SAFE NET / PRACTICAL NEXT STEPS
SCAM HELP CENTER.
If something feels wrong, you do not have to figure it out all at once. Pause contact, protect what may be at risk, save the details and use trusted channels for help.
Contact your bank, card issuer, payment provider or affected platform immediately using the number on your card or its official app. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911.
01 / FIRST MOVES
DO THIS FIRST.
Choose the step that fits your situation. You can come back to the others after the immediate risk is addressed.
STOP CONTACT.
Do not send more money, codes or personal information. Do not click a new link or install a tool the caller requests.
CALL DIRECT.
If you paid or shared account access, contact the bank, card issuer, payment service or platform through an official number or app.
CHECK ACCOUNTS.
If a login or code was exposed, use the real website or app to change passwords, review activity and turn on two-factor authentication.
KEEP RECORDS.
Save messages, screenshots, receipts, dates and a short timeline. Report the scam through SAFE Net and appropriate official channels.
02 / CHOOSE YOUR SITUATION
WHAT HAPPENED?
These are starting points. Use the official organization’s contact information, not a number or link sent by the suspicious person.
YOU DID NOT PAY.
Pause before replying or clicking. If the message claims to come from a company or government office, find that organization’s official site or number yourself. Save the message if you plan to report it.
CONTACT THE PAYMENT SOURCE.
Call your bank, card issuer, payment app, wire service or gift-card issuer now. Explain the transaction and ask whether it can be stopped or reversed. Keep the card, receipt or transaction details.
SECURE YOUR ACCOUNT.
Use the real app or website to change your password, sign out of unfamiliar sessions and turn on two-factor authentication. If you cannot get back in, contact that platform’s official support.
PROTECT YOUR IDENTITY.
If a Social Security number or other sensitive identity detail was shared, use the official IdentityTheft.gov recovery steps. They explain credit reports, fraud alerts and credit freezes.
COMMON WARNING SIGNS.
Scams can arrive by phone, text, email, social media or a fake website. The details change, but the pressure often feels familiar.
- Urgent deadlines, fear, secrecy or threats if you do not act now.
- Requests for gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, payment apps or one-time codes.
- Links and QR codes you were not expecting, including convincing copies of official pages.
- Someone claiming to be a bank, agency, pastor, relative, employer, delivery service or tech support.
SAVE THE DETAILS.
A short timeline helps you tell a clear story to your bank, law enforcement or an official agency. Keep the originals somewhere private.
Do not post private victim details online. Do not send SAFE Net passwords, full Social Security numbers, bank logins or explicit images.
- Messages, emails, screenshots, usernames, profile links and website addresses.
- Phone numbers, dates, times and what the person asked you to do.
- Receipts, payment details, transaction IDs, gift-card details or wallet addresses.
- Notes about the accounts or people you have already contacted.
05 / LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER
FOR YOUR CIRCLE.
One calm conversation can help someone pause before a second payment or a second scam.
CHECK IN.
Use a trusted family contact and a shared safe word for urgent requests. Help a person find official numbers and take one step at a time.
VERIFY TWICE.
Confirm invoice changes, urgent gift-card requests and payment instructions through a second trusted channel before paying.
TELL SOMEONE.
If a person threatens or blackmails you online, do not send more images or money. Talk with a trusted adult and use official reporting resources.
06 / GET TO THE RIGHT PLACE
REPORT AND RECOVER.
Different organizations handle different parts of a scam. SAFE Net can help with education and reporting guidance; official reports and account actions happen through the responsible agency or company.
COMMON QUESTIONS
GOOD TO KNOW.
I CLICKED A LINK. WHAT NOW?
Stop using the suspicious page. If you entered a password, open the real service’s app or website to change it and review account activity. If you shared a payment detail, contact the bank or card issuer through its official number.
I SENT MONEY. WHO DO I CALL FIRST?
Contact the bank, card issuer, payment app, wire company or gift-card issuer used for the payment as soon as possible. Ask about stopping or reversing the transaction. SAFE Net can help with guidance after that first urgent step.
SHOULD I FREEZE MY CREDIT?
If sensitive identity information was exposed, review the official IdentityTheft.gov steps. A credit freeze is free and must be placed separately with each of the three major credit bureaus.
CAN SAFE NET FILE AN OFFICIAL CASE FOR ME?
A SAFE Net report is separate from a police case, bank dispute or federal complaint. Our reporting guide explains how volunteers use reports and where official actions happen.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
ASK FOR A CLEAR NEXT STEP.
After the immediate risk is addressed, tell SAFE Net what happened. We can use the report to recognize local patterns and guide you toward appropriate official resources when possible.
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