I Let a Scammer Into My Computer: What to Do Now

A caller, pop-up or email said your computer was hacked or that you were owed a refund, and you let them connect to your computer or phone. Maybe you also logged into your bank or paid them while they watched. Here’s what to do right now, what to do next, and where to report it.

Right now: cut them off

1. Hang up and disconnect. End the call, then turn off Wi-Fi or unplug the network cable. Remote access software only requires an internet connection, the FBI notes, and its advice for scam pop-ups is to disconnect and shut down your device.
2. Don’t let them back in. If they call back, hang up. Don’t install anything or open links they send. Never let an unknown person who contacted you control your devices or accounts, the FBI says.
3. Stop logging into accounts on that device, especially banking and shopping, until it’s cleaned up (FTC).
4. Call your bank if you logged in or shared financial details. The FBI says to contact your financial institutions immediately when a criminal gets into your device or accounts. Use the number on your card, not one the caller gave you.
5. Write down what happened: the names and phone numbers they used, what they had you install, what you typed, and any payments.

Was it really a scam?

If they contacted you first, treat it as one. Legitimate tech companies won’t call, email or text you about a computer problem, and real security pop-ups never ask you to call a number, the FTC says. Microsoft doesn’t make unsolicited support calls, and Apple’s advice for an unsolicited “Apple Support” call is to just hang up. Both warn that caller ID can be faked. And the FBI says numbers in “sponsored” search results are often boosted by advertising.

Find your situation

What happened	Do this first
They connected, but you didn’t log in or pay	Clean up the device; change passwords.
You logged into your bank, or they saw account or card numbers	Call your bank’s fraud line now.
You paid them	Contact the company you paid through.
They say they “refunded too much”	Don’t send anything back.
They told you to move money, withdraw cash or buy gold to “protect it”	Stop, and call your bank.
You gave your Social Security number	Go to IdentityTheft.gov and freeze your credit.

The scam recovery checklist can turn your answers into a step-by-step list.

Clean up the computer or phone

Scammers with remote access often install malware, Microsoft warns. Reconnect only to clean up:

1. Uninstall any apps they had you install (Microsoft).
2. Update your security software, run a scan and delete anything it flags, as the FTC advises. No security software? The FTC suggests getting recommendations from independent review sites, friends and family.
3. Install all system updates, and consider resetting the device, as Microsoft suggests when scammers had access.
4. On an iPhone or iPad, check for configuration profiles you didn’t expect. Apple warns that some can control your device and explains how to delete them.
5. Change your passwords from a different device, starting with your bank and email, and anywhere you reused them (FTC). Turn on two-factor authentication, so a stolen password alone isn’t enough to get in. Never share a verification code; Apple, for one, never asks for them.
6. Get help if you need it from the manufacturer, a company you know and trust, or a knowledgeable friend or family member (FTC).

If you logged into your bank while they were connected

The FBI says a scammer can capture your bank login this way, then lock you out or black out the screen while wiring money away.

1. Call your bank’s fraud department now. Say someone had remote access while you were logged in.
2. Ask it to check for transfers or changes you didn’t make, and to close any account that may be compromised (CISA).
3. If a wire went out, ask for a recall and a “hold harmless” letter. Doing this as quickly as possible may reduce or eliminate your losses, the FBI says.
4. Don’t check your balance on that computer. Until it’s cleaned up, call the bank or use another device (FTC).

Shared your Social Security number? See what to do next.

If you paid them: steps by payment method

The FTC says scammers pick payment methods that work like cash: once you pay, it’s hard to get your money back. Move fast. The FTC’s first steps:

How you paid	First step
Credit or debit card	Call the card issuer or bank (number on the back of the card) and ask for a refund.
Zelle or bank transfer	Report it to your bank and ask it to reverse the payment. See I paid a scammer through Zelle.
Payment app	Report it to the app and ask it to reverse the payment.
Wire transfer company	Report it, say a scammer tricked you, and ask for a refund.
Gift card	Call the card company (number on the back). Say a scammer got the number and PIN, and ask for a refund. Keep the card and receipt.
Cryptocurrency	Tell the exchange or crypto ATM operator it was a fraudulent transaction and ask them to reverse it.
Cash by mail or shipping company	For U.S. mail, call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455; for a fee, it can intercept an undelivered domestic package. For other carriers, contact them right away.

Gift cards: Report it even if time has passed. Some card companies can freeze money still on the card, the FTC says. Crypto doesn’t have the same legal protections as credit and debit cards, though some states have passed laws that might help (FTC).

The “refund” trick: “we refunded you too much”

One version starts with a fake notice that your tech support subscription is renewing. When you call to dispute it, the scammer asks for remote access and has you enter bank or card details on a fake page to “process the refund.” Then they say they refunded too much and demand the difference back by gift card, wire or bank transfer, crypto or payment app (FTC).

Some scammers say they’ll lose their job unless you return the “extra,” sometimes as cash hidden in a magazine and shipped to an address they give you (FBI). Others use the “mistake” to get more banking details and empty the victim’s accounts (FBI).

• Don’t send anything back, whatever the screen shows.
• Call your bank yourself. If a real tech support charge shows up, ask the bank to reverse it. If there’s none, the message was a scam (FTC).

If someone told you to move your money to “protect it”

In what the FBI calls the “Phantom Hacker” scam, a fake tech support agent says your computer was hacked. Then a fake bank “fraud department,” and sometimes a fake government official, says a hacker got into your accounts and tells you to move your money to a “safe” account, such as one supposedly at the Federal Reserve, and not to tell anyone why. Other scammers have victims withdraw cash or buy gold for a courier to pick up.

It’s always a scam. The FTC says a government worker will never tell you to move your money to “protect it” or put it in a “federal safety locker” (there’s no such thing). The FBI says the government and legitimate businesses never ask you to buy gold, and warns never to meet strangers to hand over cash or valuables. Call the police if you feel you or a loved one is in danger (FBI).

In the first half of 2023, almost half the tech support scam victims reporting to IC3 were over 60, accounting for 66% of the more than $542 million lost (FBI).

Can I get my money back?

Maybe. It depends on how the money left and how fast you act, but the FTC says it’s always worth asking the company you used to send it.

• If the scammer moved the money. The CFPB’s examples include someone who gets into your computer and watches you type your bank login: electronic fund transfers made that way are unauthorized under a federal rule called Regulation E. Notify your bank within 60 days after it sends the statement showing the transfer; the bank generally has 10 business days to investigate (CFPB).
• If you sent it yourself, for example to “return” an overpayment, it can be hard to get back. Ask anyway, and tell the bank exactly who had access and who pressed “send”; the Zelle guide explains why.
• Credit cards have federal protection against unauthorized use, and the FTC says to ask for a refund even if a scammer tricked you into paying.

Reporting quickly to IC3 “can sometimes support the recovery of lost funds,” the FBI says, though an FBI agent warned in 2026 that recovery, especially from overseas, is “challenging and unlikely” (FBI).

How to report it

1. FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov, even if you didn’t lose money. The FTC uses reports to build cases against scammers.
2. FBI: IC3.gov. Include what the FBI asks for: the names, phone numbers, websites and email addresses the scammer used; the pop-up or link that started it; and any accounts, cards or crypto wallets that received money. Keep the originals. Type www.ic3.gov yourself; IC3 says sponsored search results are usually paid imitators.
3. Local police or your FBI field office. IC3 suggests contacting local authorities, and the FBI asks Phantom Hacker victims to report to their local field office too.
4. 60 or older, or helping someone who is? Call the Justice Department’s National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311), Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern. A case manager helps you report the crime, and help is available in English, Spanish and other languages (Office for Victims of Crime).
5. Claimed to be Microsoft? You can also report it at microsoft.com/reportascam.

Watch for the follow-up scam

Scammers trade lists of people who’ve already been scammed, the FTC warns. Watch for:

• A “refund” from the same company. Scammers may pose as the company that took your money.
• Fake FTC refund calls. The FTC and its refund administrators never request remote access or ask you to pay to get a refund.
• Fake FBI or IC3 contacts. IC3 never contacts people directly by phone, email or social media, and never asks for payment to recover money.
• Paid “recovery” help. Government agencies and legitimate organizations never ask for money to help you get a refund (FTC).
• A “bank” call telling you to move money. Hang up and call the number on your card.

If you’re helping a parent

“Almost anyone can be a victim,” an FBI agent said in 2026 (FBI). Older adults may not report fraud because they don’t know how or feel ashamed, the FBI notes. Ask calmly whether they’re still in touch with the “helper” and whether any transfers, withdrawals or pickups are planned. Scammers may ask for several transfers over days or months, and tell victims to keep the real reason secret (FBI).

What varies

• Your bank or card issuer makes refund decisions, and fraud procedures differ.
• Who moved the money, and how. A transfer the scammer made is treated differently from a payment you sent. Gift cards, wires and crypto are hard to recover.
• Your state. Some states have passed laws that might help crypto scam victims.
• Your device. Cleanup differs for Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android.