Safety Center
What happened?
Pick the closest one. Each page tells you who to call, what to say, and what can wait.
Field manual
Every page, by situation
It already happened
Money, a code, a password, or photos already went out. These pages put the calls in order.
- Someone is on the line or on my screen right now Hang up. If they're on your computer, hold the power button until it turns off.
- I paid or sent money Call your bank or the company you paid through now, on a number from your card, your statement, or its app.
- I paid with a credit or debit card Call the number on the back of the card today and have the card closed and replaced.
- I sent a bank transfer, wire, or Zelle Call your bank now, on the number from your card or statement, and ask it to stop or recall the payment.
- I paid with Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, or Apple Cash Report it inside the app itself, not to a support number you found by searching.
- I sent money through Western Union, MoneyGram, or a similar service Call the company's fraud line now. Until the money is picked up or deposited, it can still be cancelled.
- I paid with gift cards Call the company on the card now and ask them to freeze what's left. Keep the cards and the receipt.
- I paid with crypto or a Bitcoin ATM Call the number on the machine or your receipt, or report it in the app. File at ic3.gov at the same time, and report it to the police today.
- I handed over or mailed cash, gold, or a card Hand nothing to a courier. If one is at the door, call 911. If you mailed it, get the package stopped now.
- I gave out a code, password, or card number Bank or card: call the number on your card first. Then change your passwords yourself, from a device you trust.
- Someone is threatening to share photos of me Don't pay. Save the messages, then report and block the account.
- Someone got into my account Get your email back first, from a device you trust. Whoever has it can reset almost everything else.
- I let someone control my computer Hold the power button until the computer turns off. Do everything else from another device.
- My phone suddenly has no service From another phone, call your carrier at the number on your bill. Get your number back, then get it locked.
- I think I was scammed Cut off contact. Then call your bank or the company you paid, on the number on your card or in its app.
- Someone offers to get my money back Don't pay anyone who offers to get your money back. Call your bank or the payment company yourself.
- Every number we list Call your bank first, using the number on your card. These are for everything after that.
- Save evidence without spiraling Screenshot it before you block or report anyone, then stop collecting.
- Where to report it Call your bank or the payment company first. File the reports after that call.
Calls, texts, and emails that claim to be official
Banks, government agencies, delivery companies, tech support. Check through a number or app you already have, not the one in the message.
- I got a message and I'm not sure it's real Don't answer it where it reached you. Open the app or site yourself, or call a number you already have.
- Someone says they're from your bank Hang up, then call the number on the back of your card yourself.
- Someone says they're from the government Hang up, then call the agency yourself on a number you looked up.
- A message about your taxes or a refund Type IRS.gov yourself to check a refund or pay a bill.
- A call about Medicare or your health coverage Don't give your Medicare Number to anyone who calls, texts, or knocks. Hang up and call Medicare yourself.
- A pop-up or call says your computer has a problem Don't call the number. Close the browser, or hold the power button until the computer turns off.
- A text about a package, account, or payment Don't tap the link or reply to a text you didn't expect. Check it in the app or site you open yourself.
- A text says you owe a toll or parking fine Don't pay from the text. Go to the toll agency's or city's own site yourself and look it up there.
- Phone calls: how to handle a call you didn't expect Hang up, then call back on a number you already have: the back of your card, your bill, or the number in the company's app.
- Emails that want you to sign in, pay, or open something Don't sign in, pay, or call from an email you didn't ask for. Open the app or type the address yourself.
Someone you think you know
A grandchild in trouble, a friend's new number, a match from a dating site. A familiar name or voice proves nothing by itself.
- Someone claiming to be family needs money Hang up, then call them yourself on the number you already have for them.
- Someone I met online is asking for money Don't send money, crypto, gift cards, or your ID to someone you haven't met in person, however real they seem.
- WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal messages Call their regular number, not through the app. Don't send or enter a code someone else asked for.
- Social media: hacked friends, fake profiles, and what you share Check any request for money or a code with the person on a number you already have, not in the chat it came from.
Money, shopping, and work
Investments, online marketplaces, rentals, tickets, job offers, and charities. What to check before any money moves.
- An investment that can't lose Don't invest on advice from someone you only know online, and don't pay anything to get your money out.
- Buying or selling on Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, or Craigslist Pay when you're holding the item, or in a way you can dispute. Hand over what you sold once the money is in your own app.
- Is this store real? Pay a store you've never bought from with a credit card, so you can dispute the charge if nothing comes.
- Fake websites and lookalike addresses Sign in and pay only on pages you reached yourself: the app, your bookmark, or an address you typed.
- Tickets sold on social media Pay only after the tickets are in your own account in the official app.
- A rental listing that wants a deposit first Before you pay anything, look up who owns the place in the county's property records, and deal only with that owner or the company that manages it.
- A job offer that seems too easy Stop the moment a job asks you to pay it, or to send on money it sent you.
- Fake apps and subscriptions you didn't mean to start Deleting the app doesn't stop the charges. Cancel with whoever bills you: Apple, Google, or the company itself.
- Donation requests after a disaster Give to a charity you look up yourself, on the website you type in, by credit card or check.
- QR codes on parking meters, mail, and flyers To pay or sign in, skip the code. Use the app or website printed on the sign, or one you already have.
- Scams aimed at small businesses Confirm new bank details or an unexpected bill by calling a number you already had, not one in the message.
Getting ready
Things to set up before anything happens: passwords, sign-in codes, a family code word.
- Lock down your accounts in 30 minutes Start with your email: add a passkey or an authenticator app, and give it a password you use nowhere else.
- PUSHED and VERIFY: the habit behind every page here Don't check it through the call, text, or email that brought it: use the app, a site you type in, or a number you already have.
- Set up a family code word Ask for the word, then call them back on their own number before any money moves.
Helping someone else
For the family member who gets the call: how to bring it up, what to do together, and what to do after.
- Someone I love is being scammed right now Don't argue about whether it's real. Ask them to wait, then call their bank together on the number on their card.
- Talking to a parent about scams Ask for one promise: if someone who contacted them wants money, a code, a password, or their computer, they stop and call you first.
- A 30-minute setup to do together Do it on their phone with them doing the tapping, and finish with the real numbers on a card by the phone.
- Helping someone after a scam Help with the bank call, on the number on their card. Ask how it happened later.
- Kids and teens online Tell your kid that if anyone online asks for a password, a code, a photo, or money, they can show you and won't be in trouble.
Practice
- Practice Lab A pretend computer. Rehearse installing a password manager and setting up a passkey before you do it on your own.
- Spot the Scam A short free course on telling real emails, texts, and calls from fake ones, with quizzes.
- Practice helping someone You play the family member who gets the call. A phone simulation that plays out in real time.
US-focused · Not legal advice · Nothing for sale · No sign-up