Never type or paste these into a chat:
Use stand-ins: [Landlord], [Kid A], [my street]. The chat writes just as well without the real thing.
Health. Don't type symptoms, medicines, or test results. Write your questions on paper and bring them to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist. Emergency: call 911. (This card has no box to fill in, on purpose.)
Today's price. The chat doesn't know today's price, what's in stock, or this week's sale. Read the shelf tag, the store's own page, or call the store.
Rules and the law. A letter the chat writes is not legal advice. For a lease, school, airline, or town rule, open the page printed on your paper or call the office. Court, eviction, custody, immigration: stop and call a lawyer or legal aid (in NJ, Legal Services of New Jersey).
Tax, benefits, and scams. You're responsible for what you file. Don't ask the chat to fill in a tax or benefits form, and never type your SSN or income. Use the agency's own site or the number on a letter you trust. Free tax help exists (IRS VITA sites). If anyone — a caller, a pop-up, a page, or a chat — asks for a password, a code, gift cards, a wire, or crypto, or promises a bot will earn you money: stop, hang up or close it, and ask a person you trust.
| If this happens | Do this |
|---|---|
| It's typing too much, or something you don't want | Click Stop — the square that replaces the send arrow while it's writing |
| You closed the tab by mistake | Ctrl+Shift+T (Mac: Cmd+Shift+T). It comes back. |
| The chat got strange, long, or off track | Click New chat (a pencil or plus, usually near the top). Clean page. |
| You're on a shared or library computer | Before you leave: click your initial or picture → Log out / Sign out, then close the browser |
| You pasted something from the don't-paste card | Oops steps: don't paste it again "to check." Delete that chat (the ⋯ menu next to its name in the side list → Delete). If it was a password or code, change that password on the real site. If it was a bank or card number, call the number on the back of your card. Tell a person you trust. Deleting helps, but it isn't a guarantee — that's why the card comes first. |
| Stuck after two honest tries | Stop. Book a human. It's not you — these sites change often. |
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