Breach analysis, account recovery, and security hardening
Australians lost $2.18 billion to scams in 2025. That's not a typo — billions, with a B. Scams have evolved far beyond the obvious Nigerian prince emails. Today's scammers use sophisticated social engineering, convincing fake websites, spoofed phone numbers, and remote access tools to steal money, data, and identities. If you've been caught up in one, you're not alone, and you're not stupid. These criminals are professionals, and they're very good at what they do.
At iFix Electronics, we help scam victims pick up the pieces. We've been doing this work for over 16 years on the Central Coast, and in recent years, scam recovery has become one of our busiest services. We see the aftermath every week — terrified retirees who gave remote access to their computers, small business owners who clicked a phishing link, and everyday Australians who've had their email, banking, or social media accounts hijacked.
Remote access scams are rampant. You get a call from someone claiming to be from Telstra, Microsoft, the NBN, or your bank. They convince you to install software like AnyDesk or TeamViewer, then take control of your computer. While you watch — or while they distract you — they access your banking, install keyloggers, and steal everything they can.
Phishing and fake website scams trick you into entering your login details on a convincing replica of a real website — your bank, MyGov, Australia Post, or a toll company. Once they have your credentials, they move fast: draining accounts, changing passwords, and locking you out.
Investment and cryptocurrency scams lure people with promises of high returns. Victims often don't realise they've been scammed until they try to withdraw their "profits" and discover the platform was fake all along. These scams frequently involve installing trading apps that are actually spyware.
Romance scams exploit emotional connections built over weeks or months. Victims send money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency to someone they believe they're in a genuine relationship with. The emotional damage compounds the financial loss.
Breach analysis is where we start. We go through every device you've used — computers, phones, tablets — and assess exactly what the scammer had access to. We check for remote access software, keyloggers, screen recorders, and malware. We review your email accounts for forwarding rules (a favourite scammer trick — they forward your emails to themselves so they can intercept password reset links). We check which of your credentials have appeared in known data breaches.
Account recovery is the next priority. We systematically work through your compromised accounts — email, banking, social media, MyGov, Medicare — changing passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and revoking any unauthorised access. Where accounts have been locked by the scammer, we guide you through the recovery process with each provider.
Virus and malware removal ensures your devices are clean. We remove any remote access tools, spyware, keyloggers, or other malicious software the scammer installed. We do a thorough scan to confirm nothing is hiding in startup processes, browser extensions, or scheduled tasks.
Security hardening protects you going forward. We set up a password manager so you're using strong, unique passwords for every account. We enable two-factor authentication everywhere it's available. We configure your devices and browsers to block known malicious sites. We set up proper backup systems so you have a safety net.
Bring your devices into our Erina workshop, or call us to discuss your situation. We'll do an initial assessment to understand the scope of the breach — what happened, when, and which devices and accounts were involved. From there, we work through a structured process: secure your accounts, clean your devices, harden your security, and provide guidance on reporting to the relevant authorities including Scamwatch, ReportCyber, IDCARE, and your bank's fraud department.
We take the time to explain everything in plain language. Many of our scam recovery clients are understandably shaken, and part of our job is to be patient, thorough, and reassuring. There's no judgement here — just practical help to get you back on your feet and protected against future attacks.
If you've been scammed, the most important thing is to act quickly. The sooner you secure your accounts and clean your devices, the less damage the scammers can do. Call us on (02) 4367 2744 or book a consultation online.
We'll assess the damage, secure your accounts, clean your devices, and protect you going forward.
Book a Consultation (02) 4367 2744