What to do about scams, bills, and official letters
Free, plain-English help for anyone in the U.S. Pick the button that sounds closest. Each guide tells you what to do right now, how to report it, and where to get free official help. Every fact links to the government page it came from.
Is someone pressuring you right now? It’s OK to hang up, stop replying, or close the page. Real agencies and companies will still be there in an hour. Never pay with a gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or cash because a caller told you to. The FTC says only scammers demand payment that way.
- A suspicious phone call“IRS,” “Social Security,” “your grandson,” “your bank”… How to tell, and how to block calls.Updated Oct 18, 2026
- A suspicious text or emailFake delivery, toll, and bank messages. What to do before you click.Updated Oct 18, 2026
- I think I got scammed / I already paidWho to call first, based on how you paid. Act fast.Updated Oct 18, 2026
- Someone stole my identityFree credit freezes, fraud alerts, and a recovery plan.Updated Oct 18, 2026
- A medical bill I don’t understand or can’t payItemized bills, financial assistance, appeals, and letters you can copy.Updated Oct 18, 2026
- A debt collector contacted meReal or scam? Your rights, the 30-day dispute window, and letters you can copy.Updated Oct 18, 2026
- A letter from the IRSIs it real? What common notices mean, deadlines, and payment plans.Updated Oct 18, 2026
- A business won’t give my money backRefunds, card disputes and chargebacks, complaints, and small claims court, with letters you can copy.Updated Oct 18, 2026
- Stay safe onlinePasswords, two-step sign-in, updates, backups, and a printable checklist.Updated Oct 18, 2026
Protect yourself and clean up
- Get a new phone numberWhen it helps, how carriers handle it, free SIM swap protection, and who to tell.Updated Oct 18, 2026
- Fix your credit yourself (free)Free reports, disputing mistakes, rebuilding, and credit repair scams.Updated Oct 18, 2026
- Remove your personal info onlinePeople-search sites, Google’s free removal tool, and state data broker rules.Updated Oct 18, 2026
Family and life changes
- Help for aging parentsWhen a parent can’t live alone, paying for long-term care, Medicare basics, power of attorney, and more.Updated Oct 18, 2026
- My parent can’t live alone anymoreWarning signs, care options, checking providers, and every state’s long-term care ombudsman.Updated Oct 18, 2026
- Paying for long-term careWhat Medicare won’t pay, Medicaid basics, PACE, VA Aid and Attendance, and every state’s Medicaid agency.Updated Oct 18, 2026
- Medicare basicsParts A, B, C, D, and Medigap, sign-up deadlines and penalties, scams, and free unbiased help.Updated Oct 18, 2026
- Handing down the home and managing the utilitiesWills, trusts, transfer on death deeds in every state, why adding kids to the deed can backfire, and help with utility bills.Updated Oct 20, 2026
- What to do after someone diesA gentle checklist: death certificates, Social Security, debts, scams, taxes, probate, and accounts.Updated Oct 18, 2026
Want to talk to a real person?
Free, official places to report a scam or get local help, including the FTC, the FCC, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, IdentityTheft.gov, your state attorney general, and 211.
Sources
Last checked Oct 18, 2026.
- FTC: Avoiding and Reporting Gift Card Scams: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/avoiding-and-reporting-gift-card-scams
- FTC: Phone Scams: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/phone-scams
- FTC: Refund and Recovery Scams (cash, gift cards, crypto, wire, payment apps): https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/refund-and-recovery-scams
Rules and numbers change. If something here does not match what an agency tells you, trust the agency, and please let us know.