Protect yourself first. Work out the technology second.
If a scam, deepfake, impersonation or suspicious AI-generated message causes harm, you do not need a forensic conclusion before acting. Stop the loss, secure access, preserve useful evidence and report through the right channel.
A simple response order
1. Stop the immediate harm
Pause payments and conversations. Do not follow new links, install software or send more information because the other person is pressuring you.
2. Secure money and accounts
Contact your bank through an official route, change compromised passwords, enable multi-factor authentication and review active sessions.
3. Preserve useful evidence
Keep messages, usernames, transaction details, URLs and screenshots where it is safe to do so. Avoid repeatedly forwarding harmful intimate content.
4. Report through the right service
Use official fraud, cyber-security, platform or police reporting routes. Immediate danger should always go to emergency services.
Need the official UK reporting routes?
Our Get Help page brings the main routes together and explains which one to use.