Frequently Asked Questions

Cyber Conduct is a practical digital-safety resource. It helps people understand what is happening online, work out what to do next, and make safer decisions about technology, privacy and online behaviour.

Cyber Conduct is an independent information and guidance platform. It provides practical educational guidance and tools, but it is not a managed cybersecurity service, security operations centre or emergency response provider.

Stop engaging with the person or service if it is safe to do so. Do not send more money, codes, passwords or personal information. If money was involved, contact your bank or payment provider as soon as possible using an official channel. You can also use Cyber Conduct's Get Help and Scam Radar resources to work out your next steps.

Not necessarily. Clicking a suspicious link does not automatically mean an account or device was compromised. What matters is what happened afterwards—for example, whether you entered a password, entered banking information, downloaded something, installed software or approved a login. Start with the suspicious-link guidance and secure anything that may have been exposed.

Secure the account as quickly as possible. Change the password from a trusted device, enable multi-factor authentication, review active sessions and recovery information, and check for changes you did not make. If the attacker may still have access, use the service's official account-recovery process.

You can use the Is This Suspicious? tool to examine a message for common warning signs. Do not submit passwords, one-time passwords, full banking details, identity numbers or other highly sensitive information.

No. Scam Radar is a community reporting and awareness tool. Published reports are signals that may help people recognise patterns, but publication does not mean Cyber Conduct has independently confirmed every allegation.

Yes. Scam Radar allows people to submit reports. Reports are checked against basic safety and moderation rules, and some submissions may be held for review rather than published automatically.

Cyber Conduct is designed to minimise the information people need to provide. Some tools work without an account, and you should avoid entering passwords, authentication codes, full payment details or other unnecessary sensitive information.

Cyber Conduct is designed around low-maintenance, privacy-conscious operation rather than building advertising profiles. For the current details of information that may be processed when you use the site, see the Privacy & POPIA page.

No. Cyber Conduct's legal and safety information is general educational guidance, not legal advice. Where a situation involves possible criminal conduct, harassment, financial loss, threats or another serious matter, use the appropriate official reporting or professional channels.

The South Africa section brings together practical information relevant to people in South Africa, including safety guidance and references to South African laws and official resources.

That is okay. Start with Get Help and describe the closest thing that happened—for example, a strange message, unexpected login, suspicious payment, lost phone or exposed information. You do not need to understand the technical cause before taking sensible protective steps.

No. Cyber Conduct cannot directly take control of an account, reverse a payment or investigate an incident on your behalf. It can help you understand the situation and identify sensible next steps, including when to contact your bank, platform provider or an official authority.