Let’s face it; being scammed can be a terrible feeling. It can make us feel like we are idiots for being so easily duped. Scamming, unfortunately, is a skill that people spend their whole lives mastering.

With the internet being so much of an influence on our lives, internet scams have become that much more prevalent. And you may be wondering if you can sue someone who may have scammed you out of your hard-earned money.

Well, in this article I will be answering that. If you need more information or have any other legal questions you may need answering, feel free to reach out to Douglas Healy, and he can help solve any legal challenges you may currently be facing.

Now, on to the article.

Can You Sue Someone For Scamming: Yes or No?

To answer the question, it IS possible to sue someone who may have scammed you. But know this.

IT WILL BE AN UPHILL BATTLE.

Because so many scammers use false names, address, and some time may not even be in the same country (We have all heard about Nigerian and India Scammers online), it can be quite the challenge tracking these people down.

However, please do not lose hope, as we did mention, it IS possible to sue someone who has scammed you.

Here are four steps that you may want to consider to sue someone who may have scammed you effectively.

The Steps You Need To Follow/Consider

Step 1: Decide If You Want To Lose A Lawyer

Now, this may seem a bit strange to say. But what you NEED to take into consideration is that sometimes the lawyer fee will be much more than the actual scam. Many attorneys/lawyers will give you a FREE consultation, so you may want to consider this as well.

If you can get a FREE consultation, then we highly recommend that you do this to see if it will be worth it in the end. The benefits of having an attorney on your side will prove beneficial. However, it does not always mean a victory.

Step 2: Identify The Defendant

This step is perhaps the most crucial and will give you the legal grounds you need to sue the person. As we have stated above, many scammers (especially online) use fake names, addresses, and locations (with many scammers being outside the United States who target Americans).

Now, for this step, you may want to hire a detective or do some detective work yourself. What YOU can do is scour the internet in search of the scammer, contact your credit card company and get information on the purchase, and use the “WHOIS” website to discover the name of the company and the person who scammed you.

There are many things YOU can do, which will not require that you hire a detective. This is just one way you can save money, assuming if you wanted to hire a lawyer to help you sue the scammer.

Step 3: Establish Jurisdiction

This step will either make or break the suing process. Most courts will ONLY entertain the idea of a lawsuit that they have jurisdiction over the defendant.

Before many states did not entertain the idea of suing people “out-of-state,” however, the laws have changed and evolved, and now it is not as uncommon for courts to allow for people to sue over states.

However, it is essential to know what YOUR state laws are in regards to this method. Each state is different and has its own way of handling these types of issues.

Step 4: Get As Much Evidence As You Can

This step will be incredibly valuable, as NOT ALL LIES ARE FRAUDS. So what d we mean by this, if they were able to dupe you into believing their lies but never promised you anything, they just deceived you into giving up your money, then you DO NOT HAVE A CASE.

However, if you can show that they said you were promised this, this and this after giving up your money, but you never received it, you have a case.

This is why it is essential to keep your receipts, contracts, and other papers they may have given you.

Suing Is Not Easy But It Is Possible

If you would like some more advice then feel free to reach out to Douglas Healy, and he can advise you a bit more