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Action Guide Calls, Texts & Voicemail Reviewed Sep 7, 2026 Source: Federal Trade Commission

Phishing Email Response

What to do when an email asks you to click a link, verify an account, open an attachment or fix an urgent problem.

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01

Right Summary

The main consumer right or issue explained fast

Phishing emails try to steal passwords, payment details, identity information or account access by pretending to be a real company or agency.

02

What This Means

Plain-English breakdown of the problem

Phishing emails often copy brand logos, fake sender names, account alerts, invoice notices, shipping updates, payroll notices, tax warnings or password reset requests.

03

What To Save

Evidence that can matter later
Proof Receipts, bills, letters, emails, screenshots, account records, photos, videos or notices.
Timeline Dates, times, names, phone numbers, websites, payment details and support case numbers.
Responses Save every reply from the business, bank, collector, agency, platform or provider.

Save the full email, sender address, subject line, links, attachments, screenshots, header information if available and any webpage opened.

04

What To Do First

The first clean action path

Do not click more links. Go directly to the official website. Change passwords if you entered credentials and enable two-factor authentication.

05

What Not To Do

Common mistakes that can make the issue worse

Do not download attachments from suspicious emails. Do not reply with personal information. Do not trust a sender display name by itself.

06

Where To Report Or Escalate

Possible complaint, agency, company or platform paths

Report phishing to the company being impersonated, FTC ReportFraud.gov for scams and your email provider.

08

Defentra / Elite Action

How this resource connects to evidence, scanning and action

Use Defentra scanner to analyze links, email text, attachments or screenshots before trusting them.

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09

Source / Review File

Internal quality and trust signals
Resource Type Action Guide
Resource Area Calls, Texts & Voicemail
Last Reviewed Sep 7, 2026
Primary Source Federal Trade Commission
10

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Educational Notice

Important limitation

This resource is educational and organizational. It is not legal advice, financial advice or a guarantee of any outcome. Rights, deadlines, reporting paths and requirements can vary by state, account type, product, service, contract, agency rules and case facts.