“I Was Scammed”, Now What?

Anyone can fall victim to these scams. If you have paid someone, call your bank, money transfer app, or credit card company and see if they can reverse the charges. If you gave personal information, go to: https://www.IdentityTheft.gov, to see what steps you should take, including how to monitor your credit. Did a scammer take control of your cell phone number and account? Contact your service provider to take back control of your phone number. Once you do, change your account password. Passwords should be lengthy and include numbers, letters, special characters, and capitalized letters. Short passwords can easily be hacked using computer programs. When you report a scam, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) can use the information to build cases against scammers, spot trends, educate the public, and share data about what is happening in your community. If you were scammed, report it to the FTC at: https://www.ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Did a scammer take control of your cell phone number and account?

Contact your service provider to take back control of your phone number. Once you do, change your account password. Passwords should be lengthy and
include numbers, letters, special characters, and capitalized letters. Short passwords can easily be hacked using computer programs. When you report a scam, the
FTC (Federal Trade Commission) can use the information to build cases against scammers, spot trends, educate the public, and share data about what is happening in your
community. If you were scammed, report it to the FTCat: https://www.ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Finally, be vigilant and use common sense. Avoid clicking on suspicious links, and never give out personal information to a stranger over the phone. You’d never tell your best friend your annual income, so why would you give a suspicious caller your passwords, bank information, date of birth or your Social Security number.

Sources and further reading

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scam How to avoid a scam
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed What to do if you were scammed
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams How to recognize and avoid phishing scams
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2018/12/fake-calls-about-your-ssn Fake calls about your SSN
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-scams

How to spot, avoid and report tech support scams Sources and further reading