What should you do if you become a victim of digital fraud?

Digital fraud may begin with an impersonation call, a malicious link, a fake sales advertisement or a message from a compromised account. Feeling confused or distressed is understandable. However, rather than blaming yourself or hiding what happened, focus on limiting the damage and seeking assistance. Responsibility for the fraud rests with the person who committed it.

First, stop communicating with the scammer and following their instructions. Do not send additional money, disclose SMS codes or open new files. Do not trust demands to transfer funds to a supposed “safe account”. Even if someone claims to represent a bank or law enforcement agency, verify their identity independently.

If money has been sent, an unfamiliar transaction has occurred or banking details have been exposed, contact your bank immediately. Use a telephone number from its official application, your bank card or an independently located official source. Explain the situation and ask about blocking the card, restricting remote access and investigating the disputed transaction. Whether a payment can be stopped or funds recovered depends on the payment method and transaction status; recovery cannot be guaranteed.

If you suspect someone has remote control of your phone or computer, disconnect that device from the internet. Use another trusted device to contact the bank and change passwords. Do not continue opening banking applications or entering new confidential information on the potentially compromised device. Seek technical assistance where necessary.

Preserve evidence, including correspondence, advertisements, profile addresses, telephone numbers, receipts and the dates, times and amounts of transactions. Do not delete messages or alter existing records. Writing a brief timeline can help you explain what happened to the bank and the internal affairs authorities.

Restore account security through the service’s official recovery tools. From a secure device, change the password, end unfamiliar sessions and check the recovery telephone number and email address. Replace the password on any other service where it was reused, and enable two-step verification. If fraudulent messages were sent from your account, warn your contacts through another communication channel.

Report the matter to the internal affairs authorities, provide the available evidence and keep confirmation that your report was registered. Also notify the relevant platform about fake profiles or advertisements. Do not trust strangers promising “guaranteed recovery” in exchange for advance payment or confidential information: this may be another scam.

Students and employees can seek support from a trusted person, an appropriate institute specialist or a psychologist. Helping without blame, respecting confidentiality and supporting prompt reporting are important parts of assisting someone affected by digital fraud.