Remote Access and Screen-Sharing Scams: How Criminals Get Onto Your Screen

How the scam starts

Remote access scams typically begin in one of three ways:

• Fake fraud department call: Someone claiming to be your bank's security team says money is leaving your account right now, and they need to "help you protect it."
• Fake tech support: A pop-up warning or cold call claims your device is infected and a technician must connect to fix it.
• Fake investment advisor: A friendly "advisor" offers to guide you through setting up an investment by controlling your screen. Investment fraud was Canada's costliest fraud in 2025, with $351 million in reported losses according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

What happens next

1. They walk you through downloading a screen-sharing or remote-control app onto your device.
2. They ask you to read out the connection code the app displays — that code is the key that lets them in.
3. Once connected, they can see everything on your screen, including passwords as you type them.
4. They ask you to log in to your online banking "to check for fraudulent transfers" — now they can see your accounts, and in some cases move money themselves.

The one rule: who called who?

Legitimate remote help only happens when you started it, with a person or company you contacted yourself, using a number you looked up or already had saved. If the contact came to you first — by phone, pop-up, email, or text — and that person wants to see or control your screen, it is a scam. There is no exception. Hang up.

This matters most for older Canadians: in 2024, people aged 60 and over carried just over 40 per cent of all fraud losses reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre — about $179.9 million, an average of roughly $21,604 per victim.

A safer plan: the named helper

1. Pick one person, usually a family member. Write their name and number down near your computer.
2. Agree in advance that this is the only person you will ever let see your screen.
3. Agree on how they will reach you and how you will know it is really them.
4. If anyone else asks — including someone claiming to be from your bank, the government, Microsoft, or Apple — the answer is no.
5. If you are ever unsure, hang up and call your named helper first.

Immediate response steps

1. Hang up. You never need to be polite to a criminal, and no real fraud department will rush you.
2. Do not download anything a caller asks for, and never read out a code from your screen.
3. If you already allowed a connection: disconnect from the internet immediately (turn off Wi-Fi or unplug the router), then call your bank using the number on the back of your bank card.
4. Change the passwords for any account you used while they were connected — from a different device if you can.
5. Have your device checked by a trusted family member or local repair shop before using it for banking again.
6. Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. In 2025 the CAFC received more than 112,000 fraud reports with over $704 million in reported losses — and it estimates only 5 to 10 per cent of fraud is ever reported. Every report helps protect someone else.