When you suspect fraud, it can be a scary time, and it can be hard to know exactly what to do about it. There are obviously a million different procedures to follow which can help you set things right, and there are additionally many things you can do to secure your finances against future attacks and give yourself peace of mind. In case you’re feeling overwhelmed by dealing with fraud and unsure what to do, we’ve out together this handy list of potential methods you could put in place.

1.  Change all your passwords

This should be the first thing you do; when you suspect fraud, your finances may have been the target but it’s certainly best to ensure that you change your passwords to anything sensitive including things like onedrive or email accounts, not just financial things. Not only will this make you feel better but it will close off any route a fraudster may have established to you.

2. Freeze your cards

Most mobile banking apps allow you to do this within seconds now, but if you’re not able to use your app to do it or perhaps just not a mobile banking person, you will be able to freeze your card without having to close your bank account or anything else extreme while the situation is sorted out. This is a simple way to make sure your money is safe without having to deal with mountains of paperwork.

3. Contact your banks and lenders

Especially if you’ve noticed widespread fraud, you should make sure you let every one of your banks and lenders know what’s going on – in fact, even if the fraud appears to be small scale it’s a good idea to give your other providers a heads up to what’s going on so they can be on the lookout for strange activity with your finances without it reflecting badly on you.

4. Ensure two factor authentication is activated

Similarly to changing your passwords, activating two factor authentication is a great way to increase your security and reduce the likelihood of a criminal accessing your sensitive information and accounts.

5. Report the incident

You must report what’s been going on as soon as you’ve noticed it, as leaving it unreported could not only leave your finances vulnerable but additionally leave you in hot water if it’s discovered you know about it.

6. Call in the experts

Finally, you need to call in the experts and call in a  team to do some  forensic accounting to ensure the fraud has been dug out at the root and all the necessary evidence has been gathered.

So there you have it – if you’ve been an unfortunate victim of fraud, hopefully these steps will help you get back on the road to security.