My friend reached out to me with a serious issue: both her phone and her friend's phone seem to have been hacked. They are overheating, and her usage stats show she's consumed a staggering 1.87 TB in just two weeks, with suspicious data use on a streaming app running in the background. She received alerts that her passwords were changed, and now even her email and Apple ID passwords have been altered by someone—presumably her ex. We thought a factory reset would help, but the problems persist. Additionally, there are concerns that her Wi-Fi might be compromised since her ex set up the router and is sending her messages that indicate he's been reading her texts. We really need advice on how to resolve this situation and keep both of them safe! Any guidance would be immensely appreciated.
5 Answers
This sounds really serious. You should gather all evidence of the hacking and definitely file a police report. After that, contact your internet service provider to reset everything. It's crucial to also reach out to all the companies linked to her stolen accounts to verify her identity and regain access. And don't forget to unplug the router for now.
Make sure to change all passwords immediately, activate two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible, and remove any unknown devices from those accounts. A password manager is also a great tool to help manage everything securely. Remember, it’s rarer for someone to actually hack a phone directly; usually, it's more about accessing accounts.
The simplest step is to reset passwords and enable 2FA where you can. That provides an extra layer of security.
Since he set up the router, it’s essential to reset that too. He might have set up a backdoor into her network, putting all connected devices at risk.
If the Wi-Fi is compromised, then that's a bigger issue than just a phone hack. You should definitely call your ISP to help clean that up and reset things. Secure the network first!
Also, if possible, consider filing a restraining order against him. It seems this guy might need a visit from the authorities to make him stop.