Recognize what makes this moment difficult
Acknowledge the event directly without turning it into a lesson, comparison, prediction, or silver lining. For a message about how to ask to be credited after your name was omitted, use this factual base: state the claim, where it appeared, what can be verified, and who actually needs the correction.
Offer support that can be accepted
Offer one specific form of practical or emotional support and make clear that no immediate reply is needed. Ask for a correction, removal, or direct conversation and keep an accurate written record. Make the immediate next step clear enough that the recipient can answer without reconstructing the entire history.
Follow their pace rather than yours
Do not publish private evidence, speculate about motive, or recruit an audience to punish someone. Use school, workplace, platform, legal, or police channels for threats, defamation risk, intimate material, or impersonation. The recipient decides whether they want conversation, ordinary company, practical help, professional support, or quiet.