Family Security Playbook

← Something just happened

Write down what happened

After a scam or a hack, it's hard to think straight, and the details slip away fast. Your bank, the police, the FTC and anyone helping you will all ask the same questions. Write it down once, step by step, while it's fresh: it helps you remember, keeps the story straight, and makes every call easier. Then print it or save a copy to bring with you.

If you're shaken, that's normal. This happens to careful, capable people every day, and it isn't your fault. Stress also plays tricks on memory: within hours, times blur, numbers get mixed up, and the order of events can shift. That's why police, pilots and security teams write things down straight away. Security teams call it an after-action report. Writing it down now makes it easier to remember later, when your bank or a detective asks.

Never write down passwords, PINs or full card or account numbers here. Only the last four digits. Keep the texts, emails, receipts and gift cards themselves, too.

How to use this sheet

  1. Hang up first. If the caller is still on the phone, end the call. Anyone who says you must stay on the line, or keep it secret, is a scammer.
  2. Say what happened. In section 1, pick what happened, press Use the time now or set when it started, and write it in your own words, the way you'd tell a friend.
  3. Add each step, in order. In section 2, press Add a line for each thing that happened: the first call, what they said, each trip to a store or bank, when you realized. A close guess at the time is fine.
  4. Write down who contacted you. In section 3: how they reached you, who they said they were, and the phone numbers, emails or websites they used. Tick anything you gave them.
  5. Add each payment. In section 4, one line for each: the date, the amount, how you paid, and only the last four digits of the card. For gift cards, write the brand and how many. Keep the cards and receipts.
  6. Each time you call someone, add a call. In section 5: your bank, the gift card company, the FTC, the police. Ask each one for a reference or report number and write it down.
  7. If someone used or may use your identity, file a report at IdentityTheft.gov: for example, if you gave them your Social Security number, or new accounts were opened in your name. You get an official FTC Identity Theft Report and a recovery plan. Banks and creditors usually ask for that report, so add its number in section 5.
  8. Print it or save a copy. Press Print or save as PDF to bring it to the bank or the police, or Download a copy you can send to someone helping you. Do one or the other before you close the page.
  9. On a shared computer, erase it when you're done, with Erase from this browser.

See what a finished one looks like: a filled-in example (PDF) for a made-up "grandchild in trouble" call, where a voice that sounded like her grandson pressured a grandmother into buying Apple and Target gift cards.

When this is over: have the plan ready for next time

A Family Security Playbook puts these steps on paper before you need them: who to call, your banks' real numbers, and what to do for each kind of scam, in large print for the fridge or the desk drawer.

See the playbook, from $39 Free one-page card (PDF)

Older adult in Maricopa County, Arizona, and want hands-on help cleaning up after a hack or scam? Jeff Cady Security's Elder Response.

This page is general information to help you act quickly. It isn't legal or financial advice, and following it can't guarantee money comes back. Last checked October 2026.