If you’ve fallen victim to a scam – or you believe your financial and personal data have been exposed, here are some of the most urgent steps to take: * Call your financial institutions, explain what has occurred and request new account numbers. * Call the three major credit reporting agencies and freeze your credit reports. That will lock down your information so scammers can’t use it to apply for new accounts in your name. * Use a legitimate antivirus software scanner to see if any malicious software has been installed on your computer. But if the scammers had access to your computer for any length of time, the only safe way to be sure your computer is “clear,” is to do a factory reset that wipes your computer clean. * Change ALL your passwords for banking, email and other personal accounts from a different device. If you do so on the same device that fell victim to the attack, you can’t be sure the scammers aren’t monitoring any changes you make. And make sure you change your passwords regularly, create unique passwords for each site, and don’t reuse passwords. Here’s where a good password manager, such as 1Password or NordPass, can been indispensable. * It’s a hassle but consider creating a new email account and deleting the old one. Then, change your profile with all your financial institutions, utilities, etc., to reflect the new email. Also, while we’re on the subject of email, make sure your junk and spam filters are fine-tuned to remove suspicious emails before ever landing in your inbox. * If there’s a chance your contact list has been harvested, reach out to all your contacts and let them know to be wary of any uncharacteristic emails purportedly sent from you. * If you find yourself in the middle of an online attack and suspect the scammers may be accessing your computer, immediately turn off your Wi-Fi to end their access. Then, turn off your computer until you can scan it for any malware they may have installed. * File a police report. No, they probably won’t be able to recover anything for you, but if you ask to file an informational report for identity theft, it may help protect your from future liability created by the scammers. Also, if you have cybercrime insurance, you’ll need the police report to back up your claim. * If your identity has been stolen, file a report on the Federal Trade Commission’s website IdentityTheft.gov. When you file your report, the IC3 will generate a personalized recovery plan for you. * If you’ve lost money, report any information you can to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (ICS) at ic3.gov. There’s little likelihood that the FBI will be able to recover your money, since the scammers are very likely out of reach. But you may help protect the next victim from attack.