Being asked to install AnyDesk, TeamViewer or another screen sharing app by someone who contacted you is one of the clearest warning signs in any scam. These are legitimate tools that real IT teams use every day, so the danger is not the software but who is asking you to install it. Once a scammer can connect, they control your device. This guide explains how the remote access scam works and how to stay safe, drawing on Scamwatch and AnyDesk. For the wider picture, our anti-scam protection hub covers how these schemes are usually run. What these tools are, and how they are misused AnyDesk and TeamViewer are genuine remote access tools, used by millions of IT professionals to connect to clients’ devices and help with technical problems. That legitimacy is exactly what makes them useful to scammers. As AnyDesk itself warns, criminals try to misuse remote access software to connect to your computer and steal data, access codes and even money. So the software is not the problem; the problem is being asked to install it by someone you did not contact. The scam almost always begins the same way. As Scamwatch explains, a scammer pretends to be from a well known bank, phone, internet or security company, claims there is a problem they can help fix, and tells you to download a screen sharing app such as AnyDesk or TeamViewer. Once you do, they can fully control your device, and there was never a real problem to fix. The sections below show how the scam unfolds, how a legitimate support session differs, and what to do if you are asked. How the remote access scam works The remote access scam follows a clear sequence, and the steps below trace it. An unexpected contact claims there is a problem, asks you to install AnyDesk or TeamViewer, and guides you to grant access. Once connected, they control your device and watch you log in, and from there they take your money or data. Each step depends on your cooperation, which is why understanding the pattern is most of the defence. Legitimate use versus a scam request A genuine support session and a scam request can look similar, but they differ in ways that matter, and the comparison below sets them out. A legitimate session is one you initiated, with a company you can verify, where you stay in control. A scam request comes from someone who contacted you, about an unexpected problem, where you cannot verify them and they take control. The deciding question is almost always who initiated the contact. What they can do once connected It is worth understanding exactly how much access you give away, and the panel below sets it out. Once connected, a scammer can watch you log in, see your private files and details, capture your passwords and one time codes, move money or add payees in your banking, and install further software. As Scamwatch warns, you might not even realise your money has gone until the next time you log in. This is why granting access, even briefly, is so serious. Signs the request is a scam A handful of signs mark a remote access request as a scam, and the summary below gathers them. The contact reached out to you, claims an urgent problem, asks you to install software, wants your passwords or codes, applies pressure and scare tactics, and offers only a vague account of who they are. Any one of these is reason for caution, but the first is decisive on its own: if they contacted you and want access to your device, that is enough to refuse. What to do instead Knowing how to respond keeps a request from becoming a loss, and the comparison below sets out the right and wrong moves. The safe actions are to refuse and hang up, never install anything on their say so, contact the company yourself, and verify before any support. The actions to avoid are installing what they send, granting remote access, sharing passwords or codes, and acting under pressure. The safe path always runs through your own verification rather than their instructions. An honest bottom line The honest reality is that being asked to install AnyDesk or TeamViewer by someone who contacted you is one of the clearest scam signals there is. The software is legitimate, which is precisely what makes the trick effective, but as AnyDesk itself warns, scammers misuse it to steal data, codes and money. The scam runs on a simple story, an urgent problem with your device or account, followed by a request to download a screen sharing app, and as Scamwatch explains, once you do, the scammer controls your device and there was never a problem to fix. Your protection is a single, firm rule: never install remote access software, or grant access to your device, at the request of anyone who contacted you. A real company does not cold call and ask to control your computer, so hang up, contact the firm yourself through its official channels, and never share passwords or one time codes. If you have already given access, disconnect, uninstall the software, change your passwords from another device, and call your bank without delay. Keep control of your own device, and this scam cannot succeed. This article is educational information, not financial advice. Who asked is the whole question The single thing to remember is that with remote access software, who asked is the whole question. The tools themselves are fine, used every day by real IT teams, but no genuine company contacts you out of the blue and asks to take control of your device. So if an unexpected caller, message or pop up wants you to install AnyDesk, TeamViewer or anything like it, refuse, hang up, and verify directly. Keep control of your own device, and a remote access scam has nowhere to go. Common mistakes with remote access requests These four mistakes are exactly how a remote access scam takes hold. 1. Installing software a caller asks for Why it backfires: Downloading AnyDesk, TeamViewer or any remote tool because someone who contacted you asked is how the scam begins. Do this instead: Never install remote access software at the request of someone who contacted you, whatever reason they give. 2. Believing there is a real problem Why it backfires: Accepting that your device or account has a problem because a stranger says so plays into a story they invented. Do this instead: Treat an unexpected warning as a likely scam, and check directly with the company yourself rather than trusting the caller. 3. Granting access to prove cooperation Why it backfires: Letting someone connect to show you the problem hands them full control of your device. Do this instead: Refuse access entirely, since a genuine company does not need to control your device to help you. 4. Sharing passwords or one time codes Why it backfires: Reading out your banking password or a one time code lets the scammer straight into your accounts. Do this instead: Never share passwords or one time codes with anyone, as no legitimate firm will ever ask you to. Before you act on thisThis article explains how something works. It is general education, not advice about your situation. It does not consider your goals, income, tax position or how much risk you can afford.Investing involves risk, including losing money. Before you act, speak to a licensed professional. You can check whether someone is licensed at Investor.gov and FINRA BrokerCheck.Disclaimer · Terms of Use Frequently asked questions Are AnyDesk and TeamViewer scams? No. They are legitimate remote access tools used by IT professionals worldwide. The problem is when a scammer asks you to install one so they can control your device. As AnyDesk itself warns, scammers misuse remote access software to steal data, codes and money, so the danger lies in who is asking, not the software. Why would a scammer want me to install it? Because it gives them control of your device. As Scamwatch explains, once you download the software the scammer can fully control your computer or phone, watch you log in, see private information, and guide you through banking pages. They use that access to steal credentials, one time codes and money. Someone says my account is at risk and I must install it. Is that real? Almost certainly not. A claim that your device or account has a problem, followed by a request to install remote access software, is a classic scam script. There is usually no real problem. Hang up, and if you are concerned, contact the company yourself using its official number. How do I know if a remote access request is legitimate? The key question is who initiated contact. If you called a company you trust for support, a remote session may be genuine. If someone contacted you, unexpectedly and with urgency, and you cannot independently verify them, refuse. A legitimate firm will not cold call you and ask to control your device. What can a scammer do once connected? A great deal. They can watch what you type, see your files and personal details, capture passwords and one time codes, log into your accounts, add payees or move money, and install further software. That is why granting access, even briefly to show them a problem, is so dangerous. I already installed it and gave access. What should I do? Act quickly. Disconnect the device from the internet, uninstall the software, and check whether unattended access was enabled. Change your passwords from a different device, turn on two step verification, and contact your bank straight away to flag the risk. Then report the scam to your regulator or scam authority. Sources All claims in this article are supported by the sources listed below. Verify details against the originals before making investment decisions. Scamwatch (Australian Government), Scam Alert: Hang Up on Remote Access Scammers. Accessed 11 June 2026. AnyDesk, How to Avoid Remote Access Scams. Accessed 11 June 2026.
