Remote Access Tool
Also known as: AnyDesk, TeamViewer, UltraViewer, Quick Assist, remote desktop
Software like AnyDesk, TeamViewer, UltraViewer, or Quick Assist that lets one person control another person’s computer — used legitimately by IT support and abused by tech-support scammers.
A remote access tool (RAT in security parlance) is software that allows a remote person to see and control your computer screen, mouse, and keyboard. The tools themselves are legitimate — IT support teams use AnyDesk and TeamViewer every day to help users. The problem is that the same tools are the primary weapon of the tech support scam.
Legitimate manufacturers (HP, Epson, Microsoft, Apple) do not require remote access to your computer to fix a printer, install a driver, or reset a password. If anyone — claiming to be from a known company or not — asks you to download AnyDesk, TeamViewer, UltraViewer, Quick Assist, LogMeIn, or any similar tool to “diagnose” or “protect” your computer, the call is almost certainly fraud.
The simplest family safety rule: no remote access tool gets installed on any device in the household without checking with one trusted technical person first. That one rule alone defeats the entire tech support scam category.