20 small steps that stop most scams and account takeovers. Tick one a week, or do them all on a Saturday. Print this page and keep it on the fridge.
Protect your money and identity
- ☐ Freeze your credit at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It is free and does not hurt your score.
- ☐ Turn on alerts for every bank and card purchase over a small amount.
- ☐ Add a PIN or passcode to your mobile phone account to stop SIM swaps.
- ☐ Write down your bank’s real phone number from the back of your card. Only call that number.
Lock down your accounts
- ☐ Use a password manager, or at least a different password for email and banking.
- ☐ Turn on two-step verification, or a passkey, for email, banking and Apple or Google accounts.
- ☐ Check the recovery phone number and email on your main email account.
- ☐ Turn on automatic updates on phones, computers and the home router.
- ☐ Change the router’s default admin password and Wi-Fi password.
Spot the scam before it starts
- ☐ Learn the four signs: a surprise contact, a problem or prize, pressure to act now, and an odd way to pay.
- ☐ Remember the rule: no real company or agency asks for gift cards, crypto, wire transfers or payment apps to fix a problem.
- ☐ Never give a code that was texted to you. Anyone asking for it is trying to get into your account.
- ☐ Hang up and call back on a number you look up yourself.
- ☐ Ignore pop-ups that say your computer is infected and give a phone number.
Protect the whole family
- ☐ Pick a family code word for emergency calls, so a voice that sounds like a grandchild can be checked.
- ☐ Set up parental controls on each child’s phone, tablet and game console.
- ☐ Agree on one house rule: tell an adult about any message that asks for photos, money or secrecy, with no punishment for telling.
- ☐ Help an older relative put these numbers on the fridge: their bank, their phone carrier, and a trusted family member.
If something goes wrong
- ☐ Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov.
- ☐ Call your bank right away if money was sent. The faster you call, the better the chance of stopping it.
Step-by-step guides for every item are free on this site. Start with the family safety start-here guide or browse Scams & Fraud. Juggling Chaos will never ask for a password, payment, gift card or code.