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Home Computer and Phone Emergency Sheet

Print this page, fill in the blanks, and keep it where you can find it fast: next to the phone, on the refrigerator, in your wallet or your travel bag. Pencil is fine. Do not write passwords on it. Part of the course Securing Your Home Computer, Phone and Money. Educational only. Facts checked October 2026.

If something feels wrong, do these four things first

  1. Stop. Do not click, call back the number on the screen, send money or read out any code.
  2. Hang up or close the window. A real bank, government office or tech company will still be there in ten minutes.
  3. Call back on a number you already trust: the one on the back of your card or on your statement. Never use a number the caller or pop-up gave you.
  4. Tell someone. A family member, a friend or the helpline below. Scammers count on you staying quiet. Being fooled is not a character flaw.

Full steps for the first hour, day and week: When Things Go Wrong.

My emergency numbers

Fill in your own. Call the number you wrote here, not one a stranger gives you.

WhoName or accountPhone number
Bank (fraud line, from the back of your card)
Credit card company (fraud line)
Second card or bank
Phone company (carrier support)
Internet provider
Trusted family member or friend
Second trusted person
Computer or tech helper I trust
Doctor or pharmacy (if a medical account is hacked)
Local police (non-emergency line)
Other

Public numbers and sites to report to

ForCall or visit
Any scam or fraud (report it)ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Identity theft recovery planIdentityTheft.gov or 1-877-438-4338
Internet crime (FBI)ic3.gov
Age 60 and older, fraud helpNational Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-372-8311 (weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern)
Fraud questions, freeAARP Fraud Watch Network helpline 1-877-908-3360 (weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern)
Medicare fraud or errors1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227); Senior Medicare Patrol 1-877-808-2468
Social Security problems1-800-772-1213 or ssa.gov
Freeze your credit (free)Equifax 888-298-0045, Experian 888-397-3742, TransUnion 800-916-8800. Freeze all three.
Free credit reportsAnnualCreditReport.com or 1-877-322-8228
Mail theft or mail fraudU.S. Postal Inspection Service 1-877-876-2455
Idaho consumer complaintsIdaho Attorney General Consumer Protection 208-334-2424 or 1-800-432-3545
Idaho seniors, local helpIdaho Commission on Aging 1-877-471-2777
Spam or scam textsForward to 7726 (SPAM). Phishing email: reportphishing@apwg.org

Key ideas to remember when trouble comes

The five habits that stop most harm

  1. Keep everything updated (computer, phone, router, apps). Lesson 2
  2. Use a different long password for every important account, and turn on two-step sign-in. Lesson 3
  3. Never act on a message you did not expect. Call back on a number you know. Lesson 7
  4. Back up what you cannot replace, in two places. Lesson 11
  5. Freeze your credit and watch your accounts. Lesson 8

Five demands that always mean a scam

  • Pay with gift cards
  • Wire money or send cryptocurrency
  • Read back a code that was texted to you
  • Let a stranger take control of your computer
  • "Move your money to keep it safe" or "tell no one"

No bank, government agency or company will ask for any of these. The scams explained

Clicked, typed a password or gave a code

  1. Change that password now from a different device, and every account that shared it.
  2. Turn on two-step sign-in and sign out all other devices.
  3. Call your bank on the number on your card.
  4. Run a security scan and update everything.
  5. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Sent money or gave your Social Security number

  1. Call your bank or card company at once. Speed matters most in the first hours.
  2. Freeze your credit at all three bureaus.
  3. Report at IdentityTheft.gov and ic3.gov. Keep every receipt and message.
  4. Do not pay anyone who offers to "recover" your money for a fee.
  5. Ask a trusted person to sit with you for the calls.

Lost phone or stolen laptop

  1. Use Find My (Apple) or Find Hub (Google) to locate, lock or erase it.
  2. Call your carrier to suspend the line and protect your number from a SIM swap.
  3. Change your email and bank passwords from another device.

Phones, tablets and apps

Traveling

  1. Update and back up before you leave. Lock every device.
  2. Avoid public Wi-Fi for banking. Use your phone's hotspot.
  3. Do not post that you are away. Hold your mail.
  4. Bring fewer devices and fewer cards.

Travel and public places

Where my important things are

Do not write passwords here. Write where to find things.

ItemWhere it is
Password manager (name and who else can open it)
Recovery codes and backup keys (location)
Backup drive or cloud backup (what and where)
Main email address and its recovery phone
Phone carrier account PIN (where written down)
Date I last froze my credit or checked my reports
Person who can help if I cannot

If it happens: my notes

Write the time, what happened, who you called and what they said. Keep this sheet and any messages as evidence.

The full course, lesson by lesson

Small business owner or office staff? See the companion small business emergency sheet.