Think You’ve Been Scammed?

A pop-up says my computer is infected and to call a number

Do this now

1. Don’t call the number. Microsoft, Apple and real antivirus companies never put phone numbers in warnings.
2. Close the browser. If it won’t close on Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, choose the browser and click End task. If all else fails, hold the power button to shut down.
3. When you open the browser again, don’t restore the previous tabs.

Good to know: these pop-ups are usually just a web page designed to look scary. On their own they normally haven’t infected anything — the danger starts when you call.

Already called them? See: I let someone connect to my computer.

Read more about web browser scams →

I let someone connect to my computer

Do this now

1. Disconnect from the internet. Turn off Wi‑Fi or unplug the network cable, and leave it off until the computer has been checked.
2. Don’t sign in to banking, email or shopping sites on that computer.
3. From a different device (your phone or another computer), change your passwords — your email first, then banking and anything else they may have seen.
4. Call your bank and card companies. Tell them a scammer had access to your computer and ask them to watch for or block unusual activity.
5. Have the computer checked and cleaned. Scammers often leave remote-access software behind so they can come back. Call PSA to schedule.

Don’t: let them back in — even if they call back to “finish the repair” or “process your refund.” Refund calls are part of the scam.

I clicked a link and entered a password

Do this now

1. Change that password right away — on the real website or app, opened yourself, not from the link in the message.
2. If you used the same password anywhere else, change those too. Every account should have its own password.
3. Turn on two-step verification (a code sent to your phone or an authenticator app) for that account.
4. Check the account for changes: email forwarding rules, recovery phone or email, recent sign-ins and sent messages.
5. If it was your email account, warn your contacts not to trust unusual messages that appear to come from you.

Create a strong new passphrase →

I gave out bank, card or Social Security information

Do this now

1. Call your bank or card company using the number on the back of your card or on your statement. Ask them to cancel the card and watch for fraud.
2. Freeze your credit at all three bureaus — it’s free, and it stops anyone opening new accounts in your name: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
3. If you gave out your Social Security number, report it at IdentityTheft.gov to get a personalized recovery plan.
4. Watch your statements closely, and check your credit reports for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.

I paid with gift cards, a wire transfer, crypto or Zelle

Do this now

1. Act fast. The sooner you report it, the better the chance of stopping the money.
2. Gift cards: contact the company that issued the card (the brand on the card — Apple, Google Play, Target and so on). Tell them it was used in a scam and ask for a refund. Keep the cards and receipts.
3. Wire transfer, Zelle or a payment app: call your bank, or the transfer company (such as Western Union or MoneyGram), and ask them to reverse the payment.
4. Cryptocurrency: contact the exchange or Bitcoin ATM company you used.
5. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and IC3.gov.

Don’t: pay anyone who promises to recover your money for a fee. “Recovery” services that contact you are a second scam.

Someone called claiming to be Microsoft, Amazon, my bank or the government

Do this now

1. Hang up. You can’t get in trouble for hanging up on someone.
2. Call the company back using a number you look up yourself — from your statement, the back of your card or their official website.
3. Never read out a code that was texted or emailed to you. Anyone asking for a one-time code is trying to get into your account.

Good to know: caller ID can be faked. Government agencies like the IRS and Social Security don’t call to threaten arrest or demand payment by gift card, and Microsoft doesn’t call about viruses on your computer.

Read more about phone scams →

I got a scary email or text (locked account, package, unpaid toll)

Do this now

1. Don’t click links or call phone numbers in the message.
2. If you’re worried, open the company’s app or type its website address yourself, and check your account there.
3. Delete it, or report it: forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM), and use your email’s “Report phishing” or “Junk” button.

Already clicked and entered information? See: I entered a password or I gave out bank or card info.

Read more about email scams →

Someone is threatening me or says they have my photos

Do this now

1. Don’t pay, and stop responding. Paying usually leads to more demands.
2. Save evidence: screenshots of the messages, usernames and any payment details they asked for.
3. Report it to the FBI at IC3.gov, and report the account to the website or app where it happened.
4. If the images involve someone under 18, Take It Down can help remove them. Adults can use StopNCII.org.
5. If you feel you’re in danger, call 911.

Good to know: many of these emails claim to have hacked your camera and quote an old password from a data breach. They’re almost always bluffing. You can check whether your email was in a breach at Have I Been Pwned.

Read more about cyber extortion →