The five things to never do
Sixty seconds. If you remember nothing else from this site, remember these.
Last reviewed 28 August 2026
- Never read out or forward an OTP.It is the last thing between someone and your account. No bank, wallet or courier will ever ask for one.
- Never type a password or card number into a page you reached from a message.Open the company’s own app instead. It takes ten seconds and removes the question entirely.
- Never install an app because a message told you to.Especially screen-sharing apps. They hand your screen and everything you type to someone else.
- Never call a number from the message.Use the number printed on your card. A number in a scam reaches the scammer.
- Never send money to prove an account is yours.That is not a thing any bank, court or police force does. The fee is always the scam.
There is a sixth, which is not a rule but a habit: when something feels urgent, that is the moment to slow down. Urgency is manufactured. It is there to stop you checking.