Hacked or Scammed? Let’s Get You Back on Solid Ground.
Local, one-on-one help cleaning and securing compromised devices, understanding what happened, and working with your bank toward getting your accounts back on track.
… calm, judgment-free support when you need it most.
Five Things to Do Right Now
If you think you’ve been hacked or scammed, speed matters. These steps help limit the damage while you arrange help.
Disconnect the Device
Computer: turn off Wi-Fi or unplug the internet cable. Phone or tablet: turn on Airplane Mode, then make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth stay off. This cuts off anyone with remote access. Use a different phone or landline to make calls, and don’t wipe or reset anything yet; it may hold useful evidence.
Call Your Bank
Use the number on the back of your card, never a number from an email, text, or pop-up. Ask them to freeze or monitor your accounts and cards.
Change Key Passwords
From a different, trusted device, change your email and banking passwords first. Your email is the master key to most of your other accounts.
Report It
Call the RCMP non-emergency line and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. Write down any file numbers you’re given.
Don’t Pay for “Recovery”
Scammers often follow up posing as recovery agents who can get your money back for a fee. Legitimate help never guarantees recovery or asks for payment in crypto or gift cards.
Clean Up, Understand, and Move Forward
Fraud recovery isn’t just a technical fix. It’s about getting your devices back in safe working order, making sense of what happened, and rebuilding your confidence online.
Hacked Device Cleanup
A thorough clean-up and security review of computers, phones and tablets that may have been compromised.
- Malware and unwanted remote-access software removal
- Review of suspicious apps, extensions and settings
- Security updates and protective software
- Advice on a full reset when that’s the safer choice
Fraud Recovery Support
Practical, step-by-step guidance after money has been lost, whether through a hacked bank account or a scam.
- Bank account takeovers and unauthorized transfers
- Crypto investment and romance scams
- Organizing a clear timeline and evidence for your bank and police reports
- Securing email, banking, and credit (Equifax & TransUnion alerts)
Working With Your Bank
Many banks want reassurance that your devices have been cleaned before they restore online access. I can help with that step.
- Direct communication with local bank branches, with your permission
- A written summary of the cleanup work performed on your devices
- Help understanding what your bank is asking for
We Unpack What Happened, Together
Cleaning a device fixes today’s problem. Understanding how it happened is what helps prevent the next one. Every recovery includes a patient, plain-English walk-through of the event.
1. Listen and Document
We start with your story: the call, text, email, or website that started it – including what was clicked or shared and what happened next. I help you build a clear timeline you can use with your bank and police.
2. Clean and Secure
I check your devices for malware, remote-access tools and suspicious settings, remove what I find, and bring everything up to date. If a device is too risky to trust, I’ll tell you honestly and explain your options.
3. Walk Through the “How”
We go over the warning signs together, without blame. Scammers are professionals who use pressure, urgency, and convincing stories. Knowing their playbook is your best defence.
4. Lock Things Down
We put safer habits in place, tailored to the gaps that were exploited, and I show you how to use each one confidently.
5. Support Your Next Steps
With your permission, I connect with your bank about the cleanup work and help you through the paperwork and follow-up that come with recovery.
Helping You Get Your Accounts Back on Track
When a bank account is compromised, banks will often restrict online access until they’re confident the devices you bank from are no longer infected. That can leave you stuck, unsure of what they need or who can provide it.
I work directly with local banks in the Oceanside area to bridge that gap. After cleaning and securing your devices, I provide a written summary of the work performed that you can share with your bank as part of their forensic investigation review.
Reinstating access and any reimbursement decisions are made solely by your financial institution.
What This Can Include
- Talking with your branch or fraud department, with your written permission
- A written remediation summary: what was checked, what was found, and what was done
- Making sure your new banking passwords and MFA are set up correctly
- Turning on transaction alerts so you’ll know right away if something looks wrong
Situations I Commonly Help With
Bank Account Hacked
Unauthorized logins, e-transfers, or changed contact details on your online banking.
Crypto Investment Scams
Fake trading platforms, “guaranteed returns”, and pressure to keep depositing.
Fake Tech Support
A pop-up or caller convinced you to let them “fix” your computer remotely.
Romance Scams
An online relationship that turned into requests for money, gift cards or crypto.
Email or Social Media Takeover
Locked out of your account, or friends receiving strange messages “from you.”
Impersonation Scams
Callers posing as your bank, the CRA, police, or a family member in trouble.
What I Can, and Can’t, Promise
You deserve straight answers, especially after being deceived. Here’s how I work:
- Best-effort cleanup. I use reputable, industry-standard tools and methods to find and remove threats. However, attackers constantly change their methods, and no technician or software can guarantee that every trace of a compromise has been found. Cleanup significantly reduces risk but cannot eliminate it.
- Your ongoing role matters. Staying secure depends on keeping devices updated, using the protections we set up, and staying alert to new scam attempts. If anything seems off after your device is returned, stop using it for banking and contact me right away.
- No guarantee of fund recovery. I help you take the right steps and document what happened, but I can’t promise that lost money will be returned. Recovery and reimbursement decisions rest with your bank, payment providers, and law enforcement.
- Sometimes a reset is safer. For seriously compromised devices, I may recommend a full reset or replacement rather than a cleanup.
- Not legal or financial advice. I’m a technology specialist, not a lawyer, financial advisor, or licensed investigator. I’ll tell you when a situation needs one.
Written remediation summaries describe the work performed and findings at the time of service. They are not a guarantee that a device is free of all malicious software, now or in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I wipe or reset my device before you see it?
Please don’t, unless your bank or police tell you to. Disconnect it from the internet and leave it as is. The device may hold information that helps us understand what happened and supports your reports.
Can you get my money back?
I can’t promise that, and you should be very cautious of anyone who does. What I can do is help you act quickly, report to the right places, and organize a clear record of events, which gives you the best possible footing with your bank and law enforcement.
My bank locked my online banking. Can you help?
Yes. This is one of the most common reasons people call me. After cleaning and securing your devices, I can provide a written summary of the work and, with your permission, communicate with your bank. The final decision about restoring access is always theirs.
Should I feel embarrassed this happened to me?
Please don’t be. Today’s scams are run by organized, well-funded criminals, and they fool smart, careful people every day. Everything we discuss is kept private, and our focus is entirely on getting you safe and confident again.
Do you come to my home?
Yes. I offer in-home support across Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Nanoose Bay, Errington and the surrounding Oceanside area. Some follow-up and education sessions can also be done remotely once your devices are secure.
Can you help a parent or family member who was scammed?
Absolutely. Many calls come from adult children worried about a parent. I’m happy to work with the whole family, as long as the person affected is comfortable and agrees to the help.
You Don’t Have to Sort This Out Alone
Whether it happened an hour ago or last month, reach out. We’ll talk through what happened, secure what we can, and make a plan for what comes next.
Serving Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Nanoose Bay, Errington & the Oceanside region of Vancouver Island