Virus Removal in Toowoomba: Pop-Ups, Scam Calls and Hacked Email
Virus Removal in Toowoomba: Pop-Ups, Scam Calls and Hacked Email
If you are seeing pop-ups, someone rang saying they were from Microsoft or the bank, or your email is sending messages you did not write, stop using the computer for banking and read the next section.
What to do right now, before we get there
Five things, in this order. They take a couple of minutes and they stop the damage getting worse while you wait for a visit.
Disconnect from the internet
If a caller talked you into installing something, pull out the network cable or switch the Wi-Fi off. That cuts their connection straight away. You can leave the computer switched on, nothing is lost by taking it off the network.
End the remote session
Do not let anyone stay connected to your screen. Close the remote access program if you can see it, or hold the power button in until the computer shuts down. A real bank or a real Microsoft staffer will never ask to drive your computer.
Do not pay anyone
No gift cards, no bank transfers, no matter how urgent they sound on the phone. Paying does not remove anything, and it marks you as someone who pays. It is fine to hang up mid sentence.
Write down what was said
Note the number that rang, the company they claimed to be from, any program they asked you to install and anything you typed while they were watching. It saves time when we arrive and it helps your bank if they ask.
Ring your bank
If you read out card details, or logged into internet banking while they were connected, ring your bank now on the number printed on your card. Do that first, then book us for the clean-up.
03 · 03
How we work
A clear path from first conversation to finished work.
Laptop and PC repairs
On-site repairs for computers that are slow, will not turn on, show blue screens, overheat or have Windows problems. We explain what can be fixed on the spot and what needs parts ordered before any work starts.
Virus, malware and scam clean-ups
Help for pop-ups, scam phone calls, ransomware and hacked email accounts. We clean the machine, secure the accounts and set things up so it is less likely to happen again.
Data recovery and backups
Attempted recovery of lost photos, documents and files from failing drives, plus setting up a backup so it does not happen twice. We are honest about what can and cannot be recovered before any cost.
New computer setup and file transfer
Setting up a new laptop or PC, moving files, emails, photos and passwords across from the old machine, connecting printers and removing junk software that comes preinstalled.
If someone had remote control of your screen, we treat every password typed on that computer as known to them. We tell you what we found, what we changed, and what you still need to ring about yourself.
04 · 04
What a virus removal visit in Toowoomba covers
Cleaning the pop-ups off is the easy half. The rest is making sure nobody can walk back in through an account, a startup item or a saved password.
Quote before any work starts.
05 · 05
The questions people ring us about
Short answers first. If yours is not here, describe what you are seeing when you book and we will tell you what it sounds like.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I know if it is really a virus?
- Most of what people call a virus is a browser problem: pop-ups that follow you between sites, a search page you did not choose, or a full screen warning telling you to ring a number. Real infections are quieter than that. We check for both and tell you which one you have before touching anything.
- Was I hacked, or is it just ads?
- If the pop-ups stop when you close the browser, it is usually adware and it is annoying rather than dangerous. If your email is messaging your contacts, a password has stopped working, or a caller had control of your screen, treat it as a hack and change your banking and email passwords today.
- Can you do this without taking my computer away?
- Almost always, yes. We come to your home or office and do the clean-up at your own desk, so you can watch what we are doing and the computer never leaves the house. If a drive has failed and needs bench work, we say so before anything is unplugged.
- Is my banking safe now?
- Once the machine is clean we assume every password typed on it while the scammer was connected is known to them, so we change the important ones and check your email for hidden forwarding rules. Ring your bank yourself about any card details you gave out, that part has to come from you.
- What if the scammer encrypted my files?
- Ransomware is where we are most careful with what we promise. Some strains have no fix and nobody can undo them. We look at what has actually been encrypted, tell you plainly what can and cannot be done before any cost, and restore from your backups where you have them.
Let's get the pop-ups and the scammer off your computer
Tell us what happened and what you are seeing on the screen. We will come to you around Toowoomba, clean it up and show you what we changed.