“I think I was hacked”
Scam pop-up or hacked account: what to do now
If a warning told you to call a number, if someone you do not know connected to your computer, or if an account is sending things you did not write, slow down. The next ten minutes matter more than the next ten hours.
How to recognize it
- A loud full-screen warning with a phone number to call
- Someone on the phone asked to connect to your computer or asked for gift cards
- Password-reset emails you did not request
- Friends get messages from you that you did not send
- Logins or purchases you do not recognize
- You are locked out of your email or social account
What you can try yourself first
- If someone is connected right now, cut the connectionTurn off Wi-Fi or unplug the network cable, then turn the computer off. Nothing more can happen to it while it is off.
- Call your bank from a phoneIf you gave a card number, bank login or allowed a transfer, call the number printed on your card. Do this before anything else. Banks can often stop a payment that is minutes old.
- Change the email password first, from another deviceYour email account resets every other password, so it comes first. Use a phone or another computer that the stranger never touched. Then turn on two-step verification.
- Sign out everywhereGoogle, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook and most banks have a Sign out of all devices option in their security settings. Use it after changing the password.
- Do not pay for a second rescuePeople who were just scammed often get a call offering to recover the money for a fee. That is the same scam again.
When to stop and call us
- A stranger had remote access to the computer, even for a minute
- You cannot get back into your email account
- You are not sure what they installed or looked at
- It happened on a computer used for a business
How a remote session fixes it
We check what the visitor left behind: remote-access programs set to start by themselves, new user accounts, changed browser settings, saved passwords that were exposed. We remove their tools, close the doors they opened and help you work through the accounts in the right order.
We know the irony of fixing a remote-access scam with a remote session, so here is how to tell the difference. You came to us; we did not call you. You pay on this site through Stripe, never with gift cards or crypto. You start the session and you can end it by closing TeamViewer. If your case needs a formal investigation, our sister company EBOXLAB handles digital forensics.
Questions
How do I know if my computer was hacked?
Typical signs are password-reset emails you did not request, logins from places you have never been, programs you did not install, and friends receiving messages you did not send. One sign alone can be innocent; several together deserve a check.
A pop-up says my computer is infected and gives a number. Is it real?
No. Microsoft, Apple and Google do not put phone numbers in warnings. Close the browser, or hold the power button if it will not close. Do not call.
I already let them connect. What now?
Turn the computer off, call your bank if any money or card details were involved, and change your email password from another device. Then call us and we will check what was left on the computer.
Related problems
Help with this across Colorado
Remote sessions work anywhere with an internet connection. On-site visits are for business clients, by appointment.
Still reading? Just call.
(720) 222-0110Mon–Fri 8 AM–6 PM Mountain. For emergencies, call or buy a session any time and we answer as fast as we can.