The PAUSE Habit: Your First Defense Against Any Scam

Scammers always rely on two things: urgency and secrecy. Act now or you will lose your money. Do not tell anyone about this. Those two phrases, or anything that sounds like them, are your signal to stop.

Throughout this course you will build one habit: PAUSE. Each letter is a step you can take whenever something online feels wrong.

P — Pressure is the signal. Urgency means slow down, not speed up.

A — Ask someone you trust before you act.

U — Use official channels to check, never a link or number you were sent.

S — Stop before sending money, clicking on any links or connecting anything.

E — Experience matters. Share yours, and it protects someone else.

You will practice each step as the course goes on. For now, the whole habit fits in one word. When something feels off, pause. Before the next module, think of one time something online felt wrong. What made it feel that way? That instinct is already working for you.