What to do if you’ve been caught by a scam

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Falling for a scam doesn’t mean you’re careless. It means someone used pressure, timing, or a familiar-looking ask to get ahead of your thinking. This page is for the moment after — when your stomach drops and you’re not sure what to do next.

Take it one step at a time. You need a clear order of actions — the same sequence security teams use after a near-miss, scaled for one person at a keyboard.

1. Stop the contact

Block the number. Delete the message. Don’t reply again. The moment you stop responding, their hold on the conversation ends.

2. Guard your accounts

If you clicked a link, typed details, or shared anything sensitive, lock things down in this order:

Email first — it unlocks almost everything else
Banking and payment accounts
Shopping accounts
Social media and cloud storage

Use a strong, unique password for each. Then add an extra step to guard the account by applying multi-factor authentication (mfa) on email and banking at minimum — a code or approval on your phone that a stolen password alone can’t pass.

3. Tell your bank if money or card details were involved

Banks deal with this every day. Say what happened, what you shared, and when. They can block cards, reverse some payments, and watch the account. Sooner is better.

4. Check the device

If you installed anything they asked for, uninstall it, run a security scan, and update the device. If they had remote access, disconnect from the internet and change passwords from a different device you trust.

5. Tell someone, then report

Scammers rely on silence. Tell a partner, friend, or colleague — even briefly. In the UK: forward scam emails to [email protected], scam texts to 7726, and fraud to Action Fraud.

Watch for the second hit

After a miss, another message may arrive: “We can recover your money”, “We’re from the bank’s fraud team”, “Suspicious activity on your account.” Stop. Pause. Is it urgent? Do you know who it’s from? Is it really from them? If you’re not sure — hang up and use a number you already have.

A self-check for next time

If someone messaged you right now claiming to be family, asking for money “just this once”, would you call them on a number you already saved — or reply in the chat? Decide that route now, while you’re calm.