Digital first aid
Identify which stage of an online scam you may be in and choose the right steps before further harm occurs.
This page translates guidance developed in the Czech Republic. References to the Police of the Czech Republic relate to that national context. Linked detailed guides are currently in Czech.
Do you need help right now?
If you have shared sensitive information, allowed remote access or sent money, do not wait to see what happens next. Select what happened.
How an online scam typically unfolds
A scam usually involves several steps. The scammer makes contact, builds trust, creates pressure and then tries to obtain money or sensitive information. Choose the stage that best matches your situation.
- Stage 1First contact with a scammer
- Stage 2Building a potential victim’s trust
- Stage 3Transferring money
- Stage 4Recognising the scam and responding
The stages of an online scam
Choose the stage that best matches your current situation.
First contact with a scammer
A phone call, text message, email or social media message is used to start a conversation and create trust, curiosity or urgency.
At this stage, harm has usually not yet occurred. End the conversation, do not open links you have been sent and do not install anything.
This matches my situation — learn more (Czech)Building a potential victim’s trust
The scammer gradually builds trust, posing as an expert, an institution’s employee or a trusted adviser, and prepares you for the next step.
Be alert to promises of high returns, time pressure or demands to keep the conversation secret. Verify the person or offer independently.
This matches my situation — learn more (Czech)Transferring money
The scammer moves towards their main goal: persuading you to send money, approve a payment, share login details or install a remote access application.
Do not approve anything else. Use only contact details you have independently verified. Banks, the police and other institutions will not ask you to transfer money to a “safe account”.
This matches my situation — learn more (Czech)Recognising the scam and responding
You realise that a conversation, payment or information you shared may be connected to a scam. The speed of your response and the order of your next steps now matter.
Contact your bank immediately, secure affected accounts from another safe device and keep messages, links, payment confirmations and other available evidence.
This matches my situation — learn more (Czech)Important notice
Scams vary in how contact is made, the story used and the offender’s actions. These stages describe a typical pattern, rather than the exact sequence of every case.
If you have already sent money, shared sensitive information or allowed remote access, do not wait. Go straight to the immediate response steps.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers if you are unsure which stage of a scam you are in or what to do next.
What if I do not know which stage I am in?
Act according to the most serious step that may have happened. If you shared login or payment details, allowed remote access, approved a payment or sent money, use the immediate help links at the top of this page.
It is safer to respond to the more serious possibility than to underestimate the risk.
What should I do if I have already sent money?
Contact your bank immediately using its official telephone number. Explain that you suspect a scam and ask whether the transaction can still be investigated, stopped or recalled.
Keep messages, the recipient’s details and the payment confirmation. If you have suffered a loss or someone tried to steal your money, report the incident to the Police of the Czech Republic.
What should I do if I installed a remote access application?
If you allowed a connection or shared an access code, first disconnect the device from the internet and end the active session.
Use another safe device to change important passwords and check for persistent or unattended access. Installing an application alone does not necessarily mean someone controlled your device.
Detailed remote access guidance (Czech)What should I do if I entered a password or card details?
Change the password as soon as possible from another safe device. Also change the same or similar passwords on any other accounts where you used them.
If you entered card details, contact your bank and ask it to check or block the card. Do not approve anything else on the instructions of the person who contacted you.
What should I do if someone took over my account?
Try to recover access using the service’s official account recovery feature. Change your main email password, sign out unknown sessions and check your two-factor authentication settings.
Warn your contacts if the attacker may have sent messages, links or requests for money in your name.
Should I report the scam?
Yes, especially if you suffered financial loss, someone tried to steal your money, your account was misused or sensitive information was obtained.
Also report suspicious profiles, adverts, phone numbers or emails to the service through which the scammer contacted you.
You can also send a suspicious domain or a new scam scenario to Digitální První Pomoc.
Have you encountered a new scam or suspicious content?
Reporting it early may help warn others before the scammer gains their trust.