Help & guides · Updated October 2026
I let a scammer into my computer. What do I do right now?
The first hour matters more than anything a shop can do later. Here is exactly what to do, in order, starting right now.
Someone said they were from Microsoft, or your bank, or “tech support,” and you let them connect to your computer. Now your stomach is in a knot. First: these are professional operations, and they catch smart people every single day. There is no judgment here. Second: what you do in the next hour matters more than anything, so stop reading the rest of the internet and do these, in this order.
1. Disconnect the computer, right now
Pull the network cable out of the back, or turn off the Wi-Fi, or simply hold the power button until it shuts off. Any of those works. The point is to end their connection this minute, because as long as the computer is online they may still be in it. Do not “just finish the call” first. Hang up on them, then unplug.
2. Do not pay, and do not call them back
Whatever they said you owe, whatever refund they say went wrong, whatever is “about to be deleted,” do not pay it. Not by card, not by bank transfer, not by gift card, not by cryptocurrency. If they call back, and they will, hang up. Urgency is the entire trick. Nothing real from Microsoft, Apple, or your bank ever requires a payment in the next ten minutes.
3. Call your bank, from the number on your card
If you paid anything, typed a card number, logged into your bank while they were connected, or they “showed you” your account, call the bank now. Use the number on the back of your card, not one from a pop-up, an email, or the caller. Tell them a scammer had remote access to your computer and ask them to watch the account, reissue the card, and reverse anything they can. Speed matters more here than anything a repair shop can do later. If gift cards were involved, call the number on the card, too.
4. Change passwords, from a different device
Use your phone or another computer, not the one they were in. Change them in this order: your email first, because it resets everything else; then your bank and any financial logins; then shopping sites with a saved card; then everything else. Turn on two-step verification wherever it is offered. While you are in your email, look at its settings for forwarding rules or filters you did not create, which scammers hide so they keep seeing your mail after you lock them out.
5. Keep the computer off until it is checked
Do not use it for banking, email, or shopping in the meantime, and do not run a “scanner” they suggested, which is often the thing that is infected. You can leave it powered off. Resetting it yourself is tempting, but we would rather see what they left behind first, because that tells us which of your accounts they could reach.
6. Bring it in
Bring the computer to us, powered off is fine, and tell us what happened so we know where to look. For the flat $60 we find the remote-access programs they installed, check what they may have looked at, see whether anything is still phoning home, and clean it out. Then we help you finish the password list in the right order and set up real protection so there is no way back in. The $60 comes off the work. That is our hacked or scammed help, and if the computer also picked up pop-ups or fake warnings along the way, virus removal is part of the same cleanup.
What to tell the people you report it to
Write down what you remember while it is fresh: the name they used, the number they called from, what they showed you, and anything you paid. Your bank will ask. If you want to report it, the Federal Trade Commission takes reports at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and it helps the next person even when it cannot get your money back.
When to bring it in
As soon as you have done steps one through four. Walk in Monday through Thursday, 9:00 to 5:30, or Friday by appointment, at 746 S Arnold St Suite 3, the black door with our logo on it, straight ahead when you pull in, up the steps. If you would rather we were expecting you, book a drop-off online. Every price we charge is on our prices page; the diagnostic is $60 and it is credited to the cleanup.
They got in. We get them out.
Bring the computer in, off is fine. $60 to find what they left behind, credited to the cleanup, and no judgment.
Common questions
Quick answers
They only connected for a few minutes. Am I probably fine?
Maybe, but a few minutes is enough to install a program that lets them back in later, or to copy saved passwords from your browser. Do steps one through four regardless, and have the computer checked before you use it for anything that matters. The $60 look settles it either way.
Can you get my money back?
Honestly, that is your bank’s department, and speed is everything, so call them first. We can tell you what the scammers touched, which helps the bank, and we can make sure there is no way back in. Anyone who promises to recover your money for a fee is running the second scam.
Should I just reset the computer to factory settings?
You can, and it does remove most of what they install. But we would rather see it first, because what they left behind tells us what they could reach: saved passwords, email, banking. Most scam cleanups do not need a wipe, and your files stay put. If a clean start is the honest fix, we copy your photos and documents off first.
How do I keep this from happening again?
Real companies never put a phone number in a pop-up and never cold-call about a virus. If “Microsoft” calls, hang up, then call us. Our SBCR Membership adds managed antivirus and a local shop that calls you first when something looks wrong, for $9.99 a month, with the first 30 days free.
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Read more →Is my laptop worth fixing, or should I replace it?
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Read more →Whatever broke, we’ve probably seen it. Let’s take a look.
Our flat prices are posted on the pricing page. The one thing we never guess at is the repair itself: we look first ($60, credited to your repair), then you get a real number before any work starts. Walk in, book a time, or text us a photo of what’s wrong. Look for the black door with our logo on it, straight ahead when you pull in, up the steps; knock if it’s locked, we’re here.