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40 results for “password”

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I clicked a suspicious link

You clicked a link in a message or email and now you're not sure if something happened. A suspicious link may lead to a fake login page, a malicious download, a scam, or another form of fraud. Clicking a link on its own does not automatically mean your device has been hacked — what matters is what you did after the page loaded.

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I received a suspicious SMS

You received a text message that claims to be from your bank, a delivery company, SARS, or another organisation, and something about it feels off. These messages are usually trying to get you to click a link, call a number, or reply with information.

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I think I've been SIM-swapped

Your phone suddenly has no signal, you stop receiving calls or texts, or you're locked out of accounts that use SMS codes. A SIM swap happens when someone convinces your mobile provider to move your number to a SIM card they control, so they can intercept your one-time codes.

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I think I was targeted by a banking scam

You received a call, SMS, or email claiming to be from your bank, asking you to verify details, approve a transaction, or move money to a 'safe account'. A request for your PIN, full password, one-time code, or a transfer to a 'safe account' is a major scam warning sign. Contact your bank directly through a trusted channel.

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My phone was stolen

Your phone is gone, and it likely has access to your email, banking apps, WhatsApp, and other accounts. Acting quickly reduces what someone can do with it.

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My password may have been stolen

You typed a password into a page that turned out to be fake, or you were notified that a service you use had a data breach. Either way, that password should now be treated as compromised.

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I've noticed unknown activity on my account

You've spotted a login, purchase, message, or change you didn't make. This can indicate that someone else has access to the account, or it could have a simpler explanation like a family member or an old logged-in device.

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My personal information may have leaked

You've learned that your ID number, banking details, address, or other personal information may have been exposed, perhaps through a data breach at a company you use. This increases the risk of identity theft and targeted scams, but it doesn't mean fraud has definitely happened.

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My computer may be infected

Your computer is behaving unusually — it's slow, showing pop-ups, opening programs on its own, or your antivirus has flagged something. This may indicate malware, but some of these symptoms also have simple, non-malicious causes.

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I Entered My Password on a Fake Website — What Do I Do?

Change the password immediately from the real service, sign out other sessions if available, and enable multi-factor authentication. If you reused that password anywhere else, change it there too. Do not use the suspicious website again.

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I Reused My Password and One Account Was Hacked

Assume the reused password is exposed everywhere you used it. Start with email, banking, payment, and other high-value accounts, and give each important account a unique password.

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I Keep Getting Password Reset Emails — What Do I Do?

Do not use links in unexpected reset emails. Open the service directly, review account security, and change the password if there is evidence of attempted or successful access.

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My Email Password Was Changed — What Do I Do?

Use the provider's official account-recovery process from a trusted device. If you regain access, change the password, remove unknown sessions, check recovery details, and review important accounts connected to the email.

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I Found My Email Address in a Data Breach — What Do I Do?

Find out what information was exposed. If a password was included or reused elsewhere, change it immediately. Be especially cautious of phishing messages using details from the breach.

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I Gave Someone My OTP — What Do I Do?

If you gave someone an OTP, treat the account as potentially compromised. Secure the account immediately, change the password if appropriate, review recent activity, and contact the relevant bank or service if the code was financial or account-recovery related.

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How to Secure an Account After Phishing

Change the affected password from the real service, sign out unfamiliar sessions, check recovery details, enable MFA, and secure any other account that reused the same password.

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I Think Someone Has Access to My Account

Secure the account from a device you trust: change the password, sign out other sessions, check recovery details and security settings, and enable multi-factor authentication. If you are locked out, use the service's official account-recovery process.

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I Think Someone Is Using My Email Account

Change your email password from a trusted device, sign out other sessions, check recovery settings and email forwarding rules, and enable multi-factor authentication. Your email may also be used to reset passwords for other accounts.

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How to Spot a Phishing Message

Phishing impersonates a trusted person or organisation to persuade you to reveal information, open a link, download something or take another risky action. Check the request, sender, destination and pressure before doing anything.

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How to Tell if a Website Is Fake

A convincing design does not prove that a website is legitimate. Check the exact domain, how you arrived there, what the site is asking for, and whether you can reach the organisation through its official app or website instead.

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I Can't Access My Account Anymore — What Do I Do?

Start with the service's official recovery process. Do not keep guessing passwords or trust people offering paid recovery. If the account contains sensitive information, secure your email and other connected accounts too.

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I Got a Login Code I Didn't Request — What Does It Mean?

Do not share the code. Check the account directly using the official app or website, review recent activity, and change the password if anything looks unfamiliar.

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I Sent Sensitive Information to a Chatbot — What Do I Do?

Identify exactly what you shared and whether it included passwords, OTPs, financial information, identity documents, or confidential material. Secure any credentials immediately and review the service's privacy and data controls.

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I Think My Email Was in a Data Breach — What Should I Do?

Verify what was actually exposed before assuming the worst. Change compromised or reused passwords, enable MFA, and be alert for targeted phishing.

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Is This SMS a Scam?

Unexpected urgency, links, requests for payment or requests for passwords, PINs or one-time passwords are common warning signs. Verify the message through the organisation's official app, website or trusted contact details.

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My Account Sent Messages I Didn't Send — What Do I Do?

Secure the account, review active sessions and connected apps, change the password, and warn contacts not to trust suspicious messages sent from your account.

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My Account Was Hacked — What Do I Do?

Secure the account first: change the password, sign out other sessions, check recovery settings, and enable multi-factor authentication. Then review activity and secure any other accounts that reused the same password.

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My Child Received a Suspicious Message — What Should We Do?

Keep the message as evidence, avoid further engagement, and help the child block or report the sender. If personal information, passwords, money, or threats are involved, take additional protective steps.

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My Child's Account Was Hacked — What Should We Do?

Use the provider's official recovery process, secure the email or phone used for recovery, change passwords, and review active sessions and account activity.

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My MFA Was Turned Off — What Do I Do?

Secure the account immediately by changing the password, reviewing sessions and recovery details, and turning multi-factor authentication back on through the official settings.

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Someone Added Their Number to My Account — What Do I Do?

Remove unfamiliar recovery details if you still control the account, change the password, review active sessions, and contact the service if you cannot remove the change.

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Someone Called Claiming to Be My Bank — What Should I Do?

Do not provide passwords, OTPs, PINs, or card security information. End the call and contact your bank using an official channel you find independently.

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An AI Tool Asked for My Personal Information

Do not provide sensitive information simply because an AI tool asks for it. Ask whether the information is necessary, minimise what you share, and check the service's privacy information.

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How to Check if a Link Is Suspicious

Before opening a link, consider who sent it, why you received it, where it appears to lead, what it asks you to do, and whether it creates pressure. When in doubt, navigate to the organisation's official website or app yourself.

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How to Check If an Account Is Compromised

Review recent sign-ins, active sessions, recovery details, connected apps, messages, and security settings. One unusual event is not always proof of compromise, so look at the evidence together.

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How to Spot a Scam Before You Get Caught

Scams often create pressure, ask for sensitive information or money, impersonate a trusted person or organisation, or try to bypass normal checks. Slow down, verify independently, and do not rely on contact details supplied by the suspicious message.

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I Clicked a Link and Downloaded Something — What Do I Do?

If you downloaded something from a suspicious link, do not open or run the file. Disconnect the device from the internet if you suspect it may have executed, then follow the appropriate device-security and account-security steps.

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I Downloaded a Suspicious File — What Should I Do?

Do not open or run the file. If it is already open or you notice unusual behaviour, disconnect the affected device from the network and follow the incident steps for a potentially infected computer.

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I Entered My Banking Details on a Scam Website

Contact your bank through an official channel immediately, explain what information you entered, and follow its instructions. If card details were exposed, ask whether the card needs to be blocked or replaced. Do not contact the scammer through the suspicious site.

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I Gave Someone My Verification Code — What Do I Do?

Treat a verification code you shared as potentially compromised. Secure the affected account from a trusted device, review active sessions and recovery details, and contact the service or bank through an official channel if financial access may be involved.

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