more of your money federal law protects, so don’t wait.
