I let a scammer remote into my computer, what should I do?
Last reviewed: 2026-08-01 · Checked with Hunch’s on-device engine, the same one inside the extension. How Hunch checks →
Part of our guide: What to do if you got scammed →
Cut the connection first, then clean up, that order matters. The instant you disconnect from the internet, the scammer loses their live access, and everything after that is recovery you control. Don't panic about what they saw; focus on the steps below, starting by pulling the plug.
Got a message like this? Paste it here →
Remote-access scams target people alarmed by a warning that their computer is infected or their files are at risk. Posing as a trusted tech company, the caller offers to 'fix' it if you install a small helper app, which hands them control. It works best on those less familiar with how support really works, and on anyone rattled enough to follow step-by-step instructions from a confident voice.
Illustrative example of the pattern, not a real message someone received.
How to verify it yourself
- Disconnect the computer from the internet, turn off Wi-Fi or unplug the cable, to end their live session right away.
- Uninstall any remote-access tool they had you install (names like AnyDesk, TeamViewer, or 'support' apps you didn't choose).
- Change passwords from a different, trusted device, a phone or another computer, not the one they touched.
- Recall the rule they broke: real tech companies never cold-call about a virus and never need remote control to 'fix' your machine.
Common questions
I gave a scammer remote access to my computer what now
Disconnect from the internet immediately to end their access, then remove the remote-control software they installed. Change your important passwords from a separate, trusted device.
what can a scammer do with remote access to my computer
While connected, they can see your screen, open files, and install software, and they often try to reach banking or email. Cutting the connection stops all of that in real time.
should I factory reset my computer after a remote access scam
To be thorough, running a reputable security scan or a clean reinstall is the safest way to remove anything they left behind. At minimum, uninstall the remote tool and any programs you don't recognize.
did they steal my banking passwords through remote access
Assume anything you logged into during or before the session could be exposed, and change those passwords now from a clean device. Watch your bank and email closely for unfamiliar activity.
If you already responded
- Disconnect the computer from the internet right now, switch off Wi-Fi or unplug the network cable, to cut the scammer's live access instantly.
- Uninstall any remote-access program they had you install, and remove any other unfamiliar software added during the call.
- From a separate, trusted device, change the passwords for your email, banking, and any account you use on that computer, and turn on two-factor authentication.
- Call your bank's real number to freeze cards or accounts if you did any banking while they were connected, and run a full security scan or clean reinstall on the machine.
- Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov and watch for a callback offering a 'refund' for the fake service, that refund scam is designed to pull you back in. Never reconnect or reinstall the tool for them.
If you were already hit, expect a follow-up
One more thing to expect: after a scam, your details often land on lists that get reused, so you may be contacted again, sometimes by people posing as investigators, your bank's "fraud team," or "recovery agents" who promise to get your money back for an upfront fee. That follow-up is a second scam. No legitimate service charges a fee to recover funds.
Source: FTC Tech-Support Scams
Hunch is not affiliated with Microsoft. Microsoft is named only to describe a scam that impersonates it; the real Microsoft does not send these messages.