TeamViewer scams
The same trick as other remote-support scams, with a name people already trust.
TeamViewer is one of the best-known remote-support programs there is. Businesses use it to look after thousands of computers, and lots of families use it so one relative can help another. Scammers use it because of that reputation. When a caller says “just install TeamViewer”, it sounds routine.
How a TeamViewer scam starts
Usually with a call or a message you weren’t expecting. The caller says they’re from Microsoft, your internet provider, your bank, or a company you’ve supposedly paid. There’s a problem, and they can fix it if they can see your screen.
They send you to download TeamViewer, or a smaller version called QuickSupport that runs without being installed. When it opens, it shows an ID and a password. They ask you to read both out. Some versions of QuickSupport use a session code instead, and then a window asks you to click Allow, which the caller will tell you to do. Whether it’s a code or an ID and password, it’s the caller’s way in.
That’s all they need. Once someone has your TeamViewer ID and password, they can usually connect without you clicking anything else. Reading out those two things is the same as opening the door.
Does TeamViewer call people?
No. TeamViewer says it doesn’t provide remote support services of any kind. So a caller who says they’re from TeamViewer and wants to fix your computer isn’t from TeamViewer. Hang up.
Can someone connect again later?
Only if they have a way back. By default, the password TeamViewer shows you isn’t permanent, and QuickSupport stops working when you close it. That’s why scammers who want to return try to set up their own access during the first call, as described below. If TeamViewer is still on your PC after a call like this, assume they may have.
What they do once they’re in
They might show you “proof” of a virus, sell you a support plan, or open your bank so you can check your account. In refund scams they show you a balance that’s suddenly too high and ask you to send back the extra. In bank scams they ask you to move money to keep it safe.
Some also make sure they can come back. They might set a permanent password, link your computer to their own TeamViewer account, or install a different remote tool alongside it.
Red flags
- You didn’t ask for help, or you got the number from a pop-up, an email or a search ad.
- They ask for both your ID and your password.
- They tell you not to hang up, or not to call your bank.
- They want payment in gift cards, crypto or by wire.
- They get impatient or angry when you hesitate. Real support doesn’t mind if you call them back.
If a stranger connected with TeamViewer
- Disconnect the computer from the internet straight away.
- End the call.
- From another phone or computer, call your bank and change your email password.
- Before going back online, check the PC as described below.
If you want to go one step at a time, follow our two-minute checklist. What to do after a remote access scam covers the next few days.
Check for access they left behind
Closing the TeamViewer window isn’t enough if they set it up to start with Windows.
- Open Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps (Apps & features on Windows 10), and uninstall TeamViewer unless you installed it for someone you trust.
- In the same list, sorted by install date, look for other remote tools installed that day.
- In Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), check the Startup apps tab (called Startup on Windows 10) for anything new.
- If you’re keeping TeamViewer, change its password and look through its settings for any access you didn’t set up.
Not sure whether someone is still getting in? How to tell if someone is controlling your PC lists the signs.
Where do I report a TeamViewer scam?
In the US, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI at ic3.gov. If you lost money, tell your bank first, using the number on the back of your card. TeamViewer also takes reports of its software being misused, at teamviewer.com/report-a-scam. If you gave out your Social Security number or other personal details, IdentityTheft.gov will help you make a recovery plan.
What a genuine session looks like
It helps to know what normal looks like. With real support, you contacted them first, usually by calling a number you already had. They tell you who they are and what they’re going to do before they connect. While they’re connected, TeamViewer shows a small panel on your screen with their name, and you can end the session at any time by closing it. They don’t ask you to sign in to your bank, and they never ask for payment through the session.
Using TeamViewer safely
If someone you know helps you with TeamViewer, keep it. Agree with them that they’ll never ask for access out of the blue, and that a session only starts after you’ve phoned them. If anybody else asks for your TeamViewer ID, the answer is no, whatever they tell you.
A second line of defense
Rules like that work until the day someone is frightened and in a hurry. Xcelcor Guardian adds an approval step that doesn’t depend on that moment. Every new remote connection, from TeamViewer or anything else, waits until the account holder approves it by email or on our website. Your usual helper can be allowed every time. A stranger with your ID and password still gets nowhere.
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