What to Do If You Think You Fell for a Scam

You called a fake “support” number, paid someone, or let a stranger take remote control of your computer, and now you’re worried about what they did.

Why: A scammer who got money or remote access may have made charges, installed software, or seen your passwords. Acting quickly — in the right order — limits the damage. Start with your money and accounts, then clean the device.

Fix 1: Protect your money first

1. If you paid by card, call your credit card provider right away to contest the charges and explain what happened, so they can cancel and replace affected cards.
2. If you shared bank or card details, contact your bank to alert them to possible fraud.
3. Watch your statements over the next few weeks for charges you don’t recognize.

The sooner you call, the better your chances of reversing a charge.

Fix 2: Change your passwords

If a scammer had remote access, assume they may have seen anything you typed or had saved.

1. From a device you trust, change the passwords for your important accounts — email, banking, and your Microsoft account first.
2. Turn on two-step (multi-factor) verification where it’s offered, so a stolen password alone isn’t enough to get in.
3. Don’t reuse the same password across accounts.

Fix 3: Clean up your device

1. Uninstall any program the scammer asked you to install. Go to Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find it, and select More (…) > Uninstall.
2. Run a full scan in Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options > Full scan.
3. For a deeper check, run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan from the same Scan options menu — it restarts your PC and scans before Windows loads.
4. If you gave the scammer extensive remote access and you’re still uneasy, consider resetting your PC via Start > Settings > System > Recovery (back up your files first).
5. Install all pending updates via Start > Settings > Windows Update.

Fix 4: Report it

Report the scam to Microsoft at microsoft.com/reportascam. Reporting helps Microsoft act against the scammers and can support any dispute you raise with your bank.

FAQ

They had remote access for only a minute — do I still need to do all this? Yes, change your important passwords and run a full scan. It only takes seconds to drop malware or copy a saved password.

Can I get my money back? Maybe — contact your card provider or bank as soon as possible, since faster reporting improves the odds of reversing a charge.

Do I have to reset my whole PC? Not always. Uninstalling the scammer’s software and running a full scan (and an Offline scan) is usually enough. Reset only if you gave them deep access and can’t shake the worry.

Sources: Microsoft Support — Protect yourself from tech support scams, Microsoft Support — Avoid and report Microsoft technical support scams