It happens to careful people every day. An email looks like it’s from Canada Post, the bank or a supplier, you click, and a second later you realize something’s off. What you do in the next hour matters far more than the click itself.
Right away
- Don’t type anything else into the page that opened. If it asked for a password and you haven’t entered it yet, close it.
- If you did enter a password, change it immediately from a different device, starting with your email. Then change it anywhere else you used the same password.
- If a file downloaded or “something installed”, disconnect that computer from the network: unplug the cable or turn off Wi-Fi. Don’t turn it off; just cut it off.
- If you entered card or banking details, call the number on the back of your card or your bank’s fraud line now.
Within the hour
- Turn on two-step login for your email if it isn’t already.
- Check your email for new forwarding rules or filters you didn’t create. Attackers often add one to quietly copy your mail.
- Tell your coworkers. If one person got the email, others probably did too.
- Call your IT support. It’s much easier to check a computer before anything has spread.
Don’t be embarrassed
The worst outcome is someone who clicks, says nothing, and hopes. We’d much rather get a call about a false alarm than hear about it three weeks later. Speed is everything.
You can practise spotting fakes with our free phishing checker.
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