Money & Banking
What to do if you get scammed
Online scams can be devastating, wreaking havoc on your personal finances. As with most things of this nature, if you’ve fallen foul of an online scam and realised it, time is of the essence. There’s several courses of action you can take, that may help you protect your assets, halt the spread of the scam and maybe even recoup your losses.
- Contact your bank or financial institution – if you’ve inadvertently sent money or personal bank information to a scammer your first port of call should be your bank or financial institution. Make contact as soon as possible, as they may be able to stop a money transfer or cheque. At the very least the can close your account if the scammer has your details.
- Report the scam – if you’ve been lured in by a scam odds are the last thing you want is for anyone else to fall victim, so it’s essential that you report the scam as soon as possible.
- Maintain vigilance to avoid falling victim to follow-up scams – sometimes follow-up scams are just as effective at exploiting victims, pretending to be remorseful and offering recompense for your losses or even the opportunity to buy shares at a premium. It is particularly important at this stage in the proceeds to stay away to avoid getting caught out.
- Change your online passwords – if you feel as though your device has been compromised it’s also important to run a system check with a reliable virus checker. As soon as this done it’s critical to change all your online passwords to maintain your online security.
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