Scam safety
Remote support is safe — when you know what real looks like.
We clean up after remote-access scams regularly, so we know exactly how they work. This page is the advice we give every customer — including the ones who don't pay us a penny.
The warning signs of a scam
They contacted you
Nobody legitimate cold-calls, emails or pop-ups you about a virus. Real support starts with you asking for help.
Panic and urgency
'Your files are being deleted right now' is a script, not a diagnosis. Real engineers stay calm because the problem is almost never that dramatic.
Gift cards or bank transfers
No genuine company takes payment in gift cards, vouchers or cryptocurrency. Ever. That's the giveaway every single time.
They want your passwords
A remote engineer never needs your passwords. If someone asks for one — or asks you to read out a code texted to your phone — end the call.
What IT Advise will never do
- Call, email or message you out of the blue claiming your computer has a problem.
- Ask for payment in gift cards, bank transfer to a personal account, or cryptocurrency.
- Ask for your passwords, PINs or one-time security codes.
- Leave software on your machine that lets us back in after the session. Access ends when the session ends.
- Start work before you've agreed a fixed price. The price we quote is the price you pay.
During a session you watch everything on your own screen, and you can end it at any moment by closing the session window or switching the machine off.
If you've already been caught
- 1
Switch the machine off or disconnect it from the internet. Don't delete anything — it can help later.
- 2
From a different device, change the password on your email account first, then banking, then anything else you logged into while they were connected.
- 3
If you shared card or bank details, call your bank on the number printed on your card and tell them what happened. They deal with this daily and won't judge you.
- 4
Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at actionfraud.police.uk. It takes ten minutes and it matters.
- 5
Get the machine checked before you use it for anything sensitive. We can do this remotely — we'll look for anything the scammer installed and remove it.
Common questions
Microsoft called me and said my computer has a virus. Is it real?▾
No. Microsoft, Apple, your bank and your broadband provider do not cold-call you about viruses, and they never ask to connect to your computer out of the blue. Hang up. If something genuinely is wrong with your machine, the warning will be there when you look — it won't arrive as a phone call.
A pop-up says my computer is infected and gives me a number to call. What do I do?▾
Don't call the number and don't click anything in the pop-up. Close the browser tab — if it won't close, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc, end the browser process, and reopen it without restoring the previous session. These pop-ups are adverts designed to frighten you; the 'infection' is the pop-up itself.
I already let someone remote in and now I'm worried. What should I do?▾
Disconnect from the internet, then from another device change the passwords for your email, banking and any account you logged into while they were connected. Call your bank using the number on your card if you shared payment details. Then have the machine checked properly — we can do this remotely and check for anything they left behind.
How do I know a remote support session is legitimate?▾
You should start it, not them. You should see everything they do on your screen. The price should be agreed before anyone connects. Access should end completely when the session ends — no 'monitoring' software left behind unless you explicitly asked for it. And nobody legitimate will ever ask for gift cards, or ask you to move money to a 'safe account'.
Not sure if something was a scam? Ask us.
A senior engineer will look at what happened and tell you straight — including if the answer is "you're fine, do nothing".