I clicked a scam link. What now?

If you have tapped a link in a suspicious message, stay calm. Clicking alone does not always cause harm, and many people recover quickly by acting fast. What matters most is whether you entered any details.

If you only tapped the link and closed the page

• Close the page and do not tap anything else on it.
• Do not download anything it offers.
• Delete the message and keep an eye on your accounts over the next few days.
• Make sure your phone's software is up to date, and run a security scan if you have a security app.

If you entered a password

1. Change that password straight away, on the real website or app.
2. Change it anywhere else you use the same password.
3. Turn on two-step verification for the account.

If you entered card or bank details

1. Call your bank immediately using the number on the back of your card, or dial 159.
2. Tell them what happened and ask them to block the card and check recent payments.
3. Watch your statements closely and report any payment you do not recognise.

If you gave away personal details

Be extra careful about calls, texts and emails that mention you by name over the next few weeks, because scammers sometimes try again using the details they collected. You may also want to check your credit report for anything unfamiliar.

Report it

Forward the text to 7726 and forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. Report the fraud to Action Fraud (actionfraud.police.uk, or Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland). Reporting services change names from time to time, so if a website has moved, search "report fraud" on gov.uk.

Check before you click next time

VerovaShield can check a link, text or email for you in seconds, before you open it.