How to Get Tech Help Without Giving Anyone Your Password
Real tech help never needs your password, a verification code, or control of your bank account.
When a phone stops syncing or an account locks you out, you want help right away. That urgency is exactly what tech-support scammers count on. The good news is that a few firm rules let you get real help, from a family member or a professional, without handing anyone the keys to your digital life.
What should a tech helper never ask for?
Your password, for any account.
A verification code, the short number sent to your phone or email when you sign in.
Payment by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or a payment app.
Permission to move money, even "to test" or "to protect" your account.
Remote control of your computer after an unexpected call, pop-up, or message.
If anyone asks for one of these, stop and hang up. You can always start again by contacting the company yourself, using the phone number on your card or the web address you type in yourself.
How do you get safe help from a family member?
Agree on a family tech-help rule before anyone needs it. Name the one or two people everyone calls first, and agree that nobody shares passwords or codes, even with each other. When you need help, the helper talks you through the steps while you keep your hands on your own device.
Read why your family needs a tech-help rule for a simple version you can share today.
Is screen sharing safe?
Screen sharing can be safe when you start it, you choose what to share, and you stop it before you sign in to anything. Follow these steps:
Start the call yourself with someone you chose.
Share one window instead of your whole screen when you can.
Close email, banking, and password manager windows before you share.
Stop sharing before you type a password or open an account.
Keep control of your mouse and keyboard unless you decide otherwise.
What should you do if you already gave someone access?
Disconnect the device from the internet.
From a different, trusted device, change the password for your main email account first, then for your bank and any account the person saw.
Call your bank and card companies using the numbers on your cards.
Remove any remote-access app the person asked you to install.
Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Honest IT support works this way
My Honest IT sessions follow these rules. You book thirty minutes on Google Meet, and you keep the mouse unless you choose to share it. Screen sharing stops before any sign-in, I never ask for your password, and nothing is recorded. If your device needs a repair shop or the company that made it, I tell you plainly.