Hey everyone! I'm not super tech-savvy, so I'm sorry if I sound paranoid, but I'm starting to worry that my boyfriend might be remotely recording my laptop. A few strange things have happened recently that have me asking questions. First, I found my laptop powered off when I came back from the kitchen, and he claimed he turned it off, though I didn't think much of it at the time. Then there's this weird issue in our Messenger chat where it says 'ongoing call' under his name, even after restarting my laptop—it's been showing like that for two days now! Lastly, just an hour ago, I noticed that when he opened his laptop next to me in bed, he had an 'unregistered hypercam' tutorial open on YouTube. I can't even remember the last time we used Messenger to call each other! Am I just being paranoid, or could there be something to my suspicions? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
6 Answers
If there's a chance your UEFI firmware has been compromised, that’s pretty serious. In that case, you might want to consult a data recovery expert. An infected UEFI can stick around even with a fresh OS install since the code is on the motherboard. Just something to consider if you're really worried.
Restart your laptop and look in the Task Manager to check if any suspicious apps are running in the background. If you find anything unusual, that could be a sign!
There's definitely a chance he could be spying on you. One thing you might want to do is check the apps that are set to run at startup through the Task Manager. Also, keep an eye on the network usage—if something is sending data constantly, it might be a red flag!
A simple way to spot less sophisticated malware is to check the 'Uninstall a program' section in the Control Panel. If you see any unfamiliar apps there, it could be a sign that something shady is going on. Just stay cautious!
Based on what you're saying, it sounds like he may have set up your computer to accept calls automatically and could be video calling you without you knowing. That’s just my guess from your description, but it’s definitely concerning!
First off, I totally get why you're concerned—with the odd behavior and all. A good first step is to run a full antivirus scan on your laptop, like Windows Defender or Malwarebytes; they can help detect any spying software. If you're really worried, consider reinstalling Windows completely; it's a clean slate! Just make sure to back up any important files first.
But how can you be sure? Hidden malware could have really generic names, making it hard to identify. Just relying on the Task Manager isn't reliable enough to spot all that sketchy software.