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.A scammer had remote access to my parent's computer: what to do nowA full checklist: cut the connection, call the bank, freeze credit, clean the PC, report it, spot the 'refund' call, and talk with your parent without blame.
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 calls: how the scam worksA caller using Microsoft’s name to get onto your computer, and how the call plays out.Fake Microsoft pop-up saying "call this number": what to doA pop-up says your PC is infected and to call Microsoft? It's a scam. Here's what to do right now, and what to do if you already let the caller in.Bank asked me to install AnyDesk? It's a scamReal 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.
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.How to block remote access on Windows 11, including AnyDesk, ScreenConnect and Quick AssistRemote Desktop is only one door. Scammers usually use AnyDesk, TeamViewer, ScreenConnect or Quick Assist. How to close each, and what settings can't do.How to turn off Quick Assist on Windows 11 Home (and why scammers use it)Quick Assist lets someone take over a PC with a short code. If nobody in the house uses it, remove it. Here's how on Windows 11 Home.How to block AnyDesk and TeamViewer requests on a home Windows PCIf nobody uses AnyDesk or TeamViewer, uninstall them. If your family does, lock them down so a stranger with a code has a much harder time getting in.
Looking out for someone else
How to protect your parents from remote-support scamsA practical setup for when you’re not in the room and they’re the one on the phone.The 20-minute holiday checklist to protect a parent's computer from scamsA 20-minute checklist for a holiday visit: remove unused remote apps, agree on one rule about connections, and keep the bank's real number by the PC.How to protect your elderly parent's computer from scammers, even when you live far awayScams on a parent's PC usually start with a call or pop-up and end with remote access. What to set up, what to agree on, and how to help from far away.The full Thanksgiving setup guide: protect an elderly parent's Windows 11 PC from remote-access scamsUse the Thanksgiving visit to close the doors scam callers use: unused remote apps, an admin account, saved passwords, bank alerts and one family rule.Tech gifts for elderly parents who get scam calls: a 2026 holiday guideGifts that cut scam calls and make the computer harder to take over, from a free carrier setting to a landline call blocker and an afternoon of setup help.
Insights
How these scams work, step by step, and how to protect your family, your parents and your team. Read the Insights →