If you fall victim to a scam, it’s important to act quickly to minimize damage. Here are the key steps to take.
1. Stop any further communication.
- Immediately cease all contact with the scammer. Scammers often attempt to manipulate their victims further.
2. Secure your accounts.
- Change passwords. Update passwords for email, social media and financial accounts.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA). Use 2FA on important accounts to add an extra layer of security.
3. Contact your financial institution.
- Report the incident as soon as you find out.
- For Corebridge, call us immediately at 1.800.448.2542 or fill in our Fraud Reporting Form online. For all available contact options, visit our Contact us page.
4. Report the scam to:
- Banks or financial institutions. Contact Corebridge and/or your bank or credit card company to report the incident. They can monitor for suspicious activity and potentially stop unauthorized transactions.
- Credit bureaus. Place a fraud alert or credit freeze with major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) to protect against identity theft.
- Local authorities. File a report with the local police department.
- National cyber security centers. Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at IdentityTheft.gov and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
5. Monitor your accounts.
- Financial accounts. Keep a close eye on your financial statements for unauthorized transactions.
- Credit reports. Regularly review credit reports for new accounts or inquiries that you didn’t initiate.
6. Recover lost funds (if possible).
- Chargebacks. If the scam involved a credit or debit card, contact the issuer to request a chargeback for fraudulent transactions.
- Wire transfers. Contact the sending bank immediately if a wire transfer was involved. They might be able to stop or reverse it if caught quickly.
7. Scan your devices.
- Run a security scan on your devices to check for malware or keylogging software that may have been installed.
8. Consider identity theft protection services.
- Services like LifeLock, IdentityForce and others can help monitor your identity and financial accounts for signs of fraud.
9. Educate yourself and stay vigilant.
- Scams are always changing and becoming more sophisticated, so continue learning about common scams and phishing techniques to avoid falling victim in the future.