Cybersecurity first. A safer online world for all. Practical tools and guides for a digital future. A 2026 Champion of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. What you check stays on your phone or computer.

Official help

Lost money to a scam? Report it.

First, call your bank on the number printed on your card or on its official website, and tell them what happened. Speed matters most when money has just moved.

Not sure what to do first? What to do next covers a QR code, a phone call, a fake “verify you are human” check and a link.

Then report it to the official body in your country. Every link below goes to a government, police or national agency, except where the note says otherwise. UtilForge does not take reports itself.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2026 Champion badgeUtilForge is a registered 2026 Champion of the campaign.

The campaign is led by the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency), America’s cyber defence agency, and the National Cybersecurity Alliance, a non-profit. In Europe, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity runs European Cybersecurity Month. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency asks everyone to take four core steps, and each one below links to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s own guidance.

  1. Avoid and report phishing scams. How to spot a message that is trying to trick you, and what to do with it. UtilForge’s free Before You Pay goes through a payment request with you before money moves.
  2. Use strong passwords. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Secure Our World guide for individuals and families.
  3. Use multifactor authentication and a password manager. A second check, such as a code on your phone, on top of your password, for your bank, email and social media.
  4. Update software. Updates fix security holes, so turn on automatic updates.

North America

South and Central America

United Kingdom and Ireland

  • England, Wales and Northern IrelandReport FraudFraud, cybercrime, and suspicious messages, calls and websites. Report Fraud replaced Action Fraud in December 2025. 0300 123 2040.
  • ScotlandPolice ScotlandReport fraud on 101 without delay.
  • IrelandAn Garda SíochánaReport to your local Garda station, and to the platform where the scam happened.

Europe

Africa

Middle East

Where a body’s own page could not be read, the entry says so. If money has gone, call your bank first, on the number printed on your card. A general emergency number is given where there is one; it is for emergencies, not the place to report a loss after the event. Where a mental-health support line is confirmed, it is named; where none is, the nearest hospital emergency department is the route for someone in distress.

Asia

Australia and New Zealand

For organisations

  • The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency · organisations of all sizesAdditional steps for organisationsUse logging on your systems, back up data, encrypt data, have an incident response plan and use it, and be prepared for system disruptions.
  • The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency · for information technology teamsKnown Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalogthe Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s list of software flaws that attackers are already using, so your team can fix those first.
  • The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency · no-cost servicesCyber Hygiene ServicesFree scanning of internet-facing systems and web applications, aimed at critical infrastructure and other organisations. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s page explains who can receive them.

Your country is not listed?

Call your bank, then your local police. Keep the messages, numbers, links and payment details, because they are your evidence. Cancel and Keep Proof writes the message to your card provider and keeps a dated record.

Government services change, so if a link is wrong or your country is missing, write to support@utilforge.org.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2026 Champion badgeUtilForge is a registered 2026 Champion of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a programme of the National Cybersecurity Alliance, and takes part in European Cybersecurity Month independently.