I gave someone my one-time code, what do I do now
Use the free tool — Hacked Help
You're not the only one this happened to today
Giving up a one-time code happens to smart, careful people every day. Acting in the next hour fixes most of it. Here is the order that matters.
Do this first (next 15 minutes)
- If the code was for your bank or card, call the number printed on the back of your card — never a number from a text or email. Ask them to review recent activity and lock anything suspicious.
- If the code was for an email or social account, try to log in right now and change the password before anyone else can lock you out.
- If you can't get back in, use the platform's own recovery page (for example, Google account recovery at g.co/recover). Never use a third-party "account recovery service" — those are almost always scams.
Within the hour
- If you're back into your email, check for forwarding rules and app passwords you didn't set up. Attackers plant these to keep access even after you change your password. Remove anything you don't recognize.
- Freeze your credit at all three bureaus — Equifax, Experian, TransUnion. It's free and takes minutes. See the FTC credit freeze guide.
- Start a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov. It's the FTC's official tool, and it creates the affidavit banks accept.
If money already moved
If any money moved by wire or gift card, call your bank right now and file a report at ic3.gov, the FBI's fraud portal. Reversals are only sometimes possible, and only when reported fast. Never pay anyone who contacts you offering to "recover" your money — that is always a scam.
Cleanup, next few days
- Turn on two-factor authentication on every account that offers it, using an authenticator app instead of text messages where you can.
- Watch your bank and card statements for a few weeks. Keep the IdentityTheft.gov report — some banks and creditors ask for it.
- Check your credit reports for accounts you don't recognize.
What to do next
This page is general. Describe what actually happened — which account, whether money moved, whether you're still locked out — and the free tool reads your own details and gives you the exact sequence for your case, with the official links. Nothing you type is stored. This is general security guidance, not legal or financial advice; for active theft, work directly with your bank and law enforcement.
Hacked Help provides general security guidance; it can be wrong and it is not legal or financial advice. For active theft, work directly with your bank and law enforcement. Nothing you type is stored.