Bank asked me to install AnyDesk? It's a scam

Real banks never ask you to install AnyDesk or move money to keep it safe. Hang up, call the number on your card, and follow these steps.

By the Xcelcor Guardian team · Updated October 13, 2026

No real bank will ask you to install AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Assist or any other remote access app, and no real fraud team will ask you to move money to "keep it safe". If someone on the phone or in a chat asks you to do either, hang up and call the number on the back of your card.

How the call usually goes

It often starts with a text or call about a large charge you didn't make. The caller knows your name and sometimes part of your account number. Then they say your computer has been "hacked" and they need to connect to it to stop the thief. Once connected, they can show you a fake balance, open your real bank account, or talk you through a transfer, a cash withdrawal or a gold purchase.

Scammers can also fake the caller ID. The FCC describes spoofing as a caller sending false caller ID information so you're more likely to answer, and lists bank impersonation as a common scam where callers claim there's suspicious activity and push you to move money to a so-called "safe" account (FCC scam glossary). So the number on your screen can look right and still be fake. The same trick turns up in fake bank support chats, where a friendly agent asks you to install AnyDesk; our alert on the fake bank support chat scam shows what it looks like.

Signs the call isn't really your bank

They ask you to install an app so they can see your screen.
They ask for a code that was just texted to you.
They tell you to move money to a new "safe" account, buy gold or withdraw cash.
They ask you to keep it secret, even from your family or the staff at your branch.
They stay on the line and get upset if you want to hang up and call back.

A real fraud team can freeze a card or block a payment without ever touching your computer. Any one of these is enough to end the call. Your bank won't mind if you hang up and call the number on your card to check.

What to do right now

Hang up, even if they say the line must stay open.
If an app is already running, disconnect the PC from the internet.
Call your bank from another phone, using the number on the back of your card. Ask them to check for new payees, transfers and linked devices.
Change your email password from another device.
Follow our two-minute checklist.

Removing the app

On Windows 11, open Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps. Find AnyDesk (or the app they used), click the three dots and choose Uninstall. On Windows 10 the list is under Apps & features.

Reporting it

Report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov. If money moved, ask your bank to file a fraud claim and write down the date and the name you were given.

If this happened to someone you love

Please don't blame them. These callers work from scripts that are tested on thousands of people. A calm plan for next time helps more than a lecture.

Xcelcor Guardian is one way to add a second person to that plan. It's a Windows 11 app that holds every new remote connection until the account holder approves it by email or on xcelcor.com, so the call that would have let a stranger in goes to you first. It doesn't see the screen, files, passwords or banking, and it isn't antivirus. It lowers the risk; it doesn't stop every scam. You can try it free for 14 days on one PC, no card needed.

Last updated October 13, 2026