What to Do If Your Child Gave Away Your Personal Information to a Scammer

It can happen without warning. Your child clicks on a link, chats with someone who seems friendly, or fills out a form that looks like a contest entry—and suddenly, your name, email, phone number, or even your home address ends up in the hands of a scammer. Their intentions may be completely innocent. Maybe they thought they were signing you up to win a free MacBook. Or maybe they wanted to surprise you with a "free trial" of something they thought you'd enjoy. They may not have followed through with the scam—but the personal information is already out there.

If you've just realized that your child gave away your personal details to someone who shouldn't have them, take a breath.

There are clear steps you can take to reduce the risks and protect yourself. Here's what to do if your child gave your name, contact details, or other private information to a scammer.

1. Take a deep breath—and talk to your child

Start with a calm, honest conversation. Ask what happened, what kind of information they shared, and how the scam appeared. Kids and teens often don't realize they've done anything risky, especially if the message or website looked friendly or official.

If your child feels embarrassed or scared, remind them that it's not their fault. Scammers are skilled at pretending to be trustworthy. What matters is that they told you—and that now, you're handling it together.

2. Make a list of what was shared

Write down exactly what personal information your child gave out. It might include:

Your full name
Email address
Phone number
Home address
Postal code
Your job or workplace
Photos, videos, or voice messages
Any login info or passwords (if applicable)

Having a full list helps you take the right steps to limit the potential damage.

3. Change passwords right away

If your email address or any login info was shared, change those passwords immediately. If you tend to reuse passwords across multiple accounts (as many people do), change those, too. Use this moment as an opportunity to upgrade to stronger, unique passwords for important accounts like email, banking, shopping, and social media.

A password manager can help you—and your child—keep track of them safely.

4. Watch for signs of identity theft

Scammers may use basic personal information to cause trouble, even if they didn't get sensitive details like your bank account or ID number. They might:

Try to open accounts in your name
Sign you up for unwanted services
Start sending phishing emails or texts pretending to be someone you trust

Keep an eye on your email inbox, phone, and any strange mail. If something doesn't feel right, look into it—don't ignore it.

5. Report the scam (and block the scammers)

If the scam happened through a specific platform—like a messaging app, game, or social media site—report the user or page as soon as possible. Most platforms allow you to report suspicious behavior, and blocking the contact is just as important.

You can also report scams to national cybercrime agencies. In the U.S., for example:

FTC Report Fraud
IC3.gov for internet-related crime

6. Set up alerts and extra protection

Scammers don't always act right away. Sometimes, they wait until you've let your guard down. That's why it's smart to set up alerts on your email, social media, and financial accounts so you're notified if anything unusual happens.

Consider using a digital identity protection service to monitor your data across the web. Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection checks the dark web and breaches databases to see if your personal information—like your name, email, or address—is being shared or sold. If it is, you'll get notified instantly so you can act before it turns into a bigger problem.

7. Tighten privacy settings on apps and devices

Go over the apps, games, and websites your child uses, and check their privacy settings. Make sure your personal details—like your name, phone number, or address—aren't stored in their profiles or shared by default. Children often don't realize how much data apps collect or display.

This is also a good time to set up or review parental controls. Many security tools allow you to filter content, block unknown links, and set rules that help your child avoid similar scams in the future.

8. Keep the conversation going

Scams change all the time, and no security setting can replace awareness. Let your child know they can always come to you if something feels off, even if they're not sure. The more you talk openly about online safety, the better they'll get at recognizing risks before they click.

Want peace of mind for the whole family?

If you're looking for a simple way to protect your loved ones from scams, data leaks, and online threats, consider a solution that does it all. Bitdefender Premium Security is designed for families who want powerful protection without stress. It includes industry-leading anti-malware, cryptomining protection to stop hackers from abusing your devices, and advanced email protection to help keep your inbox scam-free.

You also get Scam Copilot, a new AI-powered tool that catches even the most convincing scams before they do damage. The plan comes with a fully featured password manager and unlimited, secure VPN traffic to protect your privacy no matter where or how you connect.

Learn more about our plans for families.