If you only opened the page
If you tapped the link, saw a page, and closed it without typing anything, the risk is usually low. Close the page, delete the message, and do not go back to it.
Make sure your phone or computer is up to date, since updates fix the holes that bad websites try to use.
If you typed a password
- Go to the real website or app yourself, not through the link, and change that password right away.
- If you use the same password anywhere else, change it there too, starting with email and banking.
- Turn on two-step verification for that account if it is not on already.
- Look for changes you did not make, like a new email address or phone number on the account.
If you entered a card or bank number
- Call your bank or card company using the number on the back of your card or on your statement.
- Tell them you entered your card on a scam site. Ask them to cancel the card and send a new one.
- Ask them to watch the account and check recent charges with you.
If you entered your Social Security number
Freeze your credit with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It is free and stops anyone from opening new credit in your name. Then report it at identitytheft.gov, which gives you a step by step plan.
If something was downloaded or someone took control
- If a caller asked you to install an app so they could help, hang up and turn the device off.
- Ask a trusted family member or a local repair shop to check the device before you log in to your bank again.
- From a different device, change your email and banking passwords.
Then report it
Report the scam at reportfraud.ftc.gov and forward the text to 7726. You can also forward the message to Uncle and ask what to do next for your exact situation.
Stuck on a step?
Text Uncle at +1 208 214 0093 and tell him what you see on your screen. He walks you through it in plain words, one step at a time.
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Written by the Textuncle team. Last updated October 3, 2026.
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