Is it safe to let someone remote into my computer?
Only if it's someone you know and trust, and you asked them for help first. Remote access apps like Quick Assist let another person see and control your computer. Microsoft doesn't make unsolicited support calls, so anyone who calls you out of the blue and asks to connect is a scammer.
Remote access is a real, useful tool. A family member or your own company's IT team can use Quick Assist, which is built into Windows, to fix a problem from far away. You share a short code and approve the connection, and you can end it at any time.
Scammers use the very same tools. They phone you, send a pop-up or email, then talk you into installing an app and reading them a code. Once connected, they can open files, install software and watch you type passwords. Never let in someone who contacted you first.
- Hang up on anyone who calls offering to fix your computer
- Only share a remote access code with someone you contacted yourself
- Stay at the computer and watch what they do the whole time
- If a stranger already connected, disconnect from the internet and uninstall the app in Settings, Apps, Installed apps
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Remote Access Tools
From the Is My PC Hacked? course. See how remote help apps work, how scammers misuse them, and how to remove them.
Try it on the practice computer Read the full lesson
The reading is free. The hands-on lab is part of Pro.