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What to do, if you think you have been scammed!
What to do, if...
Emergency Information: What to do if you think you have been
scammed!
Phishing attacks
are becoming more sophisticated every day, so don't blame yourself.
It is more important to act quickly to protect your information and
identity. If you believe you have been tricked this way, assume that you will become a victim of credit card fraud, bank fraud,
or identity theft. Below is some advice on what to do if you are in this
situation in the United States:
If you have given out your credit or debit or ATM card information
-
Report the
theft of this information to the card issuer as quickly as possible
-
Many
companies have toll-free numbers and 24-hour service to deal
with such emergencies.
-
Cancel your
account and open a new one
-
Review your
billing statements carefully after the loss
-
If they
show any unauthorized charges, it's best to send a letter to the
card issuer describing each questionable charge.
-
Credit Card
Loss or Fraudulent Charges (FCBA).
-
Your
maximum liability under federal law for unauthorized use of your
credit card is $50.
-
If the
loss involves your credit card number, but not the card itself,
you have no liability for unauthorized use
-
ATM or Debit
Card Loss or Fraudulent Transfers (EFTA).
-
Your
liability under federal law for unauthorized use of your ATM or
debit card depends on how quickly you report the loss.
-
You risk
unlimited loss if you fail to report an unauthorized transfer
within 60 days after your bank statement containing unauthorized
use is mailed to you
If you have given
out your bank account information
-
Report the
theft of this information to the bank as quickly as possible
-
Cancel your
account and open a new on
If you have given
out your eBay account
If someone else is using your account to bid, leave feedback, or list
auctions without your permission:
-
Contact eBay
-
eBay has
set up a link for HIJACKED ACCOUNTS
-
If someone
is currently listing auctions on your account, you may also use
the hotline options:
-
Member
Problems... Law Enforcement... Please Investigate a Current
Listing for Possible Fraudulent Activity
-
Please
only use this option if there are current fraudulent
auctions.
-
Attempt to
sign in and change your password
-
If you are
able to sign in, change your password and hint immediately, and
begin to undo any damage done by the hackers
-
remove
any bogus auctions, contact bidders and sellers, etc.
-
If you
were unable to regain control of your own account, eBay will
likely suspend it for a while until they complete their
investigation.
If you have
downloaded a virus or Trojan
Some phishing attacks use viruses and/or Trojans to install programs
called "key loggers" on your computer. These programs capture and send
out any information that you type to the phisher, including credit card
numbers, usernames and passwords, Social Security Numbers, etc. In this
case, you should:
-
Install and/or
update anti-virus and personal firewall software
-
Update all
virus definitions and run a full scan
-
Confirm every
connection your firewall allows
-
If your system
appears to have been compromised, fix it and then change your
password again, since you may well have transmitted the new one to
the hacker
-
Check your
other accounts! The hackers may have helped themselves to many
different accounts:
If you have given
out your personal identification information
Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information such
as your name, Social Security number, credit card number or other
identifying information, without your permission to commit fraud or
other crimes. If you have given out this kind of information to a
phisher, you should do the following:
-
Report the
theft to the three major credit reporting agencies, Experian,
Equifax and TransUnion Corporation, and do the following:
-
Request
that they place a fraud alert and a victim's statement in your
file.
-
Request a
FREE copy of your credit report to check whether any accounts
were opened without your consent.
-
Request
that the agencies remove inquiries and/or fraudulent accounts
stemming from the theft.
-
Major Credit
Bureaus
-
Equifax
-
To
order your report, call: 800-685-1111 or write: P.O. Box
740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
-
To
report fraud, call: 800-525-6285 and write: P.O. Box 740241,
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
-
Hearing impaired call 1-800-255-0056 and ask the operator to
call the Auto Disclosure Line at 1-800-685-1111 to request a
copy of your report.
-
Experian
-
To
order your report, call: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) or write:
P.O. Box 2002, Allen TX 75013
-
To
report fraud, call: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) and write: P.O.
Box 9530, Allen TX 75013 TDD: 1-800-972-0322
-
Trans Union
-
To
order your report, call: 800-888-4213 or write: P.O. Box
1000, Chester, PA 19022
-
To
report fraud, call: 800-680-7289 and write: Fraud Victim
Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92634 TDD:
1-877-553-7803
-
Notify your
bank(s) and ask them to flag your account and contact you regarding
any unusual activity:
-
If bank
accounts were set up without your consent, close them.
-
If your
ATM card was stolen, get a new card, account number and PIN.
-
Contact your
local police department to file a criminal report.
-
Contact the
Social Security Administration's Fraud Hotline to report the
unauthorized use of your personal identification information.
-
Notify the
Department of Motor Vehicles of your identity theft.
-
Check to
see whether an unauthorized license number has been issued in
your name.
-
Notify the
passport office to be watch out for anyone ordering a passport in
your name. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
-
Ask for a
free copy of "ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen in Your Good
Name", a guide that will help you guard against and recover from
your theft.
-
File a
complaint with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC)
-
The
Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) is a partnership between
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White
Collar Crime Center (NW3C), with a mission to address fraud
committed over the Internet.
-
For
victims of Internet fraud, IFCC provides a convenient and
easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of a
suspected criminal or civil violation.
-
Document the
names and phone numbers of everyone you speak to regarding the
incident. Follow-up your phone calls with letters. Keep copies of
all correspondence.
- Check out the list of recent phishing attacks and the information about
Phishing Pop-ups!
- Job seekers should also be careful. Some phishers
target people who list themselves on job search sites. Pretending to be
potential employers, they ask for your social security number and other
personal information. Follow the advice above and verify the person's
identity before providing any personal information.
- Be suspicious if someone contacts you unexpectedly and
asks for your personal information. It's hard to tell whether
something is legitimate by looking at an email or a Web site, or talking
to someone on the phone. But if you're contacted out of the blue and
asked for your personal information, it's a warning sign that something
is "phishy." Legitimate companies and agencies don't operate that way.
- Act immediately if you've been hooked by a phisher. If you provided account numbers, PINs, or passwords to a phisher, notify
the companies with whom you have the accounts right away. For
information about how to put a "fraud alert" on your files at the credit
reporting bureaus and other advice for ID theft victims, contact the
Federal Trade Commission's ID Theft Clearinghouse or toll-free, 877-438-4338. The TDD number
is 202-326-2502.
- Even if you didn't get hooked, report phishing. Tell the company or agency that the phisher was impersonating. You can
also report the problem to law enforcement agencies through the National
Fraud Information Center/Internet Fraud Watch,
www.fraud.org or 800-876-7060, TDD 202-835-0778. The information you
provide helps to stop identity theft.
- For more
information about how to protect yourself, see
Fact Sheet 17a Identity Theft: What to do if It Happens to You.
- Read the
information and tips put out by the Federal Trade Commission about phishing.
- Read the
Department of Justice's recent whitepaper
"Special Report on Phishing".
Reporting a Possible Phishing Attack
If you need advice about an Internet or online
solicitation, or you want to report a possible scam, use the
Online Reporting Form or call the NFIC hotline at 1-800-876-7060
For Even More Information About Phishing, See:
And please let us know about any
suspicious calls or emails you receive. We look for patterns so that we
can alert the authorities and victims to new scams, before it is too late!
For a comprehensive list of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.