I gave personal information — now what?

First, take a breath. This happens to a lot of people, and there are concrete steps you can take right now to protect yourself. Let's go through them together.

You are not alone, and this is not your fault. Scammers are professionals. What matters now is taking the right steps — and you're already doing that by being here.

If you gave your Social Security Number

  1. Report it to the FTC. Go to IdentityTheft.gov — this is the official government site for identity theft. They'll walk you through a recovery plan.
  2. Place a fraud alert or credit freeze. Contact any one of the three credit bureaus below — they're required to notify the other two.
    Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
    Experian: 1-888-397-3742
    TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
  3. Check your credit reports. Go to AnnualCreditReport.com — this is the official free site. Look for accounts or inquiries you don't recognize.

If you gave bank account or credit card numbers

  1. Call your bank or credit card company right away. Use the phone number on the back of your card — not any number a scammer gave you.
  2. Ask them to freeze or close the compromised account and issue you a new card or account number.
  3. Watch your statements. Keep an eye out for charges you don't recognize over the next several months.

If you gave login credentials (username or password)

  1. Change your password right away on the real website — type the web address yourself, don't click any links from the scam.
  2. If you use that same password anywhere else, change it there too. Scammers will try your password on other sites (banks, email, shopping).
  3. Turn on two-factor authentication if it's available. This adds an extra layer of protection — your bank, email, and many other services offer this. Ask a family member or the company's support line to help you set it up if needed.

What is two-factor authentication? It means that even if someone has your password, they also need a code sent to your phone to log in. It makes your accounts much harder to break into.

If you gave your address, phone number, or other personal details

  1. Watch out for follow-up scams. Scammers often share information with each other, so you may get more suspicious calls, texts, or mail.
  2. Consider signing up for USPS Informed Delivery at informeddelivery.usps.com to keep track of what mail is coming to your address.
  3. Be extra careful with any unexpected calls, texts, or visitors who reference your personal information.

Report the scam

Reporting helps protect other people from the same scam.

You've taken the right steps. Give yourself credit for acting quickly. And remember — it's okay to ask a family member or friend for help with any of this.