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Answer a few quick questions and we’ll make your free personal checklist. Do one step a week. We never see your answers.

If someone on the phone is telling you what to tap or read on this site, that is the scam. Hang up.

Here is the full checklist for every kind of phone and computer. To get a personal checklist, your browser needs JavaScript.

Your checklist

These steps make scams harder, not impossible. Whatever a caller says, hang up and call back on a number you already have.

  1. Your phone company's app, or call them · about 10 min

    Scammers can move your number to their phone and use it to get into your bank and email. A free lock stops that.

    How to do it: Lock your phone number

    AT&T

    1. Open the AT&T app and tap the person icon.
    2. Turn on Wireless Account Lock. It's free.
    3. Only turn it off yourself, right before you switch phones, then turn it back on. Anyone who calls or texts asking you to turn it off is a scammer. Hang up.

    Verizon

    1. Open the My Verizon app. Go to your profile settings, then Security.
    2. Turn on Number Lock and SIM Protection. Both are free.
    3. Only turn them off yourself, right before you switch phones, then turn them back on. Anyone who calls or texts asking you to turn them off is a scammer. Hang up.

    T-Mobile

    1. Open the T-Life app. Go to Manage, then settings, then Security.
    2. Turn on SIM Protection and Port Out Protection. Both are free.
    3. Only turn them off yourself, right before you switch phones, then turn them back on. Anyone who calls or texts asking you to turn them off is a scammer. Hang up.

    Other phone companies

    1. Call the number on your phone bill, or open your phone company's app.
    2. Ask for a number lock (also called SIM protection or port-out protection) and a PIN for your account.
    3. Only turn it off yourself, right before you switch phones, then turn it back on. Anyone who calls or texts asking you to turn it off is a scammer. Hang up.

    Basic phone

    1. Call the number on your phone bill.
    2. Ask for a number lock (also called SIM protection or port-out protection) and a PIN for your account.
    3. Only turn it off yourself, right before you switch phones, then turn it back on. Anyone who calls or texts asking you to turn it off is a scammer. Hang up.

  2. Your phone's Settings or Phone app · about 5 min

    Your phone can ask callers you don't know why they're calling, or send them to voicemail. Fewer scam calls reach you.

    How to do it: Screen unknown callers

    iPhone

    1. Open Settings, tap Apps, then tap Phone.
    2. Scroll to Screen Unknown Callers and choose Ask Reason for Calling. Callers who aren't in your Contacts are asked why they're calling before your phone rings.
    3. Turn on Silence Unknown Callers instead if you don't see that option. It's in the same place, or in Settings, then Phone. Unknown callers go to voicemail.
    4. Save your doctors, pharmacy, and family in Contacts. Their calls will always ring through.

    Samsung Galaxy

    1. Open the Phone app. Tap ⋮ (More options), then Settings.
    2. Tap Caller ID and spam protection and turn it on. Tap Agree if asked. Then turn on Block spam and scam calls.
    3. Look for Call screening in the same Settings list. Newer Galaxy phones have it. Turn it on, then turn on Auto screen calls.
    4. Save your doctors, pharmacy, and family in Contacts. Their calls will always ring through.

    Other Android phones

    1. Open the Phone app. Tap ⋮ (More options), then Settings.
    2. Tap Caller ID and spam or Spam and Call Screen. Names differ by phone, so look for the one with the word spam in it.
    3. Turn on See caller ID & spam. If you see Filter spam calls, turn that on too.
    4. Tap Call Screen if your phone has it. Pixel phones do. Choose to screen spam, faked numbers, and first-time callers.
    5. Save your doctors, pharmacy, and family in Contacts. Their calls will always ring through.

  3. In person, with your family · about 10 min

    AI can copy a loved one's voice. A secret word adds a check. Even if a caller says it, hang up and call them back on the number you already have.

    How to do it: Choose a family safe word
    1. Meet with your family in person. Agree on a word or short phrase that is easy to remember and hard to guess.
    2. Pick something no one could find online. Skip pet names, birthdays, and street names.
    3. Keep it off text, email, and social media. Share it only face to face.
    4. Ask for the word if a call or message about a family emergency worries you. Never say it first. Whatever they answer, hang up and call them back on the number you already have before you send anything.
    5. Hang up if anyone asks you for the word or says it has changed. Treat it as a scam, even if the voice sounds right.
    6. Change the word in person if you think someone else has learned it.

  4. Your bank's app or website, or the number on your card · about 15 min

    An alert for every payment helps you spot fraud fast. Lower limits mean less money can leave your account in one day.

    How to do it: Turn on bank alerts

    Your bank's app

    1. Open your bank's official app and sign in. Look for Alerts or Notifications, often under your profile or Settings.
    2. Turn on alerts for every payment, transfer, and withdrawal. Pick the lowest amount it allows. Do the same for each bank account and credit card you have.
    3. Look for Limits or Transfers. Lower your daily limit for Zelle and other transfers. Turn off wire transfers if you never send them. Call the number on your card for anything the app can't do.
    4. Ask if you can add a trusted contact. That's someone the bank may call if something looks wrong. They can't touch your money. Pick someone who never pressures you about money.
    5. Only raise a limit or turn wires back on yourself. Anyone who calls or texts asking you to do that is a scammer. Hang up.
    6. Call the number on your card right away if an alert shows a payment you didn't make. Don't reply to the alert or use any number or link in it.

    Your bank's website

    1. Type your bank's website address yourself, or use a bookmark you saved. Don't search for it or use a link in a message. Sign in and look for Alerts or Notifications.
    2. Turn on alerts for every payment, transfer, and withdrawal. Pick the lowest amount it allows. Do the same for each bank account and credit card you have.
    3. Look for Limits or Transfers. Lower your daily limit for Zelle and other transfers. Turn off wire transfers if you never send them. Call the number on your card for anything the website can't do.
    4. Ask if you can add a trusted contact. That's someone the bank may call if something looks wrong. They can't touch your money. Pick someone who never pressures you about money.
    5. Only raise a limit or turn wires back on yourself. Anyone who calls or texts asking you to do that is a scammer. Hang up.
    6. Call the number on your card right away if an alert shows a payment you didn't make. Don't reply to the alert or use any number or link in it.

    By phone or in person

    1. Call the number on the back of your card, or visit a branch. Don't use a number from a message or a search result.
    2. Say: “Please send me an alert for every payment, transfer, and withdrawal, however small. Please lower my daily limit for Zelle and other transfers. I never send wires, so please turn them off.”
    3. Ask for the same alerts and limits on each bank account and credit card you have. If you do send wires, leave out the part about wires.
    4. Ask if you can add a trusted contact. That's someone the bank may call if something looks wrong. They can't touch your money. Pick someone who never pressures you about money.
    5. Only raise a limit or turn wires back on yourself. Anyone who calls or texts asking you to do that is a scammer. Hang up.
    6. Call the number on your card right away if an alert shows a payment you didn't make. Don't reply to the alert or use any number or link in it.

    Any way you bank

    1. Open your bank's official app, or type its website address yourself. Sign in.
    2. Look for Alerts or Notifications. Turn on alerts for every payment, transfer, and withdrawal. Pick the lowest amount it allows. Do the same for each bank account and credit card you have.
    3. Call the number on the back of your card. Ask if you can lower your daily limit for Zelle and other transfers. Ask them to turn off wire transfers if you never send them.
    4. Ask if you can add a trusted contact. That's someone the bank may call if something looks wrong. They can't touch your money. Pick someone who never pressures you about money.
    5. Only raise a limit or turn wires back on yourself. Anyone who calls or texts asking you to do that is a scammer. Hang up.
    6. Call the number on your card right away if an alert shows a payment you didn't make. Don't reply to the alert or use any number or link in it.

  5. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion websites · about 30 min

    A freeze helps stop scammers from opening new loans or cards in your name. It's free, and your current cards keep working.

    How to do it: Freeze your credit. It's free.
    1. Go to the free freeze page at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Use the links below. Freeze at all three, because each one is separate.
    2. Make a free account at each one with your own email and phone, then choose to add a freeze. Have your Social Security number and address ready.
    3. Choose the free freeze. Skip any paid lock, membership, or monthly plan the site offers. You don't need them.
    4. Write down each login, and any PIN you get. Keep them somewhere private at home. You'll need them to lift the freeze.
    5. Keep using your cards as usual. A freeze only affects new credit, not the accounts you already have.
    6. Lift the freeze only when you apply for a loan, card, or phone plan yourself. Lifting it is free. No real lender calls and asks you to lift it.

  6. Your email account's security settings · about 10 min

    Your email can reset your other passwords. With two-step sign-in, a stolen password alone isn't enough to get in.

    If someone you know or live with may have set this up, removing it or signing them out can alert them. If you’re worried about your safety, talk to a domestic violence advocate before you change anything. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is free and open any time: call 800-799-7233 or chat at thehotline.org. If you can, use a phone or computer they can’t check.

    How to do it: Protect your email with two-step sign-in

    Gmail

    1. Open Gmail on your phone or computer. Tap or click your photo or initial at the top right, then Manage your Google Account.
    2. Tap Security & sign-in. Under How you sign in to Google, tap 2-Step Verification and follow the steps to turn it on.
    3. Check Recovery phone and Recovery email in the same list. Make sure they're yours. Fix anything you don't know.
    4. Keep sign-in codes to yourself. Don't share one with anyone who calls or texts you, even if they say they're from Google.

    Outlook or Hotmail

    1. Open the Microsoft page below. Use its link to your account's Security page, and sign in.
    2. Choose Manage how I sign in. Under Additional security, find Two-step verification and choose Turn on.
    3. Follow the steps on screen. You can get your codes by text, by email, or in an authenticator app.
    4. Check that every phone number and email listed for your account is yours. Remove any you don't know.
    5. Keep sign-in codes to yourself. Don't share one with anyone who calls or texts you, even if they say they're from Microsoft.

    iCloud

    1. Open Settings on your iPhone, tap your name, then Sign-In & Security. On a Mac, open System Settings, click your name, then Sign-In & Security.
    2. No iPhone or Mac? Follow the steps for the web on the Apple page below.
    3. Check that Two-Factor Authentication is on. It's on for most accounts already. If it's off, turn it on and follow the steps.
    4. Make sure each phone number and email listed there is yours. Remove any you don't know.
    5. Keep sign-in codes to yourself. Don't share one with anyone who calls or texts you, even if they say they're from Apple.

    Yahoo

    1. Open the Yahoo page below. Use its link to your Account Security page, and sign in.
    2. Choose 2-step verification under Ways of signing in. Pick how you want to get codes, then follow the steps.
    3. Check that the recovery phone number and email on your account are yours. Fix anything you don't know.
    4. Keep sign-in codes to yourself. Don't share one with anyone who calls or texts you, even if they say they're from Yahoo.

    Other email

    1. Open your email account's settings. Look for a section called Security or Sign-in.
    2. Turn on two-step or two-factor sign-in. The name differs by company. Follow the steps on screen.
    3. Check that the recovery phone number and email on your account are yours.
    4. Open Help in your email's own app or website if you can't find it. Don't use search ads to find help.
    5. Keep sign-in codes to yourself. Don't share one with anyone who calls or texts you, even if they say they're from the company.

  7. Settings on your phone and computer · about 10 min

    Updates fix weak spots that scammers use to break into phones and computers. Automatic updates install them for you.

    How to do it: Turn on automatic updates

    iPhone

    1. Open Settings, tap General, then Software Update.
    2. Tap Automatic Updates and turn on Automatically Install. If you see more than one switch, turn them all on.
    3. Go back and tap Download and Install if an update is waiting now. Follow the steps on screen.
    4. Leave your iPhone charging on Wi-Fi at night. That's when it installs updates.

    Samsung Galaxy

    1. Open Settings and tap Software update. On some phones it's called System updates.
    2. Turn on Auto download over Wi-Fi.
    3. Tap Download and install to get any update that's waiting now. On some phones this button has a different name.

    Other Android phones

    1. Open Settings, tap System, then Software updates.
    2. Install any update that's waiting. Most security updates then install on their own.
    3. Search Settings for the word update if your menus look different. They differ by phone maker.

    Windows computer

    1. Select Start, then Settings, then Windows Update. On Windows 10, select Update & Security first.
    2. Select Check for updates and install anything that's waiting. Windows 11 then gets updates on its own.
    3. Restart when Windows asks, so updates can finish.
    4. Select Enroll now on that page if you use Windows 10. Pick the free option, which backs up your settings. You'll keep getting security updates until October 2027.
    5. Plan a move to Windows 11 before then. If your computer can't run it, plan for a newer one.

    Mac

    1. Choose the Apple menu, then System Settings.
    2. Click General in the sidebar, then Software Update.
    3. Click the Info button (ⓘ) next to Automatic Updates, then turn on all the options.
    4. Click Update Now if an update is waiting. Follow the steps on screen.

    Tablets and other devices

    1. Open Settings on any tablet you use. Look for Software Update or System updates.
    2. Turn on automatic updates if you see the option.
    3. Ask someone you trust to help if you can't find it.

  8. irs.gov/ippin, in your IRS Online Account · about 20 min

    A free 6-digit PIN from the IRS. It helps stop someone from filing a fake tax return in your name.

    How to do it: Get an IRS identity PIN
    1. Type irs.gov/ippin into your web browser yourself. Don't use links in texts or emails.
    2. Sign in to your IRS Online Account. No account yet? Create one with your own email and phone, and follow the steps to prove who you are.
    3. Go to your Profile page. In the IP PIN section, select Get an IP PIN.
    4. Keep your PIN private. Enter it only on your tax return, or give it to the tax preparer you trust. The IRS will never call, email, or text to ask for it.
    5. Online, sign in each year before you file to get your new PIN. It changes every year and won't be mailed to you.
    6. Can't prove who you are online and your income is under the IRS limit? Use Form 15227. The IRS will call the number on your form, then mail your PIN. Or visit a local IRS office.

  9. ssa.gov/myaccount, on any phone or computer · about 20 min

    Set up your account before a scammer does. It stops others from opening one in your name, and alerts you if anyone tries to change your address or direct deposit.

    How to do it: Claim your Social Security account
    1. Type ssa.gov/myaccount into your web browser yourself. Don't use links in texts or emails.
    2. Have your own email address, your own phone, and a government photo ID ready. You must be 18 or older.
    3. Sign in with Login.gov or ID.me if you already have an account with either one. You don't need a new one.
    4. Choose Login.gov if you're new and not sure which to pick. It needs a phone. ID.me needs a device with a camera, and it also works if you live outside the U.S.
    5. Follow the steps on screen to prove who you are. It can take 5 to 20 minutes.
    6. Hang up on anyone who calls offering to help you set it up, or who threatens you or tells you to pay right away. Real Social Security staff never do that.

  10. Settings in each AI app you use · about 15 min

    AI assistants can remember details and reach your email or files. A few settings help keep scammers, and tricky web pages, from turning that against you.

    How to do it: Check your AI assistant's settings
    1. Keep card numbers, bank details, and passwords out of AI assistants. Don't save them there or type them into a chat.
    2. Open Settings and find the memory controls (often under Personalization). Delete anything private it remembers, like account numbers or your address.
    3. Look for the list of apps and accounts it can reach (often called Apps, Connectors, or Plugins). Disconnect any you don't use.
    4. Choose the setting that asks you before it acts, if your assistant has one. Approve every payment and purchase yourself.
    5. Be careful letting an assistant read your email or browse the web for you. A web page or email can hide instructions that trick it into doing things you didn't ask for.
    6. Stop the assistant right away if it does something you didn't ask for. Never let it move money or share a code without you.

  11. Your computer's list of installed apps · about 10 min

    Fake tech support may leave behind an app that lets them back into your computer. Removing it closes that door.

    If someone you know or live with may have set this up, removing it or signing them out can alert them. If you’re worried about your safety, talk to a domestic violence advocate before you change anything. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is free and open any time: call 800-799-7233 or chat at thehotline.org. If you can, use a phone or computer they can’t check.

    How to do it: Remove remote-control apps

    Windows

    1. Open Start, then Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps.
    2. Look for remote-control apps you didn't install yourself, such as AnyDesk, TeamViewer, ScreenConnect, or UltraViewer.
    3. Select More (the three dots) next to the app, then Uninstall. Follow the steps on screen.
    4. Uninstall Quick Assist too if you never use it. It may already be on your computer, and scammers ask people to open it. Never open or reinstall it because a caller asks.
    5. Ask someone you trust if you're not sure what an app is. Don't call a number from a pop-up or a search ad.
    6. Follow our recovery steps if a scammer was ever connected to your computer. On this site, tap I think I got scammed, then I let someone into my computer or phone.

    Mac

    1. Open Finder, then select Applications in the sidebar.
    2. Look for remote-control apps you didn't install yourself, such as AnyDesk, TeamViewer, or ScreenConnect.
    3. Quit the app. Use its own uninstaller if there is one next to it. If not, drag the app to the Trash, then choose Finder, then Empty Trash.
    4. Ask someone you trust if you're not sure what an app is. Don't call a number from a pop-up or a search ad.
    5. Follow our recovery steps if a scammer was ever connected to your computer. On this site, tap I think I got scammed, then I let someone into my computer or phone.

  12. Privacy settings in each social media app · about 20 min

    Scammers use your birthday, address, and family names to sound real and to guess the answers to your security questions.

    How to do it: Share less about yourself online
    1. Open the privacy settings in each social media app you use. Set your profile and posts to friends-only or private, not public.
    2. Hide or remove your birthday, home address, and phone number from your profiles.
    3. Keep family details private, like your relatives' names and where they live. Scammers use them to make fake emergency calls sound real.
    4. Wait until you're home to post trip photos. Don't share flights, hotels, or check-ins while you're away.
    5. Accept friend requests only from people you know in person. Fewer public photos and videos also make it harder to fake your face or voice.
    6. Treat everything you post as public, even with private settings.