Question

10.
If you fall prey to a phishing scam, you should do the following things:
1. File a report with the Federal Trade Commission.
2. Notify the company whose name is being used to scam people.
3. Contact a local authority and ask if it accepts Internet phishing scam reports.


True

False

Answer 1

True.

Those are appropriate steps — and you should also do a few more. Quick checklist:

- Stop responding to the message and don’t click any more links or open attachments.
- Change passwords for any accounts that may be compromised (use a different device if you suspect the infected one).
- Contact your bank/credit card company right away if financial information was exposed or money was lost.
- File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (https://www.ftc.gov/complaint).
- Notify the company whose identity was used (most companies have a “report phishing” address or abuse contact).
- Report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at https://www.ic3.gov and/or the Anti-Phishing Working Group ([email protected]).
- Contact local law enforcement and ask whether they accept Internet crime reports (file a police report if there was theft or identity fraud).
- If identity theft is possible, place a fraud alert or credit freeze with the credit bureaus and follow FTC identity-theft recovery steps.
- Preserve copies of the phishing message and any relevant account statements or communications as evidence.

Following these steps helps stop further damage and supports any investigation.