WinDesk against remote-support scams

The following use cases are explicitly prohibited under the terms of service and result in immediate sanctions when discovered:

• Tech support scams — fake "Microsoft", "bank" or "police" callers who get victims to install remote software in order to steal or extort.
• Banking hijacks — takeover of online-banking sessions with simultaneous screen blackout (so the victim cannot see what is happening).
• Romance scams with a remote component — relationship-building that escalates into requests to install remote software to "fix" the victim's computer or "manage" crypto wallets.
• Findom operations — so-called "financial domination", in which perpetrators get victims to install remote software so banking apps and online shops on the victim's device can be operated by the perpetrator. A well-documented abuse pattern seen with AnyDesk.
• Stalkerware-style surveillance — covert installation on the device of another person without their informed consent, particularly in domestic violence contexts.
• Account takeover as a service — paid takeover of third-party accounts, crypto wallets, gaming accounts.
• Industrial espionage and unauthorised data theft — access to systems for which the user has no authorisation.

WinDesk has been built from the ground up with abuse-protection in its architecture. Anyone planning to use WinDesk for the above operations will find that the software offers significantly worse tools for it than older competitors:

• Permanently visible session indicator — as long as someone is connected, the host shows a “Remote support active” notice at the edge of the screen with the connection duration. It can be collapsed but not hidden.
• Ending the session at any time — the person at the host ends the session at any time via the notice at the edge of the screen.
• Sign-in bound to the security chip (TPM / Secure Enclave) — the host’s sign-in is bound to the device’s security chip where available, and every pairing is additionally tied to a hardware fingerprint of the host.
• Audit trail — sessions, new and revoked pairings and role changes are logged. The logs are provided to authorities to the extent the law requires, on a lawful request.
• Country check and IP block — an unattended connection from a country that is not approved for the host is blocked, and the owner receives an email to approve it. Repeated failed sign-ins block the IP address.

Anyone looking for a remote-desktop tool for scam operations does not pick WinDesk — it is explicitly engineered to sabotage exactly these use cases.

Misuse of remote-desktop software is a criminal offence in Switzerland and in practically every industrialised country. The specific provisions we cite to law enforcement when we report a suspected case:

Swiss Criminal Code (StGB)

• Art. 143 StGB — unauthorised obtaining of data (up to five years' imprisonment)
• Art. 143bis StGB — unauthorised access to a data processing system
• Art. 144bis StGB — damage to data
• Art. 146 StGB — fraud (in tech-support scams, romance scams, findom)
• Art. 147 StGB — fraudulent misuse of a data processing system (in banking hijacks)
• Art. 156 StGB — extortion
• Art. 197 StGB — pornography (in relevant findom operations with image or video recordings)
• Art. 305bis StGB — money laundering (in onward transfer of proceeds)

International framework

• Budapest Convention on Cybercrime (ETS 185) — Switzerland is a contracting party. Enables accelerated international legal assistance in cybercrime cases with the 67 other state parties (incl. US, UK, the entire EU, Japan, Canada, Australia).
• Bilateral mutual legal assistance treaties (MLATs) — Switzerland has MLATs with all the major industrialised countries. Evidence transfer and extradition requests are well-established routes.
• Europol / Interpol channels — for organised or transnational operations we coordinate with the relevant international law enforcement unit.

Switzerland is not a data-protection haven for cybercriminals. Geographic distance does not shield perpetrators from criminal prosecution — the Budapest Convention and bilateral MLATs are designed precisely for this.

If you currently suspect or know that someone is remote-controlling your computer without your consent — or if this happened to you in the past few hours or days — proceed as follows:

Immediately (in the next 5 minutes)

1. Physically disconnect the network. Pull the LAN cable, switch off Wi-Fi (at the router, not just at the device). This ends the session immediately, regardless of the software.
2. Shut down the computer entirely. Not just lock the screen. If the perpetrator installed keyboard macros, they could otherwise resume on wake-up.
3. Call the bank by phone — if banking was open or you entered banking data. Use the number on the back of your bank card or from the official directory. Never a number that someone gave you on the phone.
4. In case of imminent danger, call the police — 117 in Switzerland, 112 in the EU, 911 in the US.

In the next 24 hours

1. File a criminal complaint. With the cantonal police or via report.ncsc.admin.ch (online reporting platform of NCSC, the Swiss cybersecurity authority). Filing is free.
2. Change passwords — in this order: email (because it almost always receives reset mails for other accounts), banking, mobile provider, online shops, social media. From a different, clean device.
3. Enable multi-factor authentication — wherever possible. Passkey/FIDO2 is the most robust variant.
4. Have the computer rebuilt — either yourself (Windows Reset / macOS Restore) or by a trusted IT provider. Do not simply uninstall the software — remote-software scams often leave backdoors, keyloggers or modified hosts files.
5. Preserve evidence — screenshots, chat logs, phone numbers, IBANs, crypto wallet addresses, timestamps. Everything you have. Do not delete, even out of shame.

Useful Swiss contact points

• report.ncsc.admin.ch — official reporting platform of NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre)
• bacs.admin.ch — current warnings and support resources
• skppsc.ch — Swiss Crime Prevention
• Local cantonal police — emergency line 117, phone switchboard for criminal complaint
• Victim Support Switzerland — opferhilfe-schweiz.ch, psychological and legal support

Important: what happened to you is not embarrassing. Remote-support scams are professionally operated, technically thought-through and target every education and age group. Fast reporting increases the chance that patterns can be traced and other victims protected.

Do you have indications or concrete evidence that someone is using WinDesk for a scam or another illegal operation? Email us:

abuse@windesk.ch

With subject "Abuse Report" and as many details as possible:

• Timestamp (date, time, time zone)
• Device IDs, if known to you
• Phone numbers, email addresses, social media profiles of the suspected parties
• IBANs, crypto wallets, payment services that were used
• Chat logs, screenshots, photos
• If you are a victim yourself: please tell us whether you would be willing to testify, or whether you would prefer your report to enter our evidence chain anonymously

We acknowledge receipt within 24 hours. In cases of imminent danger to life and limb we act promptly — in that case please call the police first.

Authority requests

Law enforcement agencies, courts and supervisory bodies: please write to abuse@windesk.ch with the relevant mutual legal assistance request, production order or formal ruling. Foreign authorities: via the Swiss central authority (Federal Office of Justice, International Legal Assistance Section) under the Budapest Convention or bilateral MLAT.