Free response plan · no login required

For a suspicious message or call

A message can look familiar and still be fake. Slow down, preserve what you received, and verify through a channel you find yourself.

Return to start

Right now

Pause without engaging

  • Do not reply, click, call back, open an attachment, or use the contact details in the message.
  • Take a screenshot or save the message if it is safe. Keep the sender’s address, number, profile, and link visible for your record.
  • Find the organization’s official website or use the number on your card or statement to verify independently.

Warning signs

Pressure is not proof

Urgency

“Act now,” a countdown, a threatened arrest, account closure, or a delivery problem designed to prevent checking.

Secrecy

Requests not to tell family, a bank, a supervisor, or the real organization are a strong warning sign.

Secrets or access

One-time codes, passwords, remote access, gift cards, crypto, or unusual payment instructions.

What to say

Safe verification script

I received an unexpected message or call that may claim to be from your organization. I am contacting you through a trusted channel I found independently. Can you confirm whether there is a real issue on my account? I will not share a password or one-time code.

Common versions

Recognize the pattern

Fake delivery

Check the order in your real retailer or carrier account. Do not pay a small “redelivery” fee through the message link.

Bank alert

Open the bank app or type the bank address yourself. A real support person will not need your one-time code to “secure” the account.

Family emergency

Call your family member through a known number or ask a question only they would know. Do not send money based on a new number alone.

Tech support

Close the pop-up, disconnect remote access if already installed, and use the software maker’s real support page.

If you responded

Contain what may have been shared

  • If you shared a password, change it from the real provider and anywhere else it was reused.
  • If you shared a code, tell the real provider and review active sessions and recovery settings.
  • If you installed software, disconnect from the internet if appropriate and seek trusted technical help.
  • If money moved, use the sent-money plan.

Over the next few days

Close the loop

  • Review important accounts for unfamiliar activity.
  • Change reused passwords and turn on multi-factor authentication.
  • Report and block the sender after preserving what you need.
  • Use the official reporting links on Training.

What GuardianLight cannot confirm

We cannot determine from a message alone who sent it or guarantee that an account is safe. Verification must come from the real organization through an independently found channel.