Scam Library
Plain-English guides to tech support and remote access scams: how they start, how to tell if someone is on your computer, and what to do if they already were.
Is someone on your computer right now? Disconnect it from the internet, then follow this two-minute checklist.
Latest scam alerts
Email scamStill activePower BI "Download Reference" link installs ScreenConnect remote access on your PCA link in an email opens a Microsoft Power BI page with a "Download Reference" button that quietly installs ScreenConnect.Reported Fake websiteStill activeFake bank "support chat" downloads AnyDesk so scammers can get into your computerA warning about your bank account sends you to a fake bank site whose "live chat" downloads AnyDesk and asks for your code.Reported Email scamStill active"Transaction Receipt" PDF email quietly installs Action1 remote access on your PCA blurred "Transaction Receipt" PDF fetches a fake Adobe update that installs Action1, giving the sender remote control of your PC.Reported
If it’s happening now
Someone remotely accessed my computer. What now?What to do in the first few minutes if a stranger had control of your Windows PC.How to tell if someone is controlling your PCThe real signs of a remote session, and the ones people worry about for nothing.What to do after a remote access scamAfter the call ends: your money, your accounts, the computer, and reporting it.
How these scams work
Remote access scams: how they workWhy the dangerous part is often a legitimate remote-support tool.Tech support scamsFake support that turns into remote control, including bank and company impersonation.Fake Microsoft support scamsA pop-up or a caller using Microsoft’s name to get onto your computer.
The tools scammers ask for
AnyDesk scamsAnyDesk is a real tool. A stranger telling you to open it is a different matter.TeamViewer scamsThe same trick as other remote-support scams, with a name people already trust.ScreenConnect and ConnectWise scamsSupport software real technicians use, abused when a stranger installs it.Quick Assist scams: what to do if a caller asked for your codeQuick Assist is built into Windows, so scammers love it. Here's how the trick works and what to do if you shared your screen.