“I clicked” assistant
I clicked a scam link: what should I do?
In short
It all depends on what you did after the click. If you only clicked, without entering or downloading anything, the main risk stays limited: as a precaution, check the account's activity and change its password. If you gave your card, a code or money, call your bank first, on the number on the back of your card. Answer the two questions below to get the steps that apply to you, in order.
Why the order matters
After a scam, not every step has the same urgency. Those involving your money come first: calling your bank is the only step where every minute counts. Next come the steps that stop what follows — disconnecting a device from the internet, changing a password wherever else it was used —, then recovering accounts, and finally the police report and the report to the authorities, which require keeping the evidence: don't delete anything.
The assistant uses the instructions of the emergency checklist and of the encyclopedia's articles, and puts them in this order based on what you ticked. Several situations can apply at once: a fake site may have obtained both a password and a card.
The situations the assistant covers
- You gave out your bank card or a verification code
- You sent money
- You installed software or let someone take control of your device
- You entered a password on a page
- You can no longer access an account, or it sends messages without you
- You only clicked, without entering or downloading anything
Frequently asked questions
I clicked the link but didn't type anything — what should I do?
The main risk stays limited if no information was entered and no file was downloaded. As a precaution, check the account's recent activity and change its password, from the real service opened by yourself.
Is it dangerous to have simply opened the email?
Opening an email is rarely enough to compromise a device on its own. The risk comes from what happens next: clicking the link, entering information, or opening an attachment.
I gave my card or a code: where do I start?
With your bank, straight away, on the number on the back of your card: block your card, even if nothing has been charged yet, and don't approve any further notification. It's the only step where every minute counts.
Should I file a police report?
The emergency checklist recommends it: the report is also the basis for your dealings with your bank. Keep the evidence first — messages, numbers, addresses, screenshots, payment references — and report what happened to Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr (in France).
Someone offers to get my money back for a fee: can I trust them?
No. Don't pay anything to someone who then offers to help you get your money back: such offers usually come from the same people, under another identity.
Going further
- Suspicious message analyzer: is this text or email a scam?
- I entered my password on a fake site: what to do
- I gave out my card details or a code: what to do
- What to do in the hour after a fraudulent payment
- Take back a hacked account (email, social media)
- I let someone take control of my device: what to do
Scams that start with a click or a call
These instructions are those of the encyclopedia's articles. They don't replace the guidance of your bank or of official services, which takes precedence. Source: Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr (France).