Had a scam call or a fake pop-up? Here's what to do next

If it's happening right now

• Pop-up telling you to ring a number? Don't ring it. Real warnings from Microsoft, Apple, BT or your antivirus never ask you to phone anyone. Close the browser. If it won't close, hold the power button down until the computer switches off — that's completely safe, and the pop-up is usually gone when you turn it back on.
• On the phone to "BT", "Amazon", "Microsoft", "your bank" or "the police"? Put the phone down. You can't be rude to a scammer. If you're worried it was genuine, ring the company back on a number you look up — the back of your bank card, a bill, or their official website.

If you let them onto your computer

A lot of these scams end with "just download this so I can have a look" — AnyDesk, TeamViewer, QuickSupport or something similar. If that happened:

1. Disconnect from the internet. Turn off the Wi-Fi, or unplug the cable from the back of the computer. That cuts them off straight away.
2. Turn the computer off and don't use it for banking, shopping or email until it's been checked. They may have left something behind that lets them back in later.
3. Use a different device — a phone or tablet they didn't touch — for the next steps.

If you gave bank details, a code, or paid them

Call your bank straight away. Ring 159 — it connects you safely to most UK banks — or the number on the back of your card. The sooner your bank knows, the better your chances of stopping a payment or getting money back.

Tell the bank exactly what happened, including any codes you read out. Codes sent by text are how scammers get into your account or approve payments, so the bank needs to know.

Change your passwords — from a device they didn't touch

Start with your email. It's the key to everything else, because "forgot my password" links go there. Then your banking, Amazon, PayPal and anything else that has your card details.

While you're at it, turn on two-step verification (a code to your phone when you log in) for your email at least. It's the single best thing you can do to stop this happening again.

Report it

• Report Fraud (it used to be called Action Fraud): reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040. That covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
• Scam texts: forward them to 7726 (it's free).
• Scam emails: forward them to report@phishing.gov.uk.

Reporting won't always get your money back, but it helps shut these operations down — and you'll get a crime reference number, which your bank may ask for.

Watch out for the follow-up

Scammers share lists of people who've been caught once. In the weeks afterwards, be extra wary of:

• Anyone offering to recover your lost money for a fee. That's another scam — every time.
• Calls from "the police" or "your bank's fraud team" asking you to move money to a safe account. No genuine bank or police officer will ever ask you to do that.
• Emails or texts that know a few details about you. Scammers use what they already have to sound convincing.

How to spot the next one

Almost every scam has at least one of these:

• Hurry — "your account will be closed today", "your computer is being hacked right now".
• Secrecy — "don't tell the bank staff", "don't hang up".
• An odd way to pay — gift cards, bank transfers to a "safe account", or cryptocurrency.
• A request for a code — real companies never ask you to read out a code they've just texted you.

If you feel rushed, that's the signal to stop. A genuine company will still be there in ten minutes, after you've rung them back on a number you trust.

Where I come in

If someone's been on your computer, it's worth having it properly checked before you trust it again. My virus and scam cleanup is a fixed £109. I'll check for anything left behind, remove the remote-access software, secure your email and key accounts, set up two-step verification, and have a calm, judgement-free chat about what happened. Plenty of very sensible people get caught by these. You won't get a lecture from me.

Written by Rich, Cumulus Technologies, Bournemouth.