Act quickly, but focus on the information that was exposed. Stop communicating with the scammer, send no more money or details, secure any compromised accounts, contact financial institutions through official channels, and report the incident. You cannot retrieve information already handed over, but these steps can limit further damage and create a record for recovery.
This guide follows U.S. government guidance. If you live elsewhere, use your country’s official fraud-reporting and identity-theft services; the U.S. portals named here may not apply to you.
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First steps in the next 10 minutes
- End the conversation. Do not reply, click another link, install software, or follow instructions from the person who contacted you. Do not send a “refund,” verification payment, gift card, cryptocurrency, password, security code, or additional document.
- Write down what happened. Record the scammer’s name or alias, phone number, email address, usernames, websites, payment details, dates, and exactly what information you disclosed. Save messages and transaction records, but do not reopen suspicious links or attachments to collect them.
- Secure the affected account or service. Use the organization’s known website or telephone number—not contact details supplied by the scammer. The correct next action depends on whether the exposure involved credentials, identity data, money, your mobile number, or a device.
- Warn anyone who could be targeted next. If the scammer saw your contact list, work account, family details, or social profile, tell those people to ignore unusual messages that appear to come from you.
“Once you give your personal information — like your Social Security number, passwords, or bank account information — to someone you don’t know, there’s no way to get it back.” — Federal Trade Commission, Heads Up: Stop. Think. Connect!
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Match the response to what you disclosed
| Information exposed | Priority action | What to check next |
|---|---|---|
| Username or password | Change the password immediately, including every account where you reused it; enable multi-factor authentication (MFA). | Recent sign-ins, recovery email and phone, forwarding rules, saved payment methods, and messages sent from the account. |
| Social Security number or other identity data | Use IdentityTheft.gov for a tailored recovery plan. | Credit reports, unfamiliar accounts, collection notices, tax or benefits activity, and requests for more identity documents. |
| Bank-account or card details | Call the bank or card issuer through a number on a statement, card, or official website. | Unauthorized transactions, changed contact details, new payees, transfers, and replacement cards or checks. |
| Mobile number or mobile-account credentials | Contact your mobile provider to reclaim control, then change the account password. | Loss of service, a replacement SIM or eSIM, changed recovery settings, and suspicious financial-account changes. |
| Remote access to a computer | Update security software, run a scan, and remove anything it identifies as a problem. | New applications, browser extensions, user accounts, changed passwords, and unusual financial or email activity. |
| Email or social-media account access | Use the provider’s official hacked-account recovery process. | Unknown sessions, altered recovery details, forwarding rules, direct messages, posts, and connected apps. |
More than one row may apply. For example, a remote-access scam can expose saved passwords and banking sessions, while a stolen phone number can allow password-reset codes to be intercepted.
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If you shared a password, username, or login code
Change the password safely
Start with the account whose credentials were disclosed. Type the known address yourself or use the service’s official app. Create a long, unique password that has never been used elsewhere. Then change every other account that used the same password; attackers routinely test reused credentials on email, shopping, banking, work, and social accounts.
Do not use a password the scammer supplied, one based on information in your public profile, or a variation of the exposed password. A password manager can generate and store unique passwords, but do not install one from a link sent during the scam.
Turn on multi-factor authentication
Enable MFA in the account’s security settings wherever it is offered. An authenticator app or hardware security key generally avoids dependence on an intercepted text message, although any MFA is stronger than a password alone. Save recovery codes offline and review the account’s trusted devices and active sessions; sign out of sessions you do not recognize.
Check account changes
- Confirm that the recovery email address and phone number are yours.
- Remove unfamiliar forwarding rules, filters, delegated users, connected applications, and app passwords.
- Review sent messages, deleted items, cloud files, orders, and saved payment methods.
- Tell contacts if the account sent malicious links or urgent requests in your name.
The FTC’s scam-recovery guidance covers the password and MFA steps at What To Do if You Were Scammed.
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If you gave out your Social Security number or identity documents
Go to IdentityTheft.gov and follow the personalized recovery plan. The Federal Trade Commission’s What To Know About Identity Theft guidance explains how to document the incident and consider credit-monitoring and related protections. Use the plan’s instructions for your circumstances rather than assuming that one measure solves every type of identity theft.
Look for signs of misuse
- Review your credit reports for accounts, inquiries, addresses, or collection activity you do not recognize.
- Watch for tax, employment, insurance, medical, government-benefit, or debt-collection notices that do not fit your history.
- Keep copies of every letter, case number, dispute, and conversation with an institution.
- Do not send a second copy of an identity document to “verify” the first disclosure unless you independently confirm the recipient.
Identity information can be misused later, so continue checking after the initial response. The absence of an unfamiliar account today does not prove that the information was harmless.
If you shared bank or card information
Contact the institution through a known channel
Call the number printed on your card or statement, or navigate to the institution’s website by typing its address yourself. Explain that your information was disclosed to a scammer and ask what protective action is appropriate: replacing a card, closing an account, changing online-banking credentials, blocking transfers, or adding alerts. Never use a phone number in the scam message or caller ID.
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Check current and pending transactions, electronic transfers, direct debits, new payees, beneficiary changes, address changes, and password-reset notices. Report unauthorized charges or account changes promptly to the relevant bank or card issuer and follow its documentation requirements. Keep monitoring statements even after a card is replaced; an account-level compromise can continue beyond one card number.
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If you sent money, tell the institution exactly how it moved—card purchase, bank transfer, wire, payment app, cash, gift card, or cryptocurrency. Recovery options and deadlines differ by payment method, so ask what can still be stopped or disputed.
If your phone number or mobile account was taken over
Loss of cellular service, an unexpected “SIM activated” notice, or password-reset codes you did not request can indicate that control of your number changed. Contact your mobile provider immediately through its official support channel and ask it to restore your number and secure the account. Once control is restored, change the mobile-account password and any other password reused there.
Then inspect email, banking, payment, and social accounts for password resets, changed recovery numbers, new devices, or transfers. A phone takeover can turn text-message verification into an attacker’s pathway to other accounts, so prioritize accounts that control money or your primary email.
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If a scammer accessed your computer remotely
Disconnect the computer from the internet if the person is still connected, but do not destroy evidence or continue interacting with the operator. Update legitimate security software, run a full scan, and remove anything the software identifies as a problem. If you cannot tell what was installed or changed, use the device maker’s or security provider’s official support process.
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From a separate, trusted device, change passwords for email, financial services, cloud storage, and other important accounts. Review browser-saved passwords, remote-access tools, new user accounts, startup items, and security settings. Contact your bank if the computer was used while banking or shopping. A scan addresses malicious software it can identify; it does not by itself prove that every account or session is safe.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If email or social media was hacked
Follow the provider’s account-recovery process from its official help page. The FTC explains the recovery sequence in How To Recover Your Hacked Email or Social Media Account.
- Reset the password and sign out of unfamiliar sessions.
- Restore your recovery email address, phone number, and MFA method.
- Remove unknown connected apps, app passwords, forwarding rules, filters, and delegated access.
- Inspect sent, deleted, archived, and private messages for scam requests.
- Tell contacts that messages sent during the takeover were not trustworthy.
If recovery details were replaced and the normal reset no longer works, use the provider’s compromised-account form rather than paying a third party that promises guaranteed recovery.
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Report the scam and preserve evidence
Report the incident at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If identity information was involved, use IdentityTheft.gov as well. The FTC says reports help it build cases, identify trends, educate consumers, and share information with law-enforcement partners. A report may not immediately recover money or information, but it creates useful evidence and can connect related complaints.
For financial losses or account takeover, also report to the affected bank, card issuer, mobile provider, or online service. Keep the confirmation numbers and copies of submissions. If threats, extortion, or immediate physical danger are involved, contact local law enforcement or emergency services.
Organize evidence in a simple timeline:
- When and how the scammer contacted you.
- What you disclosed or authorized.
- Payments, account changes, downloads, or remote sessions.
- When you changed passwords, contacted institutions, and filed reports.
- Names, case numbers, and promised follow-up from each organization.
Monitor accounts and credit without assuming you are fully protected
Check bank and card statements, account alerts, email security notices, and credit reports regularly. The FTC notes that credit-monitoring services do not detect every kind of misuse. Before paying for one, ask:
- How often does it check your reports?
- Which credit bureaus are monitored?
- Is access to the reports limited, or does it cost extra?
- Are credit scores or other services included?
- What types of activity will not trigger an alert?
Free credit reports are an alternative. Monitoring can alert you to some changes, but it cannot prevent misuse that never appears on a monitored credit report, such as certain account takeovers, benefits fraud, or unauthorized use of an existing account. Continue checking the underlying accounts themselves.
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- Trying to negotiate with the scammer: it confirms that you are responsive and often leads to another demand.
- Using contact details from the message: a fake “bank support” number can route you back to the same operator.
- Changing only one reused password: every account sharing it remains exposed.
- Assuming MFA erases the risk: attackers may still control recovery settings, active sessions, or a hijacked phone number.
- Paying a recovery service upfront: no legitimate helper can guarantee that information or cryptocurrency will be returned.
- Waiting for proof of fraud: early notification gives financial institutions and providers more opportunity to block changes.
What recovery can and cannot accomplish
You cannot pull personal information back from a stranger after disclosure. Recovery is a risk-reduction process: close the access path, replace compromised credentials, challenge unauthorized transactions, watch for delayed misuse, and document the incident. There is no single universal fix because the consequences of a leaked password differ from those of a stolen Social Security number, hijacked phone number, bank account, or remotely accessed computer.
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