I got tricked into scam. Please, can you help me

Zuza Gallope

Hello. As I am really bad in understanding any technology/virus-linked-issues I will appreciate any advice which you can give me in this topic. I will try to explain the shortest I can what happened to me. 

I got tricked few days ago into scam on my laptop. I was browsing my google history as I was trying to get back to link which I visited earlier. My computer got ‘blocked’ saying I need to call Microsoft Support (number was shown there) as someone was trying to steal my data. I stupidly called. I got scared, I did not know that Microsoft is not locking your computer, not asking to contact them. However that time, being sure Im talking with Microsoft Support, I gave access to my laptop as well as I was made to believe that I need to pay for additional security which they will install on my laptop, which I did. Just after going back to fully conscious state, I realised what happened and started doing research on how to get rid of al the things they installed on my computer. However I don’t know how much in risk I am already, as it was few days ago and I still did not recover my laptop. First I installed Combo to run a scan but my laptop getting turned off during this as well as during Bitdefender scan. It may be because my laptop is really old and it is getting hot. However it seemed to be better recently, theres no processes in background, only scan and it still turns off. So I am not able to run any scan on my laptop now. I can do a hard reset but I don’t want to loose all the files there. 

I read that after being tricked like this it is good to buy bitdefender subscription which I am planning to do however it is all overwhelming and I am confused what exactly do step by step in this case.  I do want to buy bitdefender as I was reading I can have few devices secured, so I would also be able to make sure my iPhone is safe? I was reading that if your wifi network doesn’t have much protection if they accessed your computer, they can also access other devices connected to the network? I remember they asked me specifically on what devices I am using except my laptop(??).

As I am buying a new laptop this week anyway as the one which I have its too old and slow, I do not need to recover the old laptop specifically. What I need to do now is to make sure if my data got exposed etc, make sure that I changed all the passwords (but how to know where they could get into?), get my files back from old laptop into new laptop being sure it is clean, and also they have access now to my laptop right now I assume and I cant run any scan. what should I do? please can you advice me anything as I am losing all hopes and mind. Thank you

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/97343/i-got-tricked-into-scam-please-can-you-help-me

Here are some steps that you can take to protect your data and devices:

1) Disconnect your old laptop from the internet. This will prevent the scammers from accessing it remotely.

2) Change the passwords to all of your accounts. This includes your email, bank accounts, social media accounts, and anything else that you can think of.

3) Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all of your accounts. 2FA adds an extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring you to enter a code from your phone in addition to your password.

4) Scan your old laptop for malware. Once you've disconnected it from the internet, you can use bitdefender antimalware program to scan it for malware. If it finds anything, remove it immediately.

5) Back up your files. Once you're sure that your old laptop is clean, back up your files to an external hard drive or cloud storage service. This will protect your data in case something happens to your laptop.

6) Set up a strong firewall and VPN. A firewall helps to protect your devices from unauthorized access, while a VPN encrypts your traffic and makes it more difficult for hackers to intercept your data.

If you're not sure how to do any of these things, there are many resources available online and from reputable computer security companies.

Once you've taken these steps, you can start to use your new laptop. Be sure to install a reputable antimalware program and firewall like one from bitdefender. You should also enable 2FA on all of your accounts.

As for your old laptop, you can either keep it as a backup device or wipe it clean and dispose of it securely. If you decide to keep it, be sure to only connect it to the internet when you need to, and always scan it for malware before doing so.

Regrds

Alexandru_BD

Hello @Zuza Gallope,

In addition to @Flexx's insightful comment above, did you pay anything during or after the remote session for whatever was installed on your device? If you have provided your account details to a scammer or if you have already paid for a fake remote session, contact your bank or financial institution immediately and open a chargeback blocking the card at once.

I think we can assume at this stage that some of your information stored on that device might have been compromised. I would refrain from using that device online, especially for internet banking of any kind. I think the first step would be to uninstall any unknown applications and tools they may have installed during the session and install Bitdefender to perform a system scan at the earliest time possible.

In the worst case scenario, such phishing attempts might include spyware as well. Check the below article for prevention and removal steps:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/83298/

For reference, here's a comprehensive article on how to avoid phishing scams like these in the future:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2204/

The good part is that you will be changing your device, but you still need to make sure that the existing data has not been tampered with before transferring it to the new device. Make sure that you have Bitdefender installed there beforehand. Also, as a precautionary measure, change all your passwords for any accounts you may have and check if your email addresses have been leaked anywhere by using this tool:

https://haveibeenpwned.com/

I hope the information is helpful and I'm sorry to hear this has happened to you.

Regards,

Alex