Before you start: Don't ring back any number they gave you, don't pay anything, and don't let anyone else "check" the computer over the phone.
Steps
- Disconnect it from the internet. Pull the network cable out, or turn Wi-Fi off (or just switch the modem off at the wall). If they were still connected, this ends it.
- Turn the computer off and leave it off. Don't try to "fix" or clean anything yet — that can make it harder to see what was done.
- Ring your bank — using the number on the back of your card, not one from the screen — and tell them what happened. Ask them to watch or freeze the account and cancel any payment you were talked into.
- From a different device (your phone or another computer), change the password on your email account first, then online banking, then anything else you use that email to log in to.
- If you read out or typed any codes, gift-card numbers or card details, tell the bank that too.
- Then book a visit. I'll remove whatever they installed, check what was touched, secure the accounts properly, and give you a written note that the machine is safe — banks often ask for exactly that.
If that didn't work
- If it's your phone that's affected, the same applies: don't call back, change your email password from another device, ring the bank.
- Report it at scamwatch.gov.au when things have calmed down — it helps others.
When to stop and call
You've done the steps above. The clean-up itself isn't a DIY job — please leave the machine off and book.
Book a visit →