field note · security
The tech-support call that wasn't.
By KC Cunningham·March 9, 2026·6 min read
Microsoft will not call you about a virus on your computer. Apple will not text you about your iCloud being compromised. Your bank will not email you a link to verify your account. Every legitimate company in this list, when they need to contact you, does so through a channel you initiated. The unsolicited call, text, or email is the tell.
The standard playbook
Step one: a popup or email that scares you. "Your computer has been infected. Call Microsoft Support immediately." Step two: a phone number that goes to a real person who sounds professional. Step three: they ask you to install a remote-access tool — TeamViewer, AnyDesk, LogMeIn. Step four: once they're in, they show you scary-looking output (which is just normal Windows logs framed as alarms) and offer to fix it for $300.
Step five — if you let them this far — they take the $300, do nothing useful, and now they have remote access to your computer. They install a backdoor and they sell that access to other criminals.
How to know it's a scam
Microsoft, Apple, Google, and your bank do not call you. Period. If someone calls you claiming to be from any of those companies, hang up. If you're worried, look up the official phone number on the company's website (not the number the caller gave you) and call them yourself.
Anyone who asks you to install a remote-access tool over the phone is, with very high probability, scamming you. The single exception in our world is a vetted IT provider you've already hired — like us, after you call us. We never cold-call our customers asking to remote in.
What to do if you've already let them in
Bring the computer in. Don't try to clean it yourself; the rabbit hole is deeper than you think. We do a full wipe and clean reinstall, change every saved password from a different device while we work, and check your bank statements with you for unauthorized charges. The whole thing is a couple hundred dollars and a day.
If you sent them money: call your bank or credit card immediately and dispute the charge. Most banks will reverse it if you call within 24 hours. Then call us.
How to make this never happen again
We can configure your browser to block tech-support scam popups. We can install ad-blockers that stop the popups from rendering in the first place. We can put your computer on our managed plan, which means we monitor for the kinds of unusual activity that indicate a scammer is in. Mostly, though, the protection is the rule above: companies don't cold-call you.
questions about anything in this note? call (608) 467-4012.