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What to do after the scammers have accessed my PC?

If you suspect that you've been a victim of a scam whether that be by phone or email, don't panic. Work through our suggestions below to hopefully keep you from harm.

 

If you've already let them in...

Stay calm, if you think you have been contacted by a scammer you can use the suggestions below to help keep yourself safe:

 

Remove remote access (if unsure how, just restart your computer). That should cut the remote session and kick them out of your PC

 Make sure your anti-virus software hasn’t been removed and is working correctly

 Scan your computer for malware. They may have installed password stealers or other Trojans to capture your keystrokes. Go into your anti-virus and run a complete system scan

 Change all your passwords (Windows password, email, banking, etc)

 Try to do a System Restore. If it's not available, check for backups you may have made and stored somewhere else

 In some cases even if you avoided paying the scammers, they'll seek revenge on your machine. Here are some things they might try -  Main password lockout and removal of drivers. For help with  these,  visit Microsoft

 To remove TeamViewer see this helpful guide

 To report a phishing email, see Report a phishing or spam email

 

Top Tips for making it harder for scammers

If you gave permission to the caller to access your computer, you should no longer consider it to be safe or clean. They might have installed programs, changed settings, or even installed a virus. In short, you can no longer trust it.

 

Install TalkTalk Supersafe

SuperSafe Internet Security powered by security experts F-Secure. SuperSafe protects your devices from viruses, phishing scams and online banking fraud.

Reinstall Windows

If all else fails, reinstall Windows. Don’t forget to back up your data before you begin with your reinstallation. Scan all the files that you’re backing up so that you don’t save the virus you’re trying to get rid of.

 

 

 

Backup your files

You would be well advised to back up all your files and reinstall your operating system. This could be a slow process but it ensures that your computer is back to a pristine state.

Don't buy a new computer!

People think that if a computer gets a virus, they’ll need to throw it away. This isn't necessary, as the hardware is still perfectly ok. Reinstalling Windows is like resetting the system and gets rid of the virus in the process.