One of the fastest ways Australians lose money and personal information isn’t a clever piece of hacking — it’s handing over control of their own computer to a stranger, willingly. It’s called a remote access scam, and it works because the tools involved are completely legitimate and the person on the phone sounds calm, helpful and official. If you take one thing from this article, make it this: never let someone who contacted you take remote control of your device.
What “remote access” actually means
Remote access software lets one person see and control another person’s computer over the internet — moving the mouse, typing, opening files and installing programs as if they were sitting in front of it. Tools like AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Supremo and Microsoft’s Quick Assist are used every day by genuine IT support teams (including ours) for good reasons.
The software isn’t the problem. The problem is who you let use it, and why. Once someone has remote control, they can do anything you could do — including opening your email, your photos and your online banking.
How the scam usually plays out
It nearly always starts with contact you didn’t ask for — an unexpected phone call, a pop-up warning, or an email:
- Someone claims to be from Apple, Microsoft, Telstra, the NBN, your bank or “the fraud department”.
- They tell you something alarming — “your computer is infected”, “your account has been hacked”, “we’ve detected suspicious activity”, or “you’re owed a refund”.
- They create urgency, so you act before you think.
- They ask you to install a program so they can “fix it” — that’s the remote access tool.
Once they’re in, the damage varies but the playbook is familiar: they show you harmless system messages and pretend they’re serious “viruses”; they log your keystrokes; they open your banking; and in the cruellest version — the “refund” trick — they pretend to refund you, “accidentally” move money between your own accounts to make it look like they sent too much, then pressure you to send the difference back. Some also quietly install malware or change your passwords so they can come back later.
The one rule that keeps you safe
If you didn’t start the contact, don’t give them access — full stop.
Apple, Microsoft, your bank and the NBN will never ring you out of the blue and ask to remote into your computer. A pop-up that gives you a phone number to call is always a scam — real virus warnings don’t hand you a support line. When in doubt, hang up, close the pop-up, and don’t install anything.
Red flags to watch for
- An unexpected call, pop-up or email about a “problem” with your computer or accounts.
- Being asked to install software like AnyDesk, TeamViewer or Supremo by someone you didn’t call.
- Pressure and urgency — “act now or lose your data / your money / your account”.
- Any request to log into your banking while they watch, or to buy gift cards or send a transfer.
- Being told to keep it secret or not to hang up.
“But I sometimes need real remote help”
You do — and that’s fine, because there’s a clear difference between legitimate remote support and a scam. It comes down to who started it and whether you trust them:
| Legitimate remote support | A remote access scam |
|---|---|
| You called them, on a number you looked up | They contacted you, unexpectedly |
| A provider you already know and trust | A “company” you can’t verify |
| No pressure — you can say no anytime | Urgency, secrecy and pressure |
| Never asks you to log into banking or buy gift cards | Wants access to money, one way or another |
When Geekworks helps you remotely, it’s only ever because you contacted us — never the other way around.
If you’ve already given someone access
Don’t panic, and don’t feel embarrassed — these scams are designed by professionals to fool careful people. Act quickly:
- Disconnect from the internet — turn off Wi-Fi or unplug the network cable to cut their access.
- Uninstall the remote access program they had you install (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Supremo, etc.).
- Call your bank straight away if any banking or payment details were on screen or entered.
- Change your important passwords — email and banking first — from a different, trusted device.
- Have the computer checked to make sure nothing was left behind, and report it to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) and ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au).
Frequently asked questions
No. Apple, Microsoft, your bank and the NBN do not make unsolicited calls asking to remote into your computer. Any such call is a scam — hang up.
No. Genuine virus or security warnings never give you a phone number to call. A pop-up urging you to ring “support” is a scam designed to get you on the phone.
The software is legitimate and used by real IT teams. The danger is granting access to someone who contacted you unexpectedly. If you didn’t start the contact, don’t allow it.
Disconnect from the internet, uninstall the remote tool, call your bank if money or banking was involved, change key passwords from another device, and have the machine checked. Then report it to Scamwatch and ReportCyber.
Worried you’ve been caught out?
If you think you may have given a stranger access to your Mac or PC — or you just want peace of mind that nothing was left behind — bring it in to Geekworks in Coorparoo. We’ll check it over, clean up anything suspicious and help you lock things down. No judgement, ever — we see this every week and we’re here to help.