AnyDesk scams
AnyDesk is a real tool. A stranger telling you to open it is a different matter.
AnyDesk is a real, legitimate program. Support technicians and IT departments use it every day to fix computers from a distance. It’s also one of the tools scammers ask for most, for the same reasons: it’s free, it starts in seconds, and it looks official.
If a stranger has asked you to install AnyDesk, the safest thing to do is stop. You don’t have to be certain it’s a scam. Genuine support you didn’t ask for doesn’t start like this.
How an AnyDesk scam works
The call or message comes first. It might be about a virus, a refund, your bank or a parcel. Whatever the story, it ends with “I’ll need to look at your computer to sort this out.”
They send you to the AnyDesk website, or a link made to look like it, and talk you through the download. When AnyDesk opens, it shows a number. That’s your AnyDesk address, sometimes called your ID. They ask you to read it out.
With that number they request a connection, and a window pops up on your screen asking whether to accept it. They tell you to click Accept, sometimes after ticking extra permissions. Once you do, they can see your screen and use your mouse and keyboard.
What comes next is usually one of these: opening your online banking “to check for hackers”, showing you a fake refund, or blacking out your screen while they “run a scan”. Some also set a password for unattended access, which lets them connect again later without anyone clicking Accept.
Is it safe to give someone my AnyDesk address?
The number on its own doesn’t let anyone in. Someone still has to accept the connection on your PC, unless unattended access has been set up. But reading it out is the step that leads straight to the Accept window, so there’s no reason to give it to someone you don’t know. Treat it like the key to your front door, and only hand it to someone you invited.
Does AnyDesk call people?
No. AnyDesk says it only replies to support requests that you start yourself. So if someone phones, texts or emails you saying they’re from AnyDesk, it isn’t AnyDesk. Hang up, and don’t open the program for them.
Signs the call is a scam
- They contacted you, or you rang a number from a pop-up, text or email.
- They say it’s urgent and you mustn’t hang up.
- They want you to sign in to your bank while they’re connected.
- They ask you to buy gift cards, use a Bitcoin ATM or send a wire.
- Your screen goes black and they say they’re running a scan.
If a scammer connected through AnyDesk
- Turn off the internet: airplane mode, Wi-Fi off, or unplug the cable. The session ends straight away.
- Hang up the phone.
- From another device, call your bank on the number from your card, and change your email password.
- Remove AnyDesk, and check for anything else they installed, before you go back online.
Our two-minute checklist walks you through these steps one at a time, and What to do after a remote access scam covers the days that follow. You can report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov.
How to remove AnyDesk
Open Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps (Apps & features on Windows 10), find AnyDesk and choose Uninstall. AnyDesk can also run without being installed, in which case it won’t be in that list. Close it from its icon next to the clock, then delete the AnyDesk file from your Downloads folder.
While you’re in the apps list, sort it by install date and look for anything else that appeared the same day. Scammers sometimes add a second remote tool as a way back in.
Can someone use AnyDesk without me knowing?
Not unless unattended access has been switched on. It’s off when you first install AnyDesk, and turning it on means setting a password. Without it, every connection needs someone at your PC to click Accept. That’s why scammers who want to come back try to set that password during the first call.
If you’re keeping AnyDesk, open its settings, go to the security section and check whether unattended access is on. If you didn’t set it up yourself for someone you trust, turn it off. If you’re not sure what you’re looking at, uninstalling is simpler. For other signs to look for, see How to tell if someone is controlling your PC.
What a genuine AnyDesk session looks like
When real support uses AnyDesk, you asked for the help, usually by calling someone you already know. They tell you who they are before they connect, and the request that appears on your screen comes while you’re expecting it. During the session AnyDesk shows a small window saying who is connected, and you can end it at any time with the Disconnect button. They don’t need your bank, and they never ask for gift cards.
Can I keep using AnyDesk?
Yes, with people you know. If a family member or your usual technician helps you through AnyDesk, there’s no need to remove it. A few habits keep it safe:
- Only accept a connection you were expecting, from someone you contacted yourself.
- Don’t set up unattended access unless you’re sure who it’s for.
- If a session starts to feel wrong, turn off the internet. You can always reconnect later.
How Guardian handles AnyDesk
Xcelcor Guardian doesn’t treat AnyDesk as the problem. It treats an unapproved connection as the problem. When an AnyDesk connection is requested, Guardian holds it and asks the account holder to approve it, showing the caller’s AnyDesk number so they can see who it is. Your regular helper can be allowed every time. Anyone new waits for approval, and on the PC itself the only button is Refuse.
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