Digital Compass
EN
← All situations
Urgent — act now

I clicked on a fake link or text message. What do I do?

First, breathe. Clicking on a link doesn’t automatically mean you’ve lost anything. Most of the time, the danger only appears if you enter details or install something. You have time to go through the steps below calmly, one by one.

First steps, right now

  1. Don't type anything else into the page that opened. Close it. If you already entered any details, go straight to the next step.
  2. If you entered your card details or bank password: call your bank right now on the number on the back of your card and ask them to block the card. Don't call the number in the message.
  3. If you entered a password for an account (email, Facebook, etc.): change it immediately from the official app and turn on two-step verification.
  4. Check the accounts you're worried about directly from the official app or by typing the address into your browser yourself — never through the link in the message.
  5. Delete the message. If you can, report it as spam/phishing (WhatsApp, SMS and email all have that option).

What NOT to do

  • Don't call or write to the numbers or addresses in the suspicious message.
  • Don't hand over your card details, the code you received by SMS, or your password, no matter how official the message looks.
  • Don't install any app the link asks you to (especially "verification" or "remote access" apps).

How to spot it next time

  • Urgency and fear: "your account will be blocked in 24h", "your parcel will be returned". Time pressure is the main sign.
  • The address doesn't match: the link looks almost like the real one, but has extra letters, hyphens or a strange domain.
  • You're asked for details a real bank never asks for through a link: your PIN, your full password, the CVV code, the code from an SMS.
  • Language mistakes, missing Romanian diacritics, a forced-official tone.
  • Common examples right now: an "unpaid traffic fine" from "Ghișeul.ro" (the official government payment portal), a "tax refund" from "ANAF" (the Romanian tax authority), "your parcel is waiting" from a courier. All fake — you check only by going to the official website yourself, not through the link.

This guide is meant to help you act fast. It does not replace official instructions from your bank, the police or the authorities. When in doubt, call the numbers above.