Ultraview

Question

I was suckered into ultraview scam today, I logged into Facebook. Saw I had a message and hit the message icon and bam!, the Microsoft hacker alert came up telling me Not to turn off my computer and call the 855 number immediately. At this point, my computer was functioning and I heeded the warning and called. while I was calling. I noticed in the background, a black screen looked like it was scrolling data like you see on some TV, I never tried to bring it up front to see what it said, does anyone know if the hacker already had access at that point?, then the Indian lady prompted me to the command screen and had me type something which I cannot remember and I the was looking at a DOS list of ip addresses connected to my computer, approx 15, she claimed that my network was breached and that my sensitive data stolen and used to visit some illegal Chinese **** site and purchase child corn, she was a bit confused I assume and told me that every device on my network was monitored by the hackers and she stated to call me back on secure line. She called back and apparently couldn't figure out what she was doing, shd had me reboot my computer and i said ibwould not restsart, (lucky for me i messed up and didnt completely shut down because i used power button and kept pressing it locking up my pc) said she'd call back within one hour after she completed diagnostic on her end, no call back so I called the number again and got another Indian MS rep. Who gave me his ID #, he insisted on helping, bamboozled me into command prompt To alterview, had me download altered. You install it, give him my user name and password generated by the software, but not the remote user name and password, which wasn't esti wished. Meanwhile, he says I'm gonna need you to run a scan on your computer and had me type in "dir/s", it scrolled through my directories and at the end said scan complete, hackers-17 found, all debit card info and credit card info taken, illegal Chinese **** site visited, ****purchased. And I think it said Cinch virus detected, phone hacked....at this point I asked him why he was asking me what the screen said if he can see all this in ultraview, and that ultraview is not even a Microsoft product. I said something is wrong here, he gave me some lame excuse (forgot as I was stresses) and hung up. My question is this, did he get access to my pc???, I have gone through my system login info and see nothing unusual, my accounts have not been compromised and yess I have changed all passwords, there is nobody accessing my device, I have scanned with defender, Bitdefender and lenovo and nothing, task manager shows nothing since my encounter, do now the question is, was I hacked or not, I have reported this to Microsoft Scams support, should I buy windows 11 format and install.....yes I am pissed at myself

Answer 1

Hello John, I'm Quinn, and I'm glad to help.

First off, don’t be too hard on yourself, these scams are designed to pressure and confuse people into acting quickly. You were smart to recognize something was off before they got full control. Now, let’s break this down:

A. Did they gain access to your PC?

It sounds like they did NOT successfully establish full remote access. UltraViewer (similar to TeamViewer) is a remote desktop software. They needed you to install it and provide the remote ID & password for full control, which you did not do. If they only had you type commands in Command Prompt, they could see what you saw over the phone, but they couldn’t actively control your system. They used fake command line "scans" to scare you. Nothing they said was real, it was all meant to pressure you.

B. Did they infect your PC with malware?

Since you never completed the UltraViewer remote connection, they couldn’t install anything themselves. The "scan" they ran in Command Prompt was fake, "dir /s" just lists files; it’s not an antivirus scan. The threats they claimed (hackers, stolen data, illegal activity) were lies to scare you. You ran multiple security scans and found nothing. If they had installed malware, something likely would have been detected. If you haven’t done this yet, you can run a Microsoft Defender offline scan to ensure nothing was missed. Overall, you’ve already done a lot, which is good.

C. Should you reinstall Windows?

Probably not necessary since nothing indicates malware was installed. But if you want 100% peace of mind, a clean reinstall of Windows 11 is an option. Before going that route, try:

Running "sfc /scannow" and "DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth" in Command Prompt (as Admin) to check system integrity. Additionally, scanning again with Malwarebytes (free version) just as an extra check.

D. What should you do now?

1. Uninstall UltraViewer (if it’s still on your system) and you can check installed programs for anything suspicious (Settings > Apps > Installed Apps).
2. They claimed your network was breached, though this is likely a lie. Still, it's a good idea to check. Resetting your router is one of the easiest and most effective ways to secure your network, as it wipes out any unauthorized settings or access and lets you start fresh. If you just want to check for intrusions without resetting, logging into your router and reviewing connected devices is a quicker first step. However, if you're unsure or want complete peace of mind, a reset is the best option.
3. Your accounts are likely safe but keep monitoring your accounts, which you’re already doing, just to be sure. So far, nothing suggests your accounts were compromised. As long as you’ve changed your passwords and see no unusual activity, you should be fine.
4. Be extra cautious with future pop-ups or scare tactics.

From everything you’ve described, it seems like you caught on before any real damage was done. They tried to scam you, but you didn’t give them full access, so you’re probably fine. Your password changes and security scans were the right moves. If everything looks normal, you’re likely in the clear.

A full Windows reinstall isn’t necessary unless you just want peace of mind. Also, you don’t need to buy Windows to perform a format. I get why you're mad at yourself, but honestly? You did better than most people in this situation. You caught on before they could do real damage. Just chalk it up as a learning experience and move forward. You did well.