Hey everyone, I need some advice on a really unsettling situation. I recently invited someone over from a dating app and, unfortunately, he got access to my Wi-Fi router and possibly installed malware on my devices. Now, all my physical devices—including my iPhone, TV, desktop, and even my work laptop—seem compromised. He was able to control my iPhone, turning it on and off, which raises some serious concerns. I quickly set up two-factor authentication, replaced the router, and did a hard reset of my phone, but I'm worried this isn't enough. I'm also wondering if he could have hidden something physical in my place. Does anyone have any tips on what I should do next?
3 Answers
Have you talked to him again since things started acting weird? It might help to understand his intentions or if he knows anything about what’s happening. Identifying his motives could shed light on the malware source and how to deal with it. Lots of questions here—has he been evasive, or do you have any leads?
Just a thought, but is it possible this is a coincidence? If you barely know this guy, a targeted attack on your devices is pretty rare, especially if you don’t have any connections to high-value targets. You mentioned other issues were popping up too; could they have coincided with your interactions on dating apps or other online activity? What other symptoms have you observed aside from the reboots and antivirus problems? It’s worth considering all angles before jumping to conclusions.
Yikes, that sounds really scary! If the guy had your Wi-Fi password, it’s much more likely he got in through the router rather than any hidden device. I recommend considering this a full security breach: factory reset your new router, create a new SSID and password, change the admin credentials, disable WPS and UPnP, and update the firmware. After that, reconnect your devices one by one, ensuring they're all wiped and updated first. Also, check your iPhone's settings for any unknown VPN profiles or device management stuff—that could indicate potential remote access. For your desktop, since it sounds like malware is really causing issues, back up just your personal files, then perform a clean install of Windows using a trusted USB created on a different machine. Definitely inform your IT team about the work laptop situation as they can help assess further. Keep an eye on your router's device list too and turn off Bluetooth on everything for now to avoid any strange interactions.
This is great advice and things I haven’t tried. Thank you!
We've chatted, but not about this issue. He even wiped our text history. It feels like he's trying to mess with my life for reasons I can't understand.