Screen locked with a number to call? Spot a tech support scam

A loud warning is pressure to act. Give yourself permission to stop.

The answer in 2 lines. Do not call the displayed number, pay or install anything. Close the browser using your device's normal controls; if necessary, force the application to quit or restart the device. Reopen without restoring the suspicious page. If you granted remote access, disconnect the device from the internet and stop using it for sensitive accounts until it has been checked. Contact your financial institution promptly if you paid or exposed account information.

Get out of the scam

Ignore the number and the countdown. Do not click buttons inside the warning or follow its instructions.
Close the application. Use your device's application controls to end an unresponsive browser, or restart. Decline to restore the suspicious browsing session.
If someone has remote access, disconnect. Turn off the device's network connection or unplug its network cable. Do not open your bank account on that device.
Check the device. Update its existing security software and run a scan. The FBI tech support scam guide explains recovery steps and when professional cleaning may help.

Stop: danger

A supposed technician asks you to move money: stop. Contact your financial institution independently, even if another caller claims to be its fraud department.
Someone demands gift cards, cryptocurrency or cash: do not send it to unlock the device, protect savings or receive a refund.
A caller wants your banking screen or verification code: end the session and hang up. Do not approve account access.

Why the warning looks convincing

The page may fill the screen, play a voice message or copy a familiar logo. Those features do not establish that your device has been examined. A website can display frightening claims without having detected the problem it describes.

Scammers also call unexpectedly or send a supposed subscription-renewal notice. A promised refund can become a demand to repay an invented overpayment. Read the FTC explanation of tech support scams to compare these approaches with what happened to you.

If you only saw the page

Close it, avoid restoring it and run a security scan. Seeing a warning alone does not establish that someone controlled the device. Tell anyone else using it what happened so they do not call if the message reappears.

What not to do

Calling the displayed number to ask whether the warning is genuine.
Installing an application or browser extension at the caller's direction.
Trusting a search advertisement as proof that a support number is legitimate.
Paying a cancellation, recovery or refund fee after the original demand.

If you granted access or paid

From a different, trusted device, change exposed passwords, starting with email and financial accounts. Replace reused passwords elsewhere. Remove the remote-access software and have the device checked if you cannot establish what was installed or changed.

Contact the card issuer, bank or payment provider through an established channel. Explain exactly what you authorized and what the scammer did. Ask whether it can reverse, recall or otherwise recover the payment. Do not assume reimbursement is automatic.

The FTC recovery guide separates steps by payment method and information exposed. Open the section matching your situation and follow its instructions. Save receipts, transaction references, messages and any remote-access application details.

Report through official US channels

FTC fraud reporting: describe the warning, contact method, demands and any payment.
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center: select the complaint option and provide the evidence you retained, including transaction information when relevant.
Federal identity-theft recovery portal: use it if your personal information was used fraudulently, then follow the resulting recovery plan.

These reports support investigations; they do not substitute for contacting the institution that handled your payment.

Good to know

Caller ID, a logo and knowledge of your name do not prove that a support caller is legitimate.
If you need technical help, use an established contact method you obtained independently.
Keep an eye out for follow-up callers offering refunds or recovery. They may be continuing the same scam.

Illustrative example: Denise sees a warning claiming her savings are at risk. She closes the browser instead of calling. Later, a caller repeats the claim and asks her to transfer money. She hangs up and checks with her bank through its established contact channel.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on November 5, 2026, for the United States. Confidence: high for scam indicators, immediate protective steps and reporting routes; medium for device-specific cleanup. Payment recovery depends on the circumstances.