If you recently gave personal information to someone who turned out to be a scammer, you are probably feeling scared, embarrassed, or overwhelmed. Those feelings make sense. What happened was not a sign that you are careless or naive. Scammers are professionals who spend their days deceiving people, and they are very good at it.
The most important thing to know right now is this: acting quickly makes a real difference. The steps below are clear and manageable, and you do not have to do them all alone.
Key Takeaways
- Adults 60 and older filed 147,127 fraud complaints with the FBI in 2024 — the most of any age group. You are far from alone. (FBI IC3)
- Stolen information can be used within minutes. Call your bank first, before anything else.
- A credit freeze is free, does not hurt your credit score, and is the strongest protection against new accounts being opened in your name.
- Reporting your case to the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov creates a personal recovery plan at no cost.
This Happens to Millions of People Every Year
The FTC received more than 1.1 million identity theft reports in 2024, with total fraud losses reaching $12.5 billion — a 25% increase from the year before (FTC Consumer Sentinel Network, 2025). These are not rare, isolated events. They happen to people of every background, education level, and income.
Scammers have become more sophisticated. Many impersonate government agencies, banks, or well-known companies. In 2024, losses from government impersonator scams alone reached $789 million, a fourfold jump from 2023 (FTC, 2025). These calls and messages are designed to create panic so you act before you think.
Something most guides don't say: The shame that comes after a scam often stops people from getting help. But silence makes things worse. Every hour you wait gives scammers more time to use your information. Tell someone you trust, and take action now.
Step 1: Call Your Bank and Card Issuers Right Now
Stolen credentials can be used within minutes of being handed over, according to SpyCloud's 2025 Annual Identity Exposure Report, which analyzed 53.3 billion compromised records (SpyCloud, 2025). This is not meant to alarm you — it's meant to explain why the phone call to your bank is the first thing to do, before anything else on this list.
Call the number on the back of your debit or credit card. Tell the representative that you believe you may have been scammed and that you want to flag your account for fraud monitoring. Ask them to:
- Put a fraud alert on your account
- Cancel and reissue any cards the scammer may have your number for
- Walk you through any recent transactions you don't recognize
Most banks have 24-hour fraud lines. You will not be judged for calling. Bank fraud teams handle these calls every day, and they are there to help you.
If you gave out your bank account number, routing number, or online banking login, ask the representative to freeze or close the account and open a new one. This sounds drastic, but it is the cleanest way to cut off access.
Step 2: Place a Credit Freeze at All Three Bureaus
A credit freeze is free, takes about 10 minutes to set up, and is the strongest protection available against new accounts being opened in your name (FTC Consumer Advice). New account fraud — where a scammer uses your Social Security number to open credit cards or loans — accounted for roughly 47% of all identity theft in 2024.
A freeze does not affect your credit score. It does not prevent you from using your existing cards. It simply tells lenders they cannot open a new line of credit without your permission. You can lift the freeze temporarily if you need to apply for something yourself.
You need to contact all three major credit bureaus separately:
- Equifax: equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze or call 1-800-349-9960
- Experian: experian.com/freeze/center.html or call 1-888-397-3742
- TransUnion: transunion.com/credit-freeze or call 1-888-909-8872
Each bureau will give you a PIN or password to use when you want to lift the freeze. Keep this somewhere safe.
Step 3: Change Your Passwords — Starting with Email and Banking
If you gave a scammer your password, or if you use the same password across multiple accounts, change it now. Email is the highest priority because password reset links for every other service go to your email inbox. If a scammer has access to your email, they can reset passwords for your bank, Social Security account, and any other service.
Total identity fraud and scam losses reached $47 billion in 2024, affecting 18 million Americans (Javelin Strategy and Research, 2025). A significant portion of those cases involved credential reuse — where one stolen password opened the door to multiple accounts.
Change passwords in this order:
- Email account (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or whichever you use)
- Online banking and investment accounts
- Social media (Facebook, etc.)
- Any other accounts that share the same password
See how to manage passwords simply and safely if keeping track of new passwords feels overwhelming.
Our guidance: When changing your email password, also check your email settings for any forwarding rules that were not set up by you. Scammers sometimes add forwarding rules so your incoming messages go to them even after you change your password. Look under Settings > Forwarding in Gmail or Outlook.
Step 4: Report It to the FTC and the FBI
Reporting a scam does two things. It creates an official record that may help if a bank or creditor questions a fraudulent account later. And it helps authorities track patterns, warn others, and in some cases recover funds.
The FBI's Recovery Asset Team froze $561 million in fraudulently obtained funds in 2024 using its Financial Fraud Kill Chain — with a 66% success rate for cases reported quickly (FBI IC3, 2025). Speed matters: the sooner you report, the better the chance that money can still be stopped.
Where to report:
- FTC Identity Theft: IdentityTheft.gov — creates a personal recovery plan and pre-fills dispute letters for you
- FTC General Fraud: ReportFraud.ftc.gov — for scams that didn't involve identity theft
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center: IC3.gov — for internet-based fraud, including phone and email scams
- Your local police department: Ask for a police report number. Some banks and credit bureaus require this when disputing fraud.
You do not need to be certain a crime was committed to file a report. Filing a report when you're unsure is always better than not filing one when you should have.
Step 5: Watch Your Statements and Credit Reports for the Next Several Months
Some scammers act immediately. Others wait weeks or months to use stolen information, hoping you have relaxed your guard. Adults in their 70s reported a median fraud loss of $1,000 per incident — more than double the $417 median for victims in their 20s — in part because older adults are more likely to be targeted for larger, slower-moving schemes (FTC, 2025).
Check your free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com every few weeks for the next several months. Look for accounts you don't recognize, inquiries from lenders you never contacted, or addresses that aren't yours. Under federal law, each of the three bureaus must provide you one free report per week.
Set up transaction alerts with your bank if you haven't already. See how to set up bank account alerts for step-by-step instructions.
Also watch for these signs that your information is still being used:
- Tax refund issues (someone may have filed taxes using your Social Security number)
- Medical bills for services you never received
- Calls or letters about accounts you never opened
- Notification that your Social Security benefits have changed
If you see any of these, contact the relevant agency — the IRS, your health insurer, or Social Security — and file a report with the FTC.
What to Do If the Scammer Calls Back
Scammers often call the same people again. They may pretend to be a recovery service offering to get your money back. They may claim to be from the bank or government, saying they saw the fraud and can help — for a fee. This is called a "recovery scam" and it is extremely common.
If anyone calls claiming they can recover money you lost to a scam, hang up. Legitimate recovery services do not call you out of the blue. Real government agencies do not ask for payment to help with fraud cases.
Block the original scammer's number if you know it. If they used a spoofed or unknown number, you can register your number at donotcall.gov, though this won't stop fraudulent calls entirely. Tell a trusted family member or friend what happened so they can help you stay watchful.
See how to recognize common scams targeting older adults for a guide to the most frequent types of follow-up fraud.
When to Ask for Help
Some of these steps — calling three credit bureaus, changing multiple passwords, filing reports — can feel like a lot at once. That is completely understandable. You don't have to do it all in one sitting, and you don't have to do it alone.
A trusted family member or friend can sit with you through these calls and steps. A tech support professional can help with the password changes and account settings. ClearGuide connects older adults with vetted, patient experts who can walk you through the process at your pace, in plain language. Get help now to be matched with the right person.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important thing to do first after giving information to a scammer?
Call your bank immediately using the number on the back of your card. Ask them to flag your account for fraud and cancel any compromised cards. Stolen credentials can be used within minutes, according to SpyCloud's 2025 research on 53.3 billion exposed records. Speed matters more than anything else in the first hour. (SpyCloud, 2025)
Will a credit freeze hurt my credit score?
No. A credit freeze has no effect on your credit score. It does not prevent you from using existing cards or accounts. It only stops lenders from opening new lines of credit in your name without your permission. The freeze is free at all three major bureaus and can be lifted any time you need to apply for credit. (FTC)
What if I gave a scammer my Social Security number?
Go to IdentityTheft.gov and report it. The FTC will create a personal recovery plan for you. Also place a credit freeze at all three bureaus, and consider placing a freeze with the Social Security Administration's mySSA portal at ssa.gov/myaccount. The FTC received 1.1 million identity theft reports in 2024, so you have access to well-developed recovery resources. (FTC, 2025)
Is it worth reporting a scam if I didn't lose money?
Yes. Reporting helps authorities identify scam patterns, issue warnings, and in some cases trace and stop the scammers. The FBI's Recovery Asset Team froze $561 million in 2024 from reported cases. Your report may help prevent someone else from losing money, and it creates a record if problems arise with your accounts later. (FBI IC3, 2024)
How long should I monitor my accounts after being scammed?
Monitor your credit reports and bank statements for at least six months, and ideally a full year. Some identity thieves wait months before using stolen information to avoid triggering immediate detection. Under federal law you're entitled to a free credit report from each bureau every week at AnnualCreditReport.com. Set a reminder to check monthly.
You Can Get Through This
Being scammed is stressful, but it is recoverable. Millions of people deal with fraud every year, and the tools to protect yourself — a credit freeze, fraud reports, account alerts — are free and accessible. Adults 60 and older filed 147,127 fraud complaints with the FBI in 2024 alone (FBI IC3 via AARP). Resources exist specifically because this is so common.
Take it one step at a time. Call your bank first. Then freeze your credit. Then report it. If any step feels too complicated to handle alone, reach out for help — that is exactly what ClearGuide is here for.
Get help now to be connected with a patient, vetted tech support professional who can walk through these steps with you.
See also: how to protect your bank accounts going forward and what to do if you clicked a suspicious link.