I recently had a scare while watching anime when I encountered a captcha that led me to a fake login screen. The next day, my Discord got hacked. I immediately downloaded Malwarebytes, scanned my PC, and then I changed all my passwords that I could remember, including enabling 2FA. After that, I decided to reinstall Windows and delete everything on my PC through the reset option. Now, I'm feeling super paranoid about using my computer again! Is it safe to use it now? I've downloaded Malwarebytes again and I'm unsure what other precautions I should take. I've also updated my passwords on my phone and added 2FA where possible, and I'm planning to buy a USB to download a fresh copy of Windows.
4 Answers
Reinstalling Windows via USB is a good move since the reset option doesn't really wipe everything effectively. Make sure you’ve changed all your passwords and activated 2FA on your accounts. It’s also smart to remove any unknown devices linked to your accounts and consider getting a password manager to keep your info secure. After these steps, you should be in a much better place!
There's actually a phishing scam going around that uses a captcha followed by a fake Gmail login. If that’s what you encountered, your device may be fine, but definitely change your email password, enable two-factor authentication, and log out of any unknown sessions. Wiping your entire system might seem like overkill, but it’s better to be safe!
Haha, I wish it was just that. I totally messed up with a Windows command! My bad.
Did you change your passwords on another device? It's safer that way, just in case. Also, if you fell for a simple phishing scam, your computer might not be infected, but it's good to lock down your accounts with new passwords and 2FA.
Yeah, I did change them on my phone with 2FA as well!
If you're still really worried, you could change your hard drive, since there's a chance something survived the format. Seriously consider how valuable your data is—if you're not worried about it, just stick to activating 2FA everywhere possible. Secure your email with strong passwords and good luck!
Honestly, I’m broke and jobless, so I doubt anyone would go after me for money, haha! But I’ve activated 2FA everywhere I could and will grab a USB for Windows. I also checked my accounts, and everything seems clean. Thanks for your advice!
Thank you!! I’ll definitely do that.