Scam or Hacked Account? Use Our Urgent Cyber Safety Help Path

If you think you were scammed or hacked, do not send passwords, banking codes, login codes, card numbers or ID documents. If money or banking access may be involved, contact your bank immediately. Then use the Scam / Cyber Safety path in Quick Help so a technician can review the device or account risk.

Scam and hacked account problems are different from normal computer repairs. A cracked screen or flat battery can usually wait for standard repair triage. A scam call, remote access session, fake bank link or suspicious login-code request may need safer first steps right away.

That is why Quick Help includes a separate Scam / Cyber Safety card. It is designed to guide customers away from risky behaviour and toward a clearer, safer support request — before the technician review begins.

The wording in this path is also different. Customers using the Scam / Cyber Safety path should not expect a repair estimate. This is a safety review and support request. The cost model is usually hourly rather than a fixed quote, because the time needed depends on what happened and what needs to be checked. See the guide on when tech support is charged hourly instead of quoted like a repair.

If money or banking access may be involved, contact your bank immediately. The bank can freeze cards, block transfers and begin a fraud review. This is the most urgent step — do not wait for a technician before contacting your bank if financial access is at risk.

If someone is still remotely connected to your computer, disconnect from Wi-Fi or turn the device off if you can do so safely. Do not keep following instructions from the caller or popup. Move to a different, unaffected device to make calls or send the Quick Help request.

If you have account access that looks suspicious — emails being sent without your knowledge, unusual login alerts, account recovery options that have changed — avoid making changes from a device you believe may be compromised. Ask a technician to guide you through a safe recovery process from a clean device.

If you are unsure whether the call or message was a scam, see the guide on what to do before contacting a technician for scam or hacked account support for a detailed first-steps guide.

The Scam / Cyber Safety form is designed to collect useful details — not sensitive credentials. Never include any of the following in a Quick Help request:

• Passwords or account login details
• Banking login codes or account numbers
• One-time SMS codes or authentication app codes
• Apple ID, Google or Microsoft account recovery codes
• Card numbers, expiry dates or CVV numbers
• Government identity document details such as tax file number or passport numbers
• Remote access codes generated by apps like AnyDesk, TeamViewer or QuickSupport

A legitimate technician or support representative will never ask for these details through a form or unsolicited message. If anyone is asking for these during a support request, stop the conversation and contact Your IT & Tech Mates directly through the official Quick Help page or by phone.

Screenshots can be useful — but crop or blur out any sensitive codes, account numbers or identity details before uploading. See the guide on what photos to upload for a repair or support request for safe screenshot guidance.

A useful scam or hacked account request tells the team what happened without exposing sensitive details. Include as much of the following as you can:

• Which account, device or service is affected — email, banking app, social media, a laptop or phone
• What you interacted with — a phone call, a link, a popup, a message or an app install request
• Whether you entered any codes, passwords or personal details during the interaction
• Whether someone had remote access to your computer or device
• Whether money has moved or a purchase has appeared that you did not make
• Whether business accounts, email or systems are involved

You do not need to have all the answers. Send what you know in plain English and the technician will ask follow-up questions through a safe channel.

Scam and cyber safety review is usually an hourly support job rather than a fixed repair quote. This is because the time needed depends on what happened, how many accounts or devices are involved, what access was granted and what needs to be checked or secured.

The current hourly guide is $155 per hour standard, or $135 per hour for local Melbourne northern suburbs customers. A technician or admin team member can confirm the likely scope and time before work continues.

For customers who want to understand the difference between an hourly support job and a fixed repair quote, the guide on when tech support is charged hourly instead of quoted explains when each model applies and why.

See also the scam safety service page for more information about the types of scam and account safety situations we help local Melbourne north customers with.