AnyDesk uses external support to prevent fraud proactively

TAMPA, Fla., May 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AnyDesk, the world's leading provider of remote access software, announced today the creation of the AnyDesk Anti-Fraud Taskforce. "This task force is dedicated to stopping fraud in real-time. We partner with various creators and scam baiters to take a proactive approach to fraud prevention" said Matthew Caldwell, one of the company's fraud prevention specialists. 

AnyDesk has already shut down several call centers, preventing fraudulent activity by severing the connections to thousands of devices in real-time. By partnering with experienced "scam baiters" such as KitBoga, ScammerPayback, and Jim Browning, who intentionally bait the call centers and waste their time AnyDesk can take action and ban these call centers in a proactive manner.  "As always, these scammers adapt and will switch to other remote access solutions. We would love to build something bigger here and urge other remote access companies to work with us" said Jim Browning, a prominent YouTuber and expert on scam baiting. 

In collaboration with Jim Browning, the AnyDesk Anti-Fraud Taskforce has started to explore a partnership with the internationally renowned spam-fighting company, SpamHaus. "This work is expected to inspire collaboration amongst competitors and is planned to include a list of shared non-descriptive identifiers that can be used to stop fraud on a global level", says Caldwell. Collaboration of this level will ensure when a user has been flagged for engaging in fraud, the information will be shared amongst other remote access companies, so they can collectively combat misuse. 

To kick off the project, AnyDesk is establishing the Fraud Fighters Foundation as well as pledging $10,000 to fraud prevention efforts. Funds will go towards education and reimbursement of victims and will be distributed by the foundation under recommendation from the AVAH Outreach Group. The AVAH Outreach Group specializes in preventing fraud by monitoring call centers and intervening to protect victims mid scam call. Caldwell continues, "We're looking forward to building something amazing here, and we would love to get other companies involved - A proactive approach is always better than a reactive one." 

Collaborating Across Industries 

In addition to the projects already mentioned, AnyDesk has recently joined "Stop Scams UK," a British, industry-led collaboration of responsible businesses across the banking, telecoms, and technology sectors such as Google, Meta, and Barclays. With this partnership, AnyDesk aims to evaluate and implement technical countermeasures to prevent scams from happening. The collaboration encourages technical knowledge transfer and data sharing among all parties. This collaboration will open new doors in terms of fraud prevention and will allow AnyDesk to support and advise other companies on fraud prevention tactics. 

AnyDesk will keep fraud prevention a top priority even after abuse of the software has decreased. "It's not over after the fraudulent usage stops; we will continue to dedicate manpower towards stopping fraud across the board," said Philipp Weiser, the company's CEO. 

If you believe yourself to be a victim of fraud, please contact Mrs. Evans or Mrs. Phillips, both NACP Credentialed Victim Advocates from the AVAH Outreach Group. They can be reached at theavahoutreachgroup@gmail.com and would be happy to assist in providing advice to ensure that your data, devices, and accounts remain secure after a fraudulent encounter. 

About AnyDesk 
AnyDesk is the leading global provider of Remote Desktop Software. The innovative apps of the global operator have already been downloaded more than 700 million times to date. This makes AnyDesk one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in Germany. In more than 190 countries, far over 170,000 customers have put their trust in AnyDesk, including internationally well-known companies such as Google, McDonald's, and Bosch.  Further information: Website | Blog | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

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Press Contact Information
AnyDesk Software GmbH
Matthew Caldwell
+1 (727) 420-7592
Press@anydesk.com