What to Do After Falling for an Online Scammer: The First Hour Matters

If you have just realized that you gave a stranger access to your computer, take a breath.  You are not the first person this has happened to, and you will not be the last.  Scammers are very good at what they do, and they succeed because they are convincing, not because you did something foolish.  Please do not beat yourself up over it.

At RescueTECH we have helped many people through this process. What matters now is what you do next, and how quickly you do it. The steps below are the ones we would want every person to take in the first hour or so.

You Are in Good Company

Many of the people who come through our door after a scam start the same way: a little sheepish, a little embarrassed, and often carrying a story about money that has gone missing from a bank account or charges on a credit card that they do not recognize.  Sometimes it is the bank that tells them to have their computer cleaned up.  The details vary, but the embarrassment is almost always there.

Here is the honest truth: embarrassment is the biggest enemy in the first hour. It is the reason people wait a day before calling anyone, and every hour of waiting gives the scammer more time to do damage.

The Biggest Warning Sign: You Gave Someone Remote Access

Online scams reach people in many different ways, but the ones we see most often follow the same script.  At some point, the customer says some version of, "So I gave this guy access to my computer."  Once a stranger has been let into your computer through a remote access scam, treat it as a scam in progress, even if it does not feel like one yet.  From there, the scammer can go after your bank accounts and anything else stored on the machine.

What to Do in the First Hour

1. Stop Using the Computer, Shut It Down, and Disconnect from the Internet

This comes first. Shut the computer down and disconnect it from the internet, whether that means turning off Wi-Fi or unplugging the network cable. This cuts off the scammer's connection. Do not turn it back on to check things, and keep it shut down until it can be looked at properly.

2. Change Your Passwords from a Different Device

Use your phone or another computer, not the one the scammer accessed.  Start with your email and online banking, then work through everything else.  There are no exceptions to this step.

If you are someone who does not remember your passwords and relies on the ones saved in your computer, be aware that anything saved there may have been copied by the scammer.  That is one more reason to change all of them, not just the ones that seem important.

3. Call Your Bank Using the Number on the Back of Your Card

Tell your bank you fell for a scam and ask them to flag your accounts.  Use the number printed on the back of your bank card, not a number from anyone who contacted you.  That way you know you are speaking with real bank staff.

This step can be uncomfortable.  Swallow your pride and make the call anyway.  Banks deal with this all the time, and the sooner they know, the more they can do.

4. Take Screenshots and Save Any Emails Before You Delete Anything

Before you close a single window or delete anything, take screenshots of the pop-up, chat window, or website that started this, along with any messages the scammer sent you.  If they emailed you, save or forward that email somewhere safe rather than deleting it.  If they called you, write down the phone number that showed up, even if it looked local or familiar.

This may feel like the last thing you want to do in the moment, but your bank, the police, and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre may all ask for this as proof when you report what happened. It is much easier to grab this evidence now, while it is still on your screen, than to try to track it down later.

Mistakes That Make Things Worse

These are the mistakes that turn a bad situation into a worse one:

• Calling the scammer back or continuing to talk with them
• Paying a "refund" or an extra fee to make the problem go away
• Turning the computer back on to see what happened
• Waiting a day or more because you feel embarrassed
• Continuing to use the computer because you are busy and need it
• Trusting a phone call from someone who says they are your bank

That last one deserves special attention.  After a scam, people often receive follow-up calls from scammers claiming to be their bank, and that is how some people lose even more money. Do not talk to anyone who called you.  Hang up and reach out to the number you know is real. Being proactive is the whole game here: you have to do the work to fix what happened, because nobody is going to do it for you.

After the First Hour

Once the urgent steps are done, report what happened.  Contact your local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or through antifraudcentre.ca, and bring the screenshots and emails you saved along with you. It is also a good idea to contact both Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada and ask for a fraud alert on your credit file.

Bring Your Computer to RescueTECH

If you let someone into your computer, it needs to be checked before you use it again. Bring it in to RescueTECH, and we will start by talking with you about what happened so we understand the situation. From there, we will look for remote access software and check over the computer, and then we will recommend a remedy.

There is no judgment here. We have seen this many times, and our job is to help you get back to a computer you can trust.

Call or text us at (306) 205-7522, or stop by the shop. Remember, the first hour matters most, so do not wait.

RescueTECH
2225 14th Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan
Phone: (306) 205-7522

Hours:
Monday to Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Closed Sundays and Provincial Statutory Holidays