I've got two phones and a laptop, and I've been noticing some weird stuff lately. While watching YouTube on my second phone (which was charging), I saw a bunch of live streams and videos in my history that I definitely didn't watch. Feeling suspicious, I checked my Gmail for device activity and spotted a third device that I didn't recognize. It was the same model as my second phone, which got me thinking it might be a session on that phone. I signed out of that session just to be safe.
When I checked back later, it showed a new session had started, which worried me. I tracked the IPs through my Gmail on my laptop and found two IP addresses from a different country just a day before. That definitely raised some red flags!
I then switched to my first phone and noticed the same suspicious session issue there too. The sessions were appearing under the name of my phone model, and they kept replicating every time I checked.
Right now, I only have my main emails on the first phone and my laptop; the second phone only holds emails I use occasionally. I can't figure out if my devices are compromised, and I'm really unsure about what steps to take next.
Just to give you a bit more context:
- Phone 1: OnePlus
- Phone 2: Samsung (close to 7 years old with no software support)
- Laptop: Windows (I've run scans with McAfee and Malwarebytes; nothing showed up)
Also, I received a phishing email from 'Samsung' yesterday, which felt off and had a weird email ID, so I deleted it. Not sure if it's connected, but I wanted to mention it just in case.
3 Answers
You’ve done the right thing by signing out of those sessions. Make sure your passwords are strong and unique for each account. If you suspect the devices were compromised, it might also be a good idea to erase and reset your older phone to clear any potential malware. Keep an eye on your accounts for any unusual activity, and consider enabling alerts for sign-ins.
It sounds like you might want to uninstall McAfee since some folks say it's more of a hassle than helpful these days. Windows Defender is usually sufficient for many users. Also, did you have two-factor authentication (2FA) set up on your email accounts? That adds an extra layer of security.
It’s definitely concerning when odd sessions keep popping up. Aside from switching antivirus, remember to monitor your connected devices and regularly change your passwords. If the problems persist, a full system wipe of your devices and starting fresh could be a better route to ensure everything is clean. Plus, don't forget to check for updates regularly as well, especially on your older phone.
I appreciate the advice! I’m considering a reset for the older phone, especially since it's been acting weird lately. Updates seem to be non-existent for it, but I’ll look into that.
Thanks for the tip! I switched to Windows Defender and started implementing 2FA since I didn't have it before. But I’m still concerned because I noticed suspicious activity on emails regardless of 2FA. I'm planning to change my passwords again and want to ensure my laptop is secured first. Any other suggestions?