Clicked on a Scam? Here’s What to Do Next
You’re helping organize a neighborhood food drive when an email arrives in your inbox.
“Someone has shared the volunteer schedule.”
Cool, but you’re expecting a schedule. There’s no schedule attached. Maybe I can follow the link …
You click, your web browser opens up, and a webpage asks for your email password.
Wait.
Then you notice the sender’s address, and it has nothing to do with anyone on your team.
Yup. Pauses are everything.
Scams are Up. Way Up.
If scam messages seem to be showing up more often, the numbers help explain why. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received more than one million complaints in 2025, up from about 860,000 in 2024—an increase of roughly 17%. Fake messages and websites designed to impersonate someone trustworthy were among the most frequently reported problems. (FBI, April 2026)
The financial damage is growing, too. Across all types of fraud, including scams that happen offline, people reported losing about $16 billion in 2025, roughly 25% more than in 2024, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Those figures count reported losses, so they don’t capture every person who quietly closed the browser and hoped for the best. (FTC, June 2026)
Broadly, filing a complaint won’t accomplish much. There’s no Hacker’s Union that’ll step in a slap somebody on the wrist for conning you. Filing a complaint can help investigators connect the dots, but it won’t stop a scammer from sending the next message or secure your account while you wait. Reporting is useful; it just isn’t the first things you should do. You don’t have to solve the larger fraud problem to take action on the part that has landed in your lap.
What to Do Right Now
That terrible sinking feeling is familiar, but you still have choices. The next step depends on what happened after the click.
If a phone number displayed on the suspicious page, don’t call it. Even if the page insists it’s urgent.
If it asks for a password, don’t enter it.
Close the page. You’ll offend nobody by just exiting out of the process. Don’t type anything else, approve a request, or download whatever it says you need. Clicking a link doesn’t automatically mean someone has taken over your device. It does mean you should pause and work out what you shared.
And turn off your computer if the page doesn’t close or go away.
Ideally, you caught yourself before calling a number, entering a password, or downloading a file. But …
If you entered a password, immediately use your phone or another trusted device already connected to the service you entered the password for, then rotate your password. Change it now. If it’s not protected with Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), turn it on now.
If you downloaded a file, don’t run it. Just delete it from your Downloads directory.
If you spoke to somebody and shared credit card or bank details, call your bank immediately using the number on your card or its official app. Explain what happened, including whether you sent money. Ask about securing the account and reversing any payment. Don’t wait for a suspicious charge to prove your concern was justified. Contact your bank immediately.
If something was downloaded or if you installed something, or let a stranger control your computer, turn it off. Get help from your workplace’s technology support person, the device manufacturer, or a trusted service (hey, we know some people).
You may be technically savvy and know how to troubleshoot your own issues. But, if you’re not …
If the device is used for work, tell whoever manages it promptly. “I clicked this and entered my password” is useful information.
If this is your own personal device, ask for help. Technoactivism is just a click away.
Don’t Be Embarrassed. But Do Something.
Clicking a scam link is a lousy way to interrupt a good day, but embarrassment doesn’t have to make it worse. Ask for help, say what happened, and take the next step while the details are fresh. Then give yourself permission to slow down the next time a message demands your attention. The volunteer schedule — or whatever else you were working on — can be set aside for a minute.
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