Your situation
Do you see something unusual without knowing what it is?
Describe only what you observe: a message received, a transaction, a sign-in, software, how the account or the device is behaving. The pre-diagnosis helps you tell what needs dealing with immediately from what can simply be checked.
Help sorting things out · ~5 min read · we will never ask for your codes.
Do this right away, even if you’re not sure
Three steps that can do no harm: don’t confirm anything and don’t give any code to someone who calls or writes to you; don’t delete anything (messages, emails, screenshots: evidence is fragile); and if an account or a payment is involved, change the password from a safe device and call your bank on the number on the back of your card.
Where do you stand?
Not all alerts are equal. Find what looks most like your situation: that already gives you an idea of how vigilant you need to be.
A simple doubt
You received a suspicious email or text, or an odd call, but you didn’t click, enter or give out anything. Signs: an unusual request, a link you didn’t open, an address that doesn’t look right.
The risk is generally low. A check and a little monitoring are usually enough.
Possible exposure
You clicked, replied or shared something (a link, a code, some information, a document) but nothing visible has happened yet. Signs: details entered on a site, a code passed on, an ID document or bank details sent, remote access software installed.
What matters is not that you clicked, but what you do in the hours that follow.
Probable compromise
Concrete, unusual signs appear. Signs: an unknown sign-in, a password that no longer works, a bank transaction you don’t recognise, messages sent in your name, a blocked account.
It is no longer just a doubt: act on your email and your bank first.
See clearly, in the right order
You don’t need to understand everything before acting. Six simple stages, from the calmest to the most practical. We always separate what is observed from what is assumed.
01 · Breathe
The urgency that someone sometimes tries to push on you (an “adviser”, a “support” agent) is precisely a manipulation tool. Take the time to settle before doing anything.
02 · Observe and take notes
Write down what you actually noticed: which message, at what time, which sender, what you did or didn’t do. Distinguish what you see (an unknown sign-in, a payment) from what you assume. This short timeline will save you precious time later.
03 · Preserve the evidence
Before cleaning up or deleting anything, take screenshots: the message, the fake site, the number, the emails, the time stamp. Don’t delete suspicious messages or emails: they serve as evidence for any formal steps. On the other hand, there’s no need to rush to switch off or reset your phone or computer.
04 · Secure what can be secured
If an account is involved, change its password from a device you know is clean, starting with your email (it is used to reset almost everything else). Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible, and sign out of active sessions you don’t recognise.
05 · Check the sensitive points
Go through, without rushing: the transactions and payees on your bank account, the forwarding or redirect rules on your emails, connected devices, authorised third-party apps. A simple click, without entering any information, is much less serious than giving out your login details: still, stay alert and monitor your accounts as a precaution.
06 · Assess your situation
If the doubt persists, the free pre-diagnosis gives you your priorities in a few minutes and tells you what to do first. It distinguishes suspicion, exposure and real compromise, and points you to the right level of help, without ever asking for your codes.
Depending on what your check reveals
Not all of them apply to your case. Take the ones that match what you noticed.
On the bank side
If you gave out card details or bank details, or approved a transaction: block your card without delay and report the fraud to your bank in writing. For an unauthorised transaction, a refund is in principle due, unless there was gross negligence or fraud on your part (assessed case by case). Only contact your bank on its official number (back of the card or official website), never one received in a message.
Report it
Depending on the channel: 33700 for a fraudulent text or call, PHAROS for illegal content, and Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr to be pointed to the right procedure. These reports are free and help stop the scam.
File a police report
If you have actually suffered a loss (a payment taken, identity theft, extortion), file a police report. Your screenshots and your timeline will make a useful file. It isn’t required in every case of doubt, but it becomes relevant as soon as there is damage.
Never do this
Some knee-jerk reactions, made in doubt or in a hurry, make the situation worse or destroy evidence.
- Never confirm a transaction “to cancel it”: it is a classic fake adviser trap.
- Don’t give out any code received by text or any password, even to an “adviser” or “support” agent who calls you.
- Don’t call back the number given in the message: always use an official contact that you find yourself.
- Don’t delete suspicious messages or emails, and don’t reset your device in a panic: you would destroy useful evidence.
Not sure? Start with the free diagnosis.
In a few minutes, you’ll know where you stand and what to do first, then you alone decide whether you want our help. Galyct Perso informs and supports you, but does not replace your bank or the police, guarantees no result, and will never ask for your codes. Your data stays in France.
Official sources: Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr · 33700.
Further reading
Once you have identified your situation, these pages guide you step by step depending on what was affected.
Preserving evidence
Before cleaning up or deleting: what to capture and keep so you don’t weaken your case.
Open the guide →Dispute a bank transaction
Bank fraud, an unauthorised transaction: your rights, blocking your card and the letters to request a refund.
Open the guide →Hacked account
Email or social media hijacked: take back control through the official channels and stop it spreading.
Open the guide →Fake support / AnyDesk
After someone has taken remote control: cut off access, check the computer, the accounts and the payments.
Open the guide →Filing a police report & reporting
Police report, Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr, PHAROS, 33700: what each official service is for and in what order to use them.
Open the guide →Immediate reflexes
The right steps in the first hours, whatever the situation, to limit the damage.
Open the guide →