I let someone into my computer
This is fixable. Work down the list in order.
Think money already moved, not just your computer? Call your bank or card company first, on the number on your card. Ask them to stop or recall the payment. Then come back to this list. The full recovery checklist is here.
1. Disconnect it from the internet, now
Unplug the network cable, or turn off Wi-Fi, or unplug the router. That ends their access immediately, even if the remote program is still running.
2. Don't use that computer for anything sensitive
No banking, no email, no shopping, until step 6 is done.
3. Change your email password first, from a different device
Your phone, a tablet, a family member's computer. Email before banking. Whoever controls your email can reset every other password you own. It's the master key.
Then change your banking passwords, then everything else important. Turn on two-factor authentication where it's offered.
4. Call your bank on the number on your card
Tell them a stranger had remote access to your computer. Ask them to:
- Watch for unusual activity.
- Note the fraud on your account.
- Reissue any card whose details might have been saved in your browser.
If you logged into your bank while they were connected, they watched you do it. Say so.
5. If you paid them, dispute it
Credit card: call and dispute. Debit card: call immediately, protections are weaker and time matters more. If they "refunded" you too much and asked you to send the difference back. That was fake. Nothing was ever sent to you, and the money you returned was your own.
6. Have the computer checked by someone you chose
A local repair shop, a family member who's good with computers, a library tech program. Not anyone who contacted you.
Tell them exactly which program was installed. AnyDesk, TeamViewer, LogMeIn, UltraViewer, or something else. If you don't remember, they'll find it.
Ask them to remove the remote access software. Ask them to check for anything left behind that starts up on its own. If you keep passwords saved in your browser, ask them about that too. Assume every one of them was copied.
If a full reset is recommended and your files are backed up, that's the most certain option.
7. Expect the follow-up call
In the weeks and months after, someone may call. They'll talk about a refund, a "canceled subscription," or getting your money back. Same crew or their customers. Recovery scam. Don't engage.
Report it
- reportfraud.ftc.gov: all fraud, feeds law enforcement nationwide
- ic3.gov: especially if money moved
- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-372-8311: free help filing any of the reports above, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern. Run by the Department of Justice.
- FBI IC3 and the Hotline are two different organizations. A call to one isn't automatically a report to the other. A hotline case manager can help you file an IC3 complaint. If they do, ask for the complaint number and write it down.
What they were actually after
Understanding it makes the cleanup make sense:
- Passwords saved in your browser: copied in seconds.
- Your bank login, watched live if you signed in.
- Files with account numbers, tax returns, or a document where you kept passwords.
- A fee for "fixing" the imaginary problem.
- The refund trick: a fake screen showing an overpayment, then tears and a plea to send back the difference.
- A foothold to come back later, or to hand you off to a fake bank and a fake government agent, see Phantom Hacker.
And this part matters
You didn't break anything. You accepted help from someone who sounded professional and patient. That is what accepting help looks like. The remote tools they used are the same ones real technicians use every day.
This is recoverable
A computer can be cleaned. Passwords can be changed. Cards can be reissued. Every item on the list above has a fix, and most of them take an afternoon.
Work down the list and you'll be back to normal in a few days. And you'll never again wonder what to do if a screen tells you to call somebody.
Related: The fake security popup
