October is Cybersecurity Month and we partnered with F-Secure to bring you all of the information you need to know to keep you safe from scams. Today’s online scams are faster, smarter, and more convincing than ever—and with the rise of AI-generated messages, fake websites, and impersonation tactics, nearly anyone can be fooled.
But the good news? If you’re prepared, you can stop a scam before it causes damage—even if you do click.
It’s a trap disguised as something you can trust. It might arrive in a text claiming to be from your bank, an email from your “boss”, or a direct message from a brand you recognize – or then you might just see it in a forum or video description. The goal is simple: to get you to click. And once you do, that link might lead to a fake login page, download a malicious file, or open the door to malware.
And these scams are everywhere. According to GASA, Nearly $1.026 trillion was lost to scams worldwide in 2024, yet only 4% of victims were able to recover their money. That’s why prevention is a much better alternative to dealing with scams than trying to fix things afterwards.
Whether it’s today, tomorrow, or sometime this year, it’s highly likely you’ll end up clicking a suspicious link. 56% of people encounter scams at least monthly, and 50% believe they’re likely to fall victim to cyber crime in the future according to a 2025 survey by F-Secure.
Here’s your go-to plan for what to do next if you suspect that the link you clicked is a bad one.
Typically, nothing bad happens if you just click the link and visit the site. But here’s the tricky part – you need to figure out it’s a scam page before entering a password, submitting personal info, or confirming a payment.
Even if the page looks polished and official, don’t rush. Take a second to double-check the web address. Is it what you expected? Look closely—scammers often use URLs that are almost identical to the real thing. Think amazon-support.com instead of amazon.com. Also: watch for misspellings, blurry logos, or awkward grammar. These little red flags often show up if you’re dealing with a copycat.
But if you haven’t done anything other than click the scam link, you are likely still on the safe side. Just leave the page.
Things start to get more serious if you interact with the page. Let’s say you went a step too far and entered login details. That’s OK—it happens. The next step is to reset your password immediately.
And if you reuse that password on multiple accounts, change it everywhere else too. Use strong, unique passwords across your accounts, and if you haven’t already, consider using a password manager to make this easier and safer long term.
These attacks can steal data silently, hijack your browsing, or even monitor your activity.
That’s why it’s smart to run a scan with security software as soon as possible. Look for a tool that doesn’t just react to threats—but actively blocks phishing sites, fake links, and malicious messages before you get to them.
If the scam involved anything financial—like a shopping site, a bank message, or an app tied to your credit card—contact your provider immediately.
Most banks can help you lock down accounts, monitor activity, and reissue new cards quickly.
If you shared especially sensitive information (like your Social Security number), you might also want to freeze your credit card as a precaution.
Clicking doesn’t always mean disaster—but entering your info, downloading a file, or sending money can lead to serious consequences: financial fraud, account takeover or even identity theft. But while you can’t predict every scam, you can prepare for them.
Advanced protection now goes far beyond antivirus. The best solutions today:
We have partnered with cyber security leader F-Secure to provide award-winning protection for your smartphones, tablets and computers.
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With active protection, even if you click a scam link you are still protected.