What to Do After Clicking a Scam Link
You've clicked a link from a suspicious email, text or pop-up and aren't sure what happened next, or whether anything was compromised.
Quick answer: If you clicked a scam link but didn't enter any details or download anything, the risk is generally low — close the page and run a scan to be sure. If you entered a password, payment details, or downloaded something, act immediately: change passwords from a different device and contact your bank if money or card details were involved.
Likely causes
- Clicking alone, without entering information or downloading anything, is usually low-risk
- Entering a password on a fake login page compromises that account specifically
- Entering payment or card details on a fake page is a more urgent situation
- Downloading and opening a file can install malware directly
What you can safely check yourself
- Think back to exactly what happened — did you just click, or did you also enter information or download something?
- If you entered a password anywhere, change it immediately from a different, trusted device — not the potentially compromised one
- If you entered card or bank details, contact your bank straight away, before doing anything else
- Run a scan with Windows Security if anything was downloaded or opened
Don't keep using the same passwords across other accounts if one was compromised — that's how a single scam link can turn into multiple compromised accounts.
When it needs a proper look
If you downloaded and opened a file, or entered banking details, get the computer checked and contact your bank as priorities — both matter more than any other troubleshooting step.