I recently installed Golf Gang after someone I had just met online encouraged me to play it with them and gifted it to my account. Shortly afterward, my webcam activated, and I became concerned that a remote-access trojan had been installed. I was nearly locked out of several accounts that were signed in on that computer. The person later began contacting me on Discord and sending screenshots of private conversations, which feels like an attempt to intimidate or extort me. I have already reset the PC using Windows' cloud-reset option and changed many passwords, but I am unsure whether malware could survive that process. What is the safest way to secure my accounts and make sure the computer is clean?
4 Answers
A webcam turning on does not by itself prove a RAT, but the account activity and messages are serious warning signs. From a clean device, review login history, revoke active sessions and app authorizations, rotate recovery codes, and check that the attacker hasn’t changed recovery email addresses or phone numbers. Scan any files you plan to restore, and don’t copy unknown executables or browser profiles back onto the freshly installed system.
The game itself may not be the whole story. Attackers sometimes use social engineering, malicious files, compromised mods, or links sent through game chats. Avoid installing anything pushed by someone you barely know, even if it comes through a legitimate game platform. Preserve screenshots of the threats, block and report the accounts, tighten your Discord privacy settings, and do not pay or argue with the person. If there are credible threats, extortion, or stolen-account activity, report it to the relevant service and local law enforcement.
The reset is a reasonable emergency step, but if you want the strongest assurance, do a complete reinstall using official Windows media rather than relying only on the built-in reset. Until then, disconnect the affected PC from the internet and avoid signing into accounts on it. You can ask a reputable computer repair shop or a technically experienced person to help create the installer and back up only personal documents.
Treat the computer as compromised until you reinstall from trusted installation media. Using a separate, trusted device—such as your phone—change every important password, make each one unique, sign out other sessions, and enable app-based two-factor authentication. Prioritize email, financial accounts, password managers, gaming accounts, and Discord. Contact your bank if payment information was stored on the PC. For the computer, create a Windows installer USB from a known-clean device, boot from it, delete the existing system partitions, and perform a fresh installation. A normal reset may remove common malware, but a clean install from external media gives you more confidence.
I don’t currently have a USB drive or know how to make a Windows installer. Is the cloud reset I already performed enough for now?
It wasn’t a workshop mod. I installed the game after someone I had recently met kept encouraging me to play several games, and I didn’t realize that could be risky.