Rights, in real situations
Digital safety
561 stored questions · 17 topics · No account needed
Choose where it happened. Read the rule, the exceptions and what you can do next. No chat needed.
Choose a state for local guides. Federal rules and practical steps are labeled separately.
Digital safety
What should I do if my email account is hacked?Background reading
Background reading
Use the provider’s official recovery process. If you can sign in, change your password and check account recovery and forwarding settings.
Secure the email account first if other services send password-reset links there. Let contacts know if someone sent messages pretending to be you.
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What is one simple way to protect my accounts?Background reading
Background reading
Turn on two-step sign-in in your account settings. It adds a second check, so a stolen password alone is less useful to someone trying to get in.
Start with email, banking and other sensitive accounts. Keep recovery codes somewhere safe and separate.
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Can I ask a children’s app to show me and delete the information it collected from my 10-year-old?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA parent of a child under 13 using a commercial app or site directed to children, or an operator with actual knowledge it collects children’s information.
Yes, when COPPA covers the operator. Parents can review their child’s collected personal information, ask for deletion and refuse further collection or use.
What to do next
- Find the operator’s privacy policy and the contact or procedure for parental access requests. Save a copy.
- Identify the child’s account and request access, deletion and a stop to future collection as desired. Complete reasonable parent-verification steps.
- Retain the request and response. Report a suspected COPPA violation to the FTC if the operator does not address it.
What could change this answer?
- Deleting information may mean the child can no longer use features that require it.
- If information was already deleted, the operator cannot provide records it no longer holds. Ask what remains rather than assuming all past activity is retained.
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Someone opened a loan in my name. Can I block it from my credit report?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationCredit-report information caused by identity theft, rather than an ordinary disagreement over a debt you incurred.
Yes. A qualifying identity-theft block request requires the reporting company to block fraudulent information within four business days after receiving the required material.
What to do next
- Create an identity-theft report at IdentityTheft.gov and save it securely. Identify every affected account on your reports.
- Send each affected reporting company the report, identity proof and a letter identifying the entries, stating you did not authorize those transactions and requesting a block.
- Keep delivery evidence, review the updated reports and contact the company if the fraudulent entry remains after a complete request.
What could change this answer?
- An ordinary reporting error uses the standard dispute process instead.
- Blocking the report is one recovery step. Contact affected creditors and secure compromised accounts as well; a block does not itself close them.
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I suspect identity theft. Must I contact all three credit bureaus to place a fraud alert?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationSomeone who is, or reasonably suspects they may be, affected by identity theft and wants an initial fraud alert.
No. Contact one nationwide credit bureau for a free initial fraud alert; it must notify the other two. The alert lasts one year and can be renewed.
What to do next
- Use the FTC’s links to reach one of Equifax, Experian or TransUnion and request an initial fraud alert.
- Provide accurate contact information so a lender can verify that a new credit request is really yours. Save confirmation.
- Review your reports for unfamiliar accounts and note the alert’s expiration date so you can renew it if needed.
What could change this answer?
- An extended alert lasts seven years and requires an identity-theft report or police report.
- If you want a credit freeze, contact each bureau separately. Placing one fraud alert is not a request for three freezes.
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A retailer keeps emailing ads after I unsubscribe. How long does it have to stop?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationEmail whose primary purpose is commercial advertising or promotion, covered by the federal CAN-SPAM Act.
Under CAN-SPAM, a covered commercial sender must honor an opt-out request within 10 business days. It cannot charge a fee or require personal information beyond your email address to process the request.
What to do next
- For a legitimate retailer, use its stated unsubscribe method and save the confirmation or a screenshot with the date.
- Keep examples of advertising emails received more than 10 business days later, including sender details.
- Report continued commercial messages or a missing opt-out method to the FTC, and use your email provider’s spam controls.
What could change this answer?
- A sender can offer topic preferences, but must also let you opt out of all its marketing messages.
- Unsubscribing from marketing does not cancel a purchase, subscription contract or necessary account-security notices.
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A Department of Justice record about me has the wrong facts. Can I request a correction?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA US citizen or lawful permanent resident seeking correction of their own DOJ record in a covered Privacy Act system of records.
The Privacy Act permits requests to amend covered DOJ records about yourself, subject to exemptions. Identify the record, the correction you want and why it is inaccurate, irrelevant, outdated or incomplete.
What to do next
- Identify the DOJ component that holds the record and review its identity-verification and amendment instructions.
- Label the request “Privacy Act Amendment Request,” identify each disputed entry and supply the replacement facts with supporting copies.
- Send it to the component’s Privacy Act office and retain the request, delivery evidence and written determination.
What could change this answer?
- If the record is in several systems, identify them and direct requests to the components maintaining each one.
- DOJ’s Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties must receive a written amendment appeal within 60 days of the denial letter’s date. Follow the letter’s appeal instructions.
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My clinic discovered a breach of my unsecured medical information. When must it tell me?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA breach of unsecured protected health information for which a HIPAA-covered provider or health plan owes individual notice.
For a reportable HIPAA breach, the covered organization generally must notify affected individuals without unreasonable delay and no later than 60 days after discovery.
What to do next
- Keep the notice and its envelope or email timestamp. Read what information was involved and the protective steps offered.
- Use a verified contact for the organization’s privacy office to ask about missing details or whether your records were affected.
- If you believe required notice was withheld or improperly delayed, use HHS’s privacy complaint process and retain supporting dates.
What could change this answer?
- Individual notice is usually mailed, or emailed if you agreed. Substitute notice can apply when contact information is unavailable.
- A small breach can follow different timing for reporting to HHS; that does not generally postpone notice to affected individuals.
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My bank’s privacy notice offers an opt-out for sharing with other companies. Can I use it after opening the account?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA financial institution’s notice offering a choice about sharing nonpublic personal information with nonaffiliated third parties.
Yes. You can generally exercise an available federal financial-privacy opt-out later, even if you did not choose it when you opened the account.
What to do next
- Read the notice’s sharing table and identify the rows you may limit.
- Submit the opt-out through the bank’s listed telephone, website or mail method.
- Save confirmation and ask the bank to explain any later sharing you believe violates your choice.
What could change this answer?
- Affiliated-company marketing can involve a separate choice.
- Joint accounts may have special instructions about whether one person’s selection covers everyone.
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A lender says its affiliate-marketing opt-out lasts only one year. Is that enough?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA covered financial affiliate using another affiliate’s eligibility information to make marketing solicitations.
When the federal affiliate-marketing rule requires an opt-out, the election must last at least five years. The institution may offer a longer or permanent period.
What to do next
- Save the notice showing its stated expiration date.
- Exercise the available opt-out and ask for confirmation of its duration.
- Challenge a shorter period with the institution and provide the notice in a CFPB complaint if unresolved.
What could change this answer?
- The rule contains exceptions, so first confirm that this solicitation is subject to the opt-out.
- A limited opt-out may need renewal after it expires; a company can instead honor it indefinitely.
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I think my phone carrier disclosed my call history without authorization. Where can I complain?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationSuspected improper disclosure of protected calling information by your telephone provider.
Telecommunications carriers and interconnected VoIP providers have federal duties to protect customer proprietary network information, which includes details about your calls.
What to do next
- Save the disclosure notice, account communications and dates without posting call records publicly.
- Ask the carrier’s privacy office what information was disclosed and on what authority.
- Use the FCC complaint center’s phone privacy category and attach relevant redacted evidence.
What could change this answer?
- Authorized account access and legally permitted disclosures require a different analysis.
- An account takeover also calls for immediate password, PIN and recovery-contact changes.
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Can I inspect and correct the personal information my cable operator keeps about me?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationPersonally identifiable information about a cable subscriber maintained by a covered cable operator.
Federal cable privacy law gives subscribers access to covered personal information at reasonable times and a convenient place, with a reasonable opportunity to correct errors.
What to do next
- Find the operator’s subscriber privacy notice and its contact for records inquiries.
- Request access to the covered information and propose a convenient inspection method.
- Identify inaccurate entries in writing, request correction and keep the response.
What could change this answer?
- Anonymous aggregate information is treated differently from identifiable subscriber information.
- The law permits some collection and disclosure without consent, including specified service-related uses.
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A video rental service wants consent to share my rental history hidden in its general terms. Is that sufficient?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA covered video rental provider disclosing information identifying a consumer and the videos obtained.
For disclosures relying on consent under the Video Privacy Protection Act, written or electronic consent must be distinct from other legal or financial obligations.
What to do next
- Save the proposed consent screen and the service’s privacy terms.
- Ask for a separate choice and instructions to withdraw continuing consent.
- Document any disclosure after withdrawal and obtain legal advice about the specific provider and remedy.
What could change this answer?
- Continuing consent must end within two years unless renewed, or sooner when withdrawn.
- Some disclosures have statutory exceptions and do not depend on this consent.
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My child’s school approved an app. Does that let the app use my 9-year-old’s information for unrelated advertising?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationAn online service collecting information from children under 13 based on school authorization.
No. A school may consent for parents under COPPA only in the educational context, for the school’s use and benefit, without another commercial purpose.
What to do next
- Ask the school which service it approved and obtain its notice about data uses.
- Identify advertising or commercial profiling outside the authorized educational purpose.
- Ask the operator and school to address the use, and report suspected COPPA violations to the FTC.
What could change this answer?
- Separate valid parental consent can change which uses are permitted.
- Teenagers and services outside COPPA coverage require analysis under other applicable rules.
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A children’s game demands my child’s home address to unlock a puzzle. Can it require unnecessary information?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA child under 13 participating in an online activity covered by COPPA.
A covered operator cannot condition a child’s participation in a game or similar activity on providing more personal information than reasonably necessary for that activity.
What to do next
- Capture the required fields and the activity the child cannot access.
- Ask the operator why each required item is necessary and whether it offers a data-minimal option.
- Avoid supplying extra information while you seek an explanation and report an apparent violation.
What could change this answer?
- Information genuinely necessary for the activity can be required with applicable safeguards.
- A parent’s willingness to consent does not remove COPPA’s prohibition on conditioning participation on excess information.
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Does COPPA cover my 11-year-old’s selfie and precise location, or only names and email addresses?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA covered online service collecting photos or sufficiently precise location from a child under 13.
It can cover both. A photo containing a child’s image and geolocation sufficient to identify a street and city are personal information under COPPA.
What to do next
- Review the app’s camera and location permissions and its parental notice.
- Ask the operator what it collects, retains and shares, and how it obtained parental consent.
- Disable unneeded permissions and report collection that appears to lack required consent.
What could change this answer?
- Coarse location that does not identify a street and city may be analyzed differently.
- Child-directed services and general-audience services with actual knowledge have different coverage triggers.
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Someone sent a specific online threat to hurt me. Should I only report the account to the platform?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationA threatening message that suggests violence or other criminal intimidation.
Use emergency services for immediate danger. A specific threat can also be reported to local law enforcement and the FBI; a platform report is a separate step.
What to do next
- Move to a safe place and call 911 if there is an immediate threat.
- Preserve the original message, account name, dates and available links without engaging the sender.
- Report the facts to law enforcement and use the platform’s threat-reporting process.
What could change this answer?
- Do not open suspicious attachments merely to gather evidence.
- A known person with physical access to you may require a safety plan beyond blocking an account.
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Practical guidance, not a statement of a legal right or a guarantee of an outcome. Legal review pending.
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Someone is threatening to share a teenager’s sexual image unless they pay. What should the teenager do?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationA minor facing threats tied to sexual images or demands for more sexual material.
Get help from a trusted adult and report the extortion. Paying or sending more images does not ensure the offender will stop or withhold the material.
What to do next
- Stop sending money or images and involve a trusted adult or trained support person.
- Preserve account names, threats and transaction details; do not forward or download sexual images of minors to collect evidence.
- Report to the FBI and NCMEC, and use the platform’s exploitation-reporting channel.
What could change this answer?
- Blocking alone may leave evidence inaccessible, so safely preserve non-explicit details first.
- The offender may impersonate another teenager or promise deletion after payment.
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Practical guidance, not a statement of a legal right or a guarantee of an outcome. Legal review pending.
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A platform is hosting a nonconsensual intimate image of me. Is there a federal removal deadline?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA qualifying nonconsensual intimate depiction, including a covered digital forgery, on a covered platform.
Under the TAKE IT DOWN Act, covered platforms must remove qualifying material within 48 hours after a valid removal request and make reasonable efforts to remove known identical copies.
What to do next
- Locate the platform’s designated intimate-image removal process.
- Submit the required contact details, content location, signature and good-faith statement; save the receipt and time.
- If the platform fails its obligations, report that failure to the FTC.
What could change this answer?
- Not every unwanted photograph is a qualifying intimate depiction.
- Threats or immediate physical danger need a separate safety and law-enforcement response.
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I suspect my partner installed stalkerware on my phone. Should I immediately delete suspicious apps?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationSuspected device monitoring by a partner or another person with access to your phone.
Consider your safety first. Removing monitoring software or changing access can alert an abusive person, so seek help from a safer device before making changes.
What to do next
- Use another trusted device to contact a domestic-violence advocate or law enforcement when safe.
- Discuss evidence preservation and a safety plan before removing apps or resetting the phone.
- With support, secure accounts and decide whether to replace or reset the device.
What could change this answer?
- Restoring old apps or settings from a backup can restore the monitoring problem.
- Account sharing and linked cloud accounts can expose information even without stalkerware.
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A text says my unpaid toll will cause penalties unless I pay through its link today. How do I verify it?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationAn unexpected toll-payment text demanding information or urgent payment.
Do not use the text’s link. Check through the toll agency’s official website or a number you already trust; scammers commonly impersonate toll services.
What to do next
- Leave the link unopened and independently locate your toll agency’s contact information.
- Check your account or ask the agency whether a real balance exists.
- Report the message as junk or to 7726, then report the scam to the FTC.
What could change this answer?
- If you entered payment details, contact the financial institution promptly.
- A genuine toll obligation does not disappear because a scam message used the same subject.
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I paid through a QR sticker on a parking meter and now suspect it was fake. What should I do?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationA suspicious QR payment code on a parking meter or parking sign.
Check the parking operator through an independent trusted channel, then contact your payment provider about the suspected scam. A replacement sticker can send payment to an impostor.
What to do next
- Save the site address, receipt and a safe photo of the sticker.
- Check your account for unauthorized charges and report the transaction to the card issuer or bank.
- Change any password you entered on the fake site and report the scam to the FTC.
What could change this answer?
- If the password was reused elsewhere, change it on those accounts too.
- A familiar logo does not authenticate a QR destination; preview and verify the domain.
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A pop-up says my computer is infected and gives a support number. Should I call and allow remote access?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationAn unexpected browser warning or caller claiming urgent computer repairs are needed.
No. A security warning that tells you to call a phone number is a common tech-support scam. Do not grant remote access or pay the caller.
What to do next
- Close the suspicious page without calling its number or installing its software.
- If access was already granted, end the session and seek help through your device’s trusted support channel.
- Contact your payment provider about any payment and report the scam.
What could change this answer?
- A legitimate software alert may require action, but verify it through the software itself.
- Change exposed passwords from a device you believe is secure.
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My computer’s files are locked and a message demands cryptocurrency. Does paying guarantee I get them back?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationA personal computer or household files apparently encrypted by ransomware.
No. The FBI does not support paying a ransom because payment does not guarantee recovery and can encourage further attacks.
What to do next
- Disconnect the affected device from networks to limit further spread and avoid attaching backup drives.
- Save the ransom message and contact a trusted technical professional about recovery options.
- Report the attack to FBI IC3 with the demand, wallet address and incident details.
What could change this answer?
- Offline backups may help restore files, but first address the infection.
- A claim that files were stolen can be real or a bluff; investigate without assuming either.
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A shopping site has a padlock while I use public Wi-Fi. Does that prove the store is trustworthy?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationUsing a public network to browse or pay on a website.
No. HTTPS helps protect information in transit, including on public Wi-Fi, but a scam website can also use encryption.
What to do next
- Check the actual website address and independently research an unfamiliar seller.
- Keep your device and browser updated and heed certificate or connection warnings.
- If you suspect you paid a fake store, save the transaction and contact the payment provider.
What could change this answer?
- Encryption cannot protect credentials you willingly enter on an impostor site.
- A shared or compromised device poses separate risks even when the connection is encrypted.
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An old game account was breached, and I used the same password for email. Which account should I secure?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationA breach notice involving a password reused across personal accounts.
Secure both, and every account using the same or a similar password. Attackers can try leaked credentials on unrelated services.
What to do next
- Go directly to each affected service and create a unique password, prioritizing email and financial accounts.
- Enable multifactor authentication and review recovery addresses, devices and active sessions.
- Read what information was exposed and follow the FTC’s corresponding recovery guidance.
What could change this answer?
- A stolen Social Security number needs different steps from a leaked password.
- A password manager can help maintain unique passwords, but secure its own account carefully.
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My phone suddenly lost service and I received a notice that my SIM changed. Could someone be taking over my accounts?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationUnexpected loss of mobile service accompanied by a SIM or account-change notice.
Yes. An unauthorized SIM swap can redirect calls and text verification codes. Contact your carrier immediately through a trusted channel.
What to do next
- Ask the carrier to investigate the change, restore your number and secure the account.
- Once control is restored, change affected account passwords and review financial activity.
- Add a carrier PIN and consider an authenticator app or security key for sensitive logins.
What could change this answer?
- Text-message authentication is vulnerable when an attacker controls the phone number.
- Unauthorized withdrawals need prompt bank reporting as well as carrier recovery.
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An online buyer wants the six-digit code just texted to me to prove I am real. Should I send it?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationA marketplace buyer or someone responding to a lost-pet post who asks for a texted code.
No. A scammer can use a verification code to link an account, including Google Voice, to your phone number.
What to do next
- Do not share the code or approve an unexpected sign-in prompt.
- If you shared it, use the affected service’s official recovery instructions to reclaim or unlink your number.
- Report the profile to the marketplace and the scam to the FTC.
What could change this answer?
- The same technique can target services other than Google Voice.
- A legitimate verification you initiated is different, but enter its code only into that trusted service.
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I searched for my utility’s payment page and paid a sponsored result. How can I tell whether the utility received it?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationA bill payment made through an unfamiliar search result instead of the company’s verified site.
Contact the utility through the address on your bill and verify the payment. Search ads can lead to impersonators or third-party services with extra fees and delayed payments.
What to do next
- Save the receipt, website address and any service-fee disclosure.
- Ask the utility whether it received the money and what is needed to keep the account current.
- Contact the payment provider about fraud or an unwanted charge and report misleading impersonation.
What could change this answer?
- Some third-party processors are real but still charge fees or take longer.
- A complaint does not automatically pause the original bill’s due date.
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My smart speaker keeps recordings of conversations. Can I reduce what it stores?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationA personal smart speaker or device using an internet-connected voice assistant.
Review the assistant’s recording controls. Many services let you delete recordings, set automatic deletion, or limit human review; available controls depend on the product.
What to do next
- Open the manufacturer’s account controls and review stored voice activity.
- Delete recordings you do not need and select available retention and review limits.
- Use the physical microphone control for sensitive conversations and secure the linked account.
What could change this answer?
- A device can mistakenly hear its wake word and start recording.
- Other linked accounts and voice-shopping permissions need separate review.
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I removed a roommate’s name from my home-camera app. How can I check that they no longer have access?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationA consumer internet-connected camera with previously shared remote access.
Review all authorized users, shared links and account sessions, then change exposed credentials. Removing one display name may not end every route into the account.
What to do next
- Check account members, permissions, linked devices and recovery contacts.
- Revoke unneeded access, use a unique password and enable multifactor authentication when available.
- Install camera and app updates and verify remote viewing is limited to intended users.
What could change this answer?
- Shared cloud or email credentials may allow access to be restored.
- A camera pointed into sensitive spaces creates privacy risks even when the account is secure.
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Practical guidance, not a statement of a legal right or a guarantee of an outcome. Legal review pending.
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A shopping app requests my precise location all the time. Do I have to allow that to browse?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationA personal phone app requesting location access beyond what you want to share.
You can review and limit the app’s device permissions, including location. Whether browsing still works depends on the app; ask why that access is necessary.
What to do next
- Open the phone’s privacy settings and review the app’s current permissions.
- Choose a narrower available location setting or deny access, then test the features you need.
- Read the company’s sharing policy and report misleading privacy claims if its conduct differs.
What could change this answer?
- Navigation and delivery features may need some location information.
- Permission changes may limit future collection without deleting information already held.
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Practical guidance, not a statement of a legal right or a guarantee of an outcome. Legal review pending.
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I am selling my old phone. Is deleting photos enough to protect my information?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationA personal phone being sold, donated, recycled or traded in.
No. Back up what you need, follow the manufacturer’s reset instructions, and remove removable SIM or memory cards before transferring the phone.
What to do next
- Back up needed files and ensure you can still access authentication apps and accounts on another device.
- Follow the manufacturer’s sign-out and factory-reset process.
- Remove physical SIM and memory cards, handle any eSIM through official instructions, and check the reset completed.
What could change this answer?
- A phone that will not turn on may require manufacturer help for secure disposal.
- Transferring the device does not automatically cancel a mobile-service contract.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Practical guidance, not a statement of a legal right or a guarantee of an outcome. Legal review pending.
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A bank rejected my checking-account application using ChexSystems. Is that report part of my usual three credit reports?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA bank decision based on a checking-account reporting company such as ChexSystems or Early Warning Services.
Checking-account reports are separate specialty consumer reports. You can request a free copy from the reporting company, generally once every 12 months and after qualifying adverse action.
What to do next
- Read the adverse-action notice to identify the reporting company.
- Request its consumer disclosure through that company’s official process.
- Review account ownership, dates and balances, then dispute specific errors with supporting records.
What could change this answer?
- Different banks use different reporting companies, so request the report actually named.
- An accurate negative record may remain even if a bank chooses to reconsider your application.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
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A people-search site publishes my address. Can I remove its listing without paying a removal service?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationA commercial people-search listing containing your contact or household information.
Many people-search sites offer their own free opt-out process. Follow the site’s instructions, but understand that removing one listing does not erase public records or other sites.
What to do next
- Find the specific listing and the site’s privacy or opt-out instructions.
- Use the official removal process and provide only the information reasonably needed to identify the listing.
- Save confirmation and periodically check whether the listing has reappeared.
What could change this answer?
- Information may remain visible in relatives’ listings or on different services.
- New data can recreate a listing, and some categories of records may not qualify for the site’s opt-out.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Practical guidance, not a statement of a legal right or a guarantee of an outcome. Legal review pending.
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My credit report shows a company I never applied to. Does every credit inquiry require my signed permission?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationAn unexplained inquiry appearing on your consumer credit report.
No. Federal law permits access for specified purposes, including some account reviews and collection activity. A company still needs a permissible purpose; curiosity is not enough.
What to do next
- Save the inquiry’s date and the company’s contact details from your report.
- Ask the company which account or permissible purpose supported its access.
- Dispute an unauthorized inquiry with the reporting company and complain to the CFPB if unresolved.
What could change this answer?
- Employment-related reports have separate permission requirements.
- Signs of a fraudulently opened account also call for an identity-theft report and account-security steps.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
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How can I stop credit-card offers mailed because a credit bureau put me on a prescreened list?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationFirm credit or insurance offers based on prescreened lists from participating consumer reporting companies.
Use the official prescreened-offer opt-out service. You can opt out for five years electronically or request permanent removal by completing and returning the signed form.
What to do next
- Go directly to OptOutPrescreen.com rather than responding to a suspicious offer.
- Select the five-year option or complete the permanent-election mail process.
- Save your confirmation and allow time for previously prepared mailing lists to clear.
What could change this answer?
- The election does not harm your credit score.
- Companies using other marketing lists may still contact you.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
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I registered my personal number on Do Not Call yesterday. Can I report every sales call immediately?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA personal telephone number registered on the federal Do Not Call Registry.
The FTC says to allow up to 31 days for sales calls covered by the registry to stop. You can then report covered unwanted sales calls.
What to do next
- Verify registration at the official registry and keep the registration date.
- Tell an identifiable seller to put you on its own do-not-call list as well.
- After the applicable waiting period, report covered sales calls with their dates, numbers and company details.
What could change this answer?
- Political, charitable and certain informational calls are treated differently.
- Illegal robocalls and fraud may be reportable separately without waiting for registry protection.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
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A sales caller says an AI voice can call my cell because it is not a recording. Is that a loophole?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationAn unwanted sales call using a synthetic or cloned voice.
No. The FCC treats AI-generated voices as artificial voices under federal robocall rules. Covered marketing calls still need the required consent.
What to do next
- Avoid sharing personal information or pressing buttons in an unsolicited call.
- Keep the voicemail, date, displayed number and any company or callback information.
- Report the unwanted call to the FCC and identify that it used an apparent artificial voice.
What could change this answer?
- Emergency and other exempt calls can be treated differently.
- A familiar-sounding voice is not reliable proof of the caller’s identity.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
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My bank’s real number appeared on caller ID. Does that prove the caller was my bank?Safety & practical steps
Safety & practical steps
For this situationAn incoming call displaying a trusted institution’s number while requesting money or credentials.
No. Caller ID can be spoofed. Hang up and contact the bank through its app, your card or another independently verified channel.
What to do next
- End the call without sharing passwords, codes or payment information.
- Call the bank independently and ask whether it contacted you.
- Save the call details and report suspected spoofing or fraud.
What could change this answer?
- Calling back a number supplied in the same call does not independently verify it.
- A spoofed number may belong to an innocent person or business.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Practical guidance, not a statement of a legal right or a guarantee of an outcome. Legal review pending.
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My home landline’s telephone company changed without my permission. Where do I challenge it?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationAn unauthorized change of the company providing covered home landline service.
An unauthorized change of a wireline telephone carrier is called slamming. Contact your preferred carrier and file a slamming complaint through the FCC’s process.
What to do next
- Save bills before and after the change and identify the new provider.
- Tell your preferred company the switch was unauthorized and ask how to restore service.
- Dispute resulting charges and submit the carrier-change facts through the FCC complaint center.
What could change this answer?
- Charge remedies depend on the facts and whether money was already paid.
- An authorized switch followed by poor service is a different billing or service dispute.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
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My phone bill includes a third-party subscription I never ordered. Can I dispute that charge?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationAn unexplained third-party service or subscription charge on a personal phone bill.
Yes. Unauthorized charges placed on a telephone bill are known as cramming. Ask the carrier and listed billing company to identify and remove the unauthorized charge.
What to do next
- Mark the charge, billing date and third-party contact information on a saved bill.
- Tell the carrier you did not authorize it and request reversal and prevention of future charges.
- Keep complaint numbers and use the FCC billing complaint process if it remains unresolved.
What could change this answer?
- Check whether another authorized account user made the purchase.
- Carrier taxes and legitimate service charges are different from an unauthorized third-party subscription.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
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Can my old mobile carrier refuse to transfer my number until I pay the last bill?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA request to transfer an eligible existing number to a new telephone provider.
A carrier cannot refuse to complete an otherwise valid number port merely while collecting an outstanding balance or termination fee.
What to do next
- Ask the new provider to start the port using accurate account information and any required transfer PIN.
- Keep the old service active until the transfer completes.
- If the old provider cites a balance as the reason for refusal, save that explanation and file an FCC number-porting complaint.
What could change this answer?
- Identity-verification problems or an ineligible number can cause separate difficulties.
- Number portability depends on service and geographic circumstances, so confirm eligibility with the new provider.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
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How do I keep a record of online harassment?Background reading
Background reading
Start with full message context and timestamps; profile URLs and report references; original screenshots.
Keep your own observations separate from what someone told you. These are preparation steps, not a finding about your rights or eligibility.
This is background information, not a state-specific answer. Legal review pending.
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These guides cover the situations they name. They are source-checked drafts, not a complete state law library or a lawyer’s review. County rules are not inferred from your state.
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