Free help with scams, step by step
What to do right now, what to do if you were scammed, and how to protect your accounts.
Someone pressuring you right now?
Hang up or stop replying. It’s always OK. Then call back on a number you already have.
If you’re in danger, call 911.
- I think I got scammed
Sent money, shared a code, or let someone in.
- Protect your accounts
A personal checklist, one step at a time.
Where to start
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A call, text, or message that feels wrong. Find out what to do before you act.
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You sent money, shared a code, or let someone in. It’s not your fault. Act fast.
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Answer a few questions. Get a free checklist for your phone, email, bank, and computer.
Step-by-step guides
If something already happened, pick the closest match. Each guide puts the steps in order, starting with the most urgent.
Money sent
- I sent money by bank, Zelle, wire, Western Union, or MoneyGram
First step: Call your bank right now
- I paid with an app like Venmo, Cash App, or PayPal
First step: Report the payment in the app now
- I paid with a credit or debit card
First step: Call the number on the back of your card
- I paid with gift cards
First step: Call the gift card company now
- I sent crypto or used a Bitcoin ATM
First step: Contact the crypto app or Bitcoin ATM company now
- I gave cash, gold, or my cards to someone
First step: Call 911 now if someone is coming to pick up money
- I deposited a check and sent money back
First step: Stop. Don’t send or spend any more of the check’s money
Not sure which fits? Start with what to do first, whatever happened.
Codes and accounts
- I shared a code or password
First step: Call your bank now if the code or password was for your bank
- My phone suddenly has no service
First step: From another phone, call your phone company now
- My email or social media account was hacked
First step: Get back into your account through the company’s own app or website
- I let someone into my computer or phone
First step: Turn off the device, or disconnect it from the internet
Your identity
- Someone is using my name, or I gave out my Social Security number
First step: Get your free recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov
How the guides work
Pick your situation
Choose the closest match. If more than one fits, use each guide.
Do the first step now
The most urgent step comes first. It’s often one phone call.
Work down the list
Tick off steps as you go. Your place is saved in the page link. We never see it.
Report it and get help
Each guide ends with where to report it and free helplines.
Free helplines
Talk to a real person. These US services are free. We are not part of any of them.
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Identity Theft Resource Center
A national nonprofit. Free help from a real person with identity theft and scams.
Call or text 888-400-5530
Mon–Fri, 9 am–8 pm Eastern
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National Elder Fraud Hotline
From the U.S. Department of Justice. Free help for fraud against anyone 60 or older.
Call 833-372-8311
Mon–Fri, 10 am–6 pm Eastern
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988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Free support from a trained counselor if you feel overwhelmed.
Call or text 988
Any time, day or night
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National Domestic Violence Hotline
Free help if someone you know or live with may be behind the scam, or is hurting or controlling you.
Call 800-799-7233
Any time, day or night
Also report it
- ReportFraud.ftc.gov
The Federal Trade Commission takes reports about all kinds of scams.
- IC3.gov
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Report it even if it started with a call.
Common questions
Straight answers about who we are, and what we can and can’t do.
Is this a government website?
No. Latchstring is independent. It is not a government agency, bank or law firm. Every guide links the official pages it is based on, so you can check the steps yourself.
Does this work outside the United States?
Not yet. The guides, phone numbers and agencies here are for the United States.
Can you get my money back?
No. We can’t recover money or investigate a scam. We show you who can, like your bank, your card company, or the police.
Anyone who offers to get your money back for a fee is running a second scam.
Can you tell me if a call, text or link is real?
No. We can’t check callers, messages or links. Caller ID, voices, and even video can be faked.
Hang up or stop replying. Then call back on a number you already have, like the one on the back of your card.
Someone on the phone told me to open this site. Is that OK?
If a caller is telling you what to tap or read here, that is the scam. Hang up.
If it’s someone you know, call them back on a number you already have.
Do I need to sign up or pay?
No. Everything here is free. There are no accounts, no ads, and nothing to sign up for.
What do you know about me?
We never see your answers. Your checklist lives only in its own page link. We use no cookies and no tracking.
Your browser’s history keeps that link too. On a shared phone or computer, use a private window.
Like any website, our web host sees basic visit details, such as your internet address.
Our promises
Free
No fees and nothing to buy.
No sign-up
No accounts and nothing to sign up for.
No ads or tracking
No ads, no cookies and no tracking. The site loads nothing from other websites.
We never see your answers
Your checklist lives only in its own page link.
Official sources
Every guide links its official sources and shows when it was last checked.
Honest about limits
These steps make scams harder, not impossible. We can’t recover money, but we show you who can.