I'm in a really tough situation and need some urgent advice. Two years ago, my Android devices were hacked, and the hacker managed to access my camera and microphone to record me without my knowledge. They've since used this material to blackmail me and my family, contacting us through temporary Instagram accounts or email. I've kept all proof of their harassment, but it hasn't stopped. I've reached out to authorities, but I'm also really concerned about making sure my devices are completely secure so this doesn't happen again. Can anyone provide step-by-step guidance on how to secure my phone and computer, detect any spyware or hidden apps, and potentially trace the source of this issue?
2 Answers
Have you received an email from your own address? If you have, it might just be a scam and they haven’t really accessed your device. A common tactic is to use fear to manipulate. If you haven’t seen anything that suspicious, it could still be a scam. If your accounts were hacked, though, you made a good call with 2FA to regain control. Just be cautious about anything you download, as malware could have slipped in without you knowing.
First off, a lot of claims about being hacked and blackmailed are scams. It is possible, but not as common as people think. If you do have solid proof that you’ve been hacked, use a clean device to change all your passwords and set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) or two-factor authentication (2FA). For cleaning up your devices, the best route is to wipe everything and do a fresh install. To detect spyware, Windows Defender can be surprisingly effective, but avoid sketchy websites that might ask you to disable security settings or run suspicious commands.
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