Clicked a Suspicious Link or Let Someone Remote In? What to Do Now, and When to Bring the PC In
It happens to careful people. A shipping email, a bank alert, a full-screen warning with a phone number, and a very convincing voice on the other end. What matters now is which of four things actually happened, because they call for different responses.
Four Different Situations, Four Different Risks
Be honest with yourself about which line you're on. Nobody at my counter judges.
| What happened | What it likely means | Bring the computer in? |
|---|---|---|
| You viewed a page or opened an email, then closed it | Usually nothing installed. Modern browsers block most drive-by attacks. Watch for new pop-ups or extensions over the next few days. | Only if odd behavior starts |
| You downloaded and ran a file, or installed what the page offered | Assume something is on the machine until proven otherwise, even if it looked like a PDF or an “update.” | Yes |
| You typed a password, code or card number into the page | The device may be fine; the account isn't. Change that password now from a different device, and every account that shares it. | Yes if you also downloaded anything; otherwise focus on the accounts first |
| You let someone connect and control the computer | They had full access. Anything could have been copied, installed or changed, and remote-access software may still be there. | Yes, and don't use it for banking until it's checked |
The FTC and Microsoft both describe the remote-access version as the most damaging tech support scam, because the caller gets everything the computer's owner has.
The Next Hour: Limited, Safe Steps
Nothing here requires a download or a phone call to anyone but your bank.
Stop communicating with them
Hang up, don't call back, don't reply to the email or text, and don't answer when they call again (they will). Real companies don't cold-call about infections, and Microsoft says plainly that its error messages never include a phone number.
Disconnect the computer from the internet
Turn off Wi-Fi or unplug the network cable. If they had remote access, this ends the session and stops anything they installed from sending data out. Then hold the power button until it shuts off.
Use a different device for anything involving accounts
From your phone or another computer, change the password on your email first (it's the key to resetting everything else), then banking, then anything that shared the same password. Turn on two-step verification where offered. Google's account recovery page is a good model for the order.
Call your bank or card issuer if money or card details were involved
Use the number on the back of the card, not one from the page or the caller. If you bought gift cards or sent a payment, the FTC's guide on what to do if you were scammed covers each payment type.
Report it
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov takes reports on tech support and remote-access scams. It takes ten minutes and helps more than it feels like it does.
What an In-Office Assessment Can and Can't Do
Cleaning the device and securing your accounts are two separate jobs. I do the first and walk you through the second.
When a post-scam computer comes to my bench in Somerville, I look for what was left behind: remote-access programs the caller installed, new user accounts, scheduled tasks, changed browser settings, disabled security software, and any malware the download carried in. I scan the drive from outside Windows so nothing can hide, remove what I find, confirm Windows and its protection are patched and running, and verify the machine is clean before I call you.
What I can't do from the bench is reach into your Gmail, your bank or your Amazon account. Those live on servers, not on your hard drive, so cleaning the computer doesn't un-steal a password. That's why the account steps above come first and happen from a device you trust. When you pick up, I go through which accounts the evidence suggests were exposed and the order to lock them down, and that walkthrough is included in the service.
The assessment is $75, credited toward the cleanup. If something was installed, removal is a flat $149 with the diagnostic folded in, 24 to 48 hours for most machines, 30-day labor warranty. If nothing was installed, you pay the $75 and leave with a clean bill of health, which after a scare like this is worth having. Details are on the virus removal page, and fake virus warning pop-ups explains how the full-screen version of this scam works so you can spot the next one.
Bring the computer and its charger, plus anything you remember: the phone number they used, the name of any program they had you install, what you typed, and when. Dave's Computers is at 75 N Bridge St in downtown Somerville, behind Bank of America. Walk in Mon-Fri 10-5 or Sat 9-2, no appointment needed, and bring the charger.
Directions to the Shop in Somerville
Drop-off only, no appointment needed. Here's how far you are and how to get here.
From Bridgewater
Route 22 or Route 206 south into downtown Somerville, then N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Hillsborough
Route 206 north into Somerville; N Bridge St is one block off Main Street.
Open in Google MapsFrom Bound Brook
Route 28 west straight into Somerville.
Open in Google MapsFrom Piscataway
Route 28 west, or I-287 north to Route 22 west, into downtown Somerville.
Open in Google MapsFrom Flemington
Route 202 north into Somerville; downtown is just past the Somerville Circle.
Open in Google MapsFrom Princeton
Route 206 north the whole way into Somerville.
Open in Google MapsServing Somerset, Hunterdon, Middlesex and Mercer counties from one shop. Bring the computer and its charger, walk in during business hours, and I'll take it from there. Call (908) 428-9558 first if you need it back the same day.
After a Suspicious Click or Remote Session: Common Questions
I only clicked the link and closed the page. Do I need to do anything?
Probably not much. Modern browsers block most attacks that work from just viewing a page. Change any password you typed, watch for new pop-ups or extensions over the next week, and bring the computer in only if it starts behaving oddly.
A scammer had remote access to my computer for 20 minutes. Is it safe to keep using it?
Not for anything that matters until it's checked. Assume they may have installed remote-access software, copied files or saved passwords, and changed settings. Disconnect it from the internet, do your password changes from another device, and bring it in.
Can you get my money back or fix my hacked account?
No, and be careful of anyone who says they can for a fee; that's a second scam aimed at the same victims. Your bank or card issuer handles the money, using the number on your card. I clean the device and walk you through securing accounts in the right order.
Should I just factory reset the computer?
It's an option, but it destroys the evidence of what was done and erases your files, and it still doesn't fix exposed accounts. A bench assessment tells you what actually happened. Will a factory reset remove a virus? goes into the trade-offs.
How much does the post-scam checkup cost at Dave's?
$75 for the diagnostic, credited toward removal if anything was installed. Removal is a flat $149. Walk in Mon-Fri 10-5 or Sat 9-2 at 75 N Bridge St, Somerville, NJ, behind Bank of America, or call (908) 428-9558 first if you're rattled and want to talk it through.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission, How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams
- Microsoft Support, Protect yourself from tech support scams
- Federal Trade Commission, What To Do if You Were Scammed
- Google Account Help, Secure a hacked or compromised Google Account
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, ic3.gov
Let Someone In? Get the Computer Checked Today.
$75 assessment credited toward removal, flat $149 if something was installed, and a walkthrough of which accounts to lock down first. Somerville, NJ, no appointment.
📞 (908) 428-9558