Developed by GASA's Consumer Education Working Group, After the Scam: A 5-Step Response Plan is a practical resource designed to help people take action after experiencing a scam. It sets out five immediate steps to help limit further harm: stop communication with the scammer, contact your bank or payment provider, report the scam to the authorities, change passwords for important accounts and talk to someone you trust.
The plan also provides an additional actions checklist for protecting accounts, personal information and devices. This includes reporting the scam through the platform used by the criminal, checking devices for malicious software, freezing credit where appropriate, addressing possible identity theft and monitoring accounts for unusual activity. It also highlights the risk of follow-up scams, where criminals may approach victims with offers to recover stolen funds or provide other assistance in exchange for an upfront payment.
Prepared by GASA's Consumer Education Working Group with the support of GASA member organisations, the resource is designed to be shared with scam victims and the wider public. Organisations can distribute the plan and apply their own branding and visual style while retaining the original content and reference to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance.