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It already went wrong

This is not your fault. Speed helps more than shame does.

Below are six things in order. Do the first one now. The rest can be done today. If you cannot manage all of it, the first and the second are the ones that matter most.

Six things, the most important first

  1. Call your bank now

    Do this if you gave out your bank credentials or card details, or if you made a payment. The bank can freeze the card and stop payments. Minutes matter.

    Take the number from the back of your card or from your own online bank. Do not take it from that message or that call.

    Banks and authorities do not ask for your credentials by message or by calling you.Source: Traficom, Kyberturvallisuuskeskus

    If you were asked for them, it was a scam, and you need not think about it any further.

  2. Report it to the police

    A criminal report can be made in the online service of Poliisi (the police) or at a police station. In non-urgent situations the police recommend the electronic report.Source: Poliisi

    It is worth reporting even if no money was lost. You need it for your insurer and your bank, and it tells the police that the same method is in use.

    poliisi.fi explains how to make the report. If the situation is happening right now, call 112.

  3. Cut the remote connection

    Do this if you let somebody take control of your computer. Disconnect the computer from the network. Remove the program you were asked to install.

    Change your passwords from a different device, your phone for instance. If you change them on the same computer, the other party can see the new ones.

  4. Cancel the order in writing

    Do this if you bought something. An email is enough; a phone call is not. A ready-made text is at the end of this page.

    Keep the message you send. It is proof that you cancelled and when.

    The phone sales page explains why a call alone usually does not bind you.

  5. Change your passwords

    Start with your email, because many other account passwords can be reset through it. Then secure your bank account and the services that hold your card details.

    Do not use the same password in two places. Your browser's own password manager is enough for this, and it costs nothing.

  6. Tell one person

    Tell somebody you trust what happened. They can help you record the events in order and make the next calls.

A ready-made cancellation

Copy this into an email and fill in the parts in square brackets. You do not have to give a reason. Send it to the company's customer service and keep the message you sent.

The message is in Finnish for a business in Finland. An English translation follows.

Peruutan puhelimessa [päivämäärä] tekemäni tilauksen.

Tilaus: [tuote tai palvelu]
Tilaajan nimi: [nimesi]
Osoite: [osoitteesi]
Asiakas- tai tilausnumero, jos tiedossa: [numero]

Peruutan tilauksen kokonaan. En ole hyväksynyt tarjousta kirjallisesti.

Pyydän vahvistuksen peruutuksesta tähän sähköpostiosoitteeseen.

[päivämäärä]
[nimesi]

What it says, line by line

Peruutan puhelimessa [päivämäärä] tekemäni tilauksen.
I am cancelling the order I made by telephone on [date].
Tilaus: [tuote tai palvelu]
Order: [the product or service]
Tilaajan nimi: [nimesi]
Name of the customer: [your name]
Osoite: [osoitteesi]
Address: [your address]
Asiakas- tai tilausnumero, jos tiedossa: [numero]
Customer or order number, if you have one: [number]
Peruutan tilauksen kokonaan. En ole hyväksynyt tarjousta kirjallisesti.
I am cancelling the order in full. I have not accepted the offer in writing.
Pyydän vahvistuksen peruutuksesta tähän sähköpostiosoitteeseen.
Please confirm the cancellation to this email address.

What happens after this

The company will probably come back. A number that answered once is valuable, and it gets sold on. The next call can come from a different number with a different story.

The next caller may also present themselves as a helper. We are calling about getting your money back is a common follow-up, and it is the same scam from the other direction. Nobody returns money by asking you for your credentials.

You do not have to answer an unknown number. Ending a call is not rude.

Where to get help

These are general steps. Kuluttajaneuvonta will assess your own situation and advise you on the dispute.

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