You Let Someone Remote Into Your Computer. Now What?
First, breathe. Letting a fake "technician" connect to your computer is alarming, but it is recoverable, especially if you act quickly. The faster you cut their access and protect your accounts, the less they can do. ScamVerify™ tracks the computer and tech-support scam category these remote-access cons belong to: 17,923 complaints in our FTC and FCC data, with 2,822 in the last 90 days. You are far from alone, and there is a clear path forward. Work through the steps below in order. The first ones matter most, so do not stop to research; just do them now.
Do These First, in the Next Few Minutes
If you are still on the call or still connected, the priority is cutting them off and protecting your money. Speed beats perfection here.
Step 1: Disconnect and Cut Their Access
Remote-control software only works while your computer is online, so take it offline right now. Unplug the ethernet cable or turn off Wi-Fi, or simply power the computer all the way down. Hang up the phone. Do not let them talk you into "one more step" or staying connected to "finish." The moment you disconnect, they lose control of your machine. If you can, also turn off the router for a minute, which severs any lingering session.
Step 2: Change Your Passwords From a Different Device
Anything you typed or had open while they watched should be treated as exposed. Using a different device, your phone or another computer, not the one they touched, change the passwords for your email first, then your bank, then any account you logged into during the call. Email comes first because it can reset everything else. Turn on two-factor authentication everywhere it is offered, so a stolen password alone is not enough.
Step 3: Protect Your Money
If you logged into your bank, paid them, or they asked you to "verify" a balance, call your bank and card companies now. Use the number on the back of your card, not any number the caller gave you. Tell them you may have been compromised, ask them to watch for or freeze suspicious activity, and dispute any charges. If you paid by gift card, call the card's issuer immediately and report it; some cards can still be frozen if you act fast. If you sent a wire or crypto, report it to your bank right away, recovery is harder but speed still helps.
Step 4: Clean the Computer
Once your accounts and money are secured, deal with the machine. While it is still offline, uninstall any program they had you install (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, UltraViewer, or similar remote tools). Run a full scan with the antivirus already on your computer; Microsoft Defender is built into Windows. If you are not confident the machine is clean, the safest option is to take it to a trusted local repair shop, or back up your files and reset it. Do not use a "tech support" number from a pop-up or search ad to get help, that is how this started.
Step 5: Watch for the Second Wave
Scammers keep lists of people who fell for one scam and target them again. Within days or weeks you may get a call from a "refund department," a "fraud recovery service," or even someone claiming to be the police or your bank, offering to get your money back. It is the same crew or one they sold your information to. Real recovery never requires an upfront fee or remote access. Treat any such call as a fresh scam and hang up.
What to Do Based on What Happened
Not every case is equally serious. Match what you did to the right response:
| What you did during the call | What to do now |
|---|---|
| Only listened, then hung up | You are fine; no action needed beyond staying alert |
| Let them connect but paid nothing | Steps 1, 4, and change any passwords you used |
| Logged into your bank while connected | All five steps; call your bank today |
| Paid them or "returned" an overpayment | All five steps now; call your bank and card issuer first |
| Gave a password or 2FA code | Change it immediately from another device, enable 2FA |
Got a call like this?
Tell Ava what happened. She checks it against millions of FTC and FCC complaints and real-time carrier data, then tells you exactly what you are dealing with.
What They Could and Could Not Reach
It helps to bound the worry realistically, because remote access is serious but not magic. While connected, they could see whatever was on your screen and control your mouse and keyboard, so anything you opened or typed during the call, a bank login, a password, a document, is exposed and should be changed. They could also install software, which is why Step 4 matters. What they could not do is reach accounts you never opened in front of them, or get past two-factor authentication you have switched on, which is exactly why enabling 2FA in Step 2 is so powerful. They also cannot keep controlling a computer that is offline and has the remote tool removed. So the damage is bounded by two things: what you showed them, and how fast you cut them off. You have control over both.
How to Tell If They Actually Got Anything
After the immediate steps, watch for signs of follow-on trouble over the next few weeks. Check your bank and card statements line by line for charges you do not recognize. Watch for password-reset or login-alert emails you did not request, a sign someone is trying your accounts. If your email starts sending messages you did not write, or friends say they got odd messages from you, your email may be compromised; change it and review its security settings. Catching these early is exactly why Step 2 and Step 3 come first.
Report It
Reporting will not always recover money, but it helps investigators and can flag the numbers and accounts involved. File a report with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and if you lost money, report it to your local police as well; a report number is often needed for bank disputes. If a specific number called you, you can also check and report it through Ava so it feeds the same complaint data we track.
Get a Clear Plan for Your Situation
Every case is a little different, and it helps to have the exact next steps for yours. To understand how the scam that hit you works, read how the refund and overpayment trick drains real money, how the fake virus pop-up starts it, and how the Apple or Microsoft support call opens the door, or see our full guide to tech-support scams. Then tell Ava exactly what happened, what you clicked, what you installed, what you shared, and she will map out the specific next steps for your situation.
