Tech Support Remote Access Scam Australia: ACMA’s Cold-Call Warning

Updated 31 August 2026. The ACMA Do Not Call Register warning is still the consumer primary for a tech support remote access scam Australia: unsolicited callers claiming Telstra, NBN Co or Microsoft need to “fix” your PC are not those companies. They want remote access, a fee, or both. Legitimate telcos and Microsoft do not cold-call to announce a virus.

By the Computer Repairs Near Me Team.

How this shows up at a repair counter

People arrive after paying a stranger who installed AnyDesk, then find a locked browser or a drained account. That is not a $90 malware clean in every case. It can be a crime scene. Disconnect, change banking passwords from a different device, tell the bank, and report it. ASD’s ACSC has a related alert on callers impersonating the cyber centre itself. Same move: remote tool, then the bank login.

A real local shop you walked into does not need you to install TeamViewer because a popup said so. If we (or any shop) need remote help, you initiated it, and you can see the premises.

What to do next

Hang up. Don’t give access. Find a shop via locations. If the machine still boots, virus removal and handover checklist. Broader Q1 website takedowns: ACCC scam websites. Hub: news.

ACMA: never give remote access to an inbound caller. If you already did, treat it as a compromise, not an awkward mistake. Change the passwords. Then walk into a shop.

After you hang up

If AnyDesk or TeamViewer is already installed, uninstall it from a known-good path, then assume passwords may be burned. Change banking logins from a different device. Tell the bank. Report it. A local Australian shop you walked into is still the right next step for a machine that will not boot cleanly. They did not call you first.

Pop-ups that say “call this number” are the same family of scam, even when they wear an Australian accent. The ACMA page and the ACSC impersonation alert are the two primaries. This post is the repair-counter translation, not a third legal opinion. Hang up first. Then find a shop you can walk into.