Was my computer hacked?

caputkid · 2024-08-06T20:20:57+00:00

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Just as I returned from vacation I found that my primary credit card was declined. It was still in my possession however it had been used in vancouver and in toronto only hours apart. According to the card company my user name , password, and phone no for the card had been changed.

When I arrived home I found that I had left my home theatre computer on however it was in sleep mode and the tv monitor was turned off. When I woke it I found the log in screen to my email provider was open. My email was frozen however unfroze when I rebooted. I found several scam emails as well as emails from facebook reporting that my facebook password had been changed so someone had access to my email. I have straightened out facebook and have changed passwords for my email and my internet/email provider. I have not received suspect emails for the last few days except for a request to change my facebook password which facebook has blocked.

My question is did my home theatre computer get hacked while I was away or did my laptop that I brought to the rented cottage get hacked? The suspect emails including one from microsoft reporting that someone was accessing my email, started the day before I drove back home. My laptop was using the cottage wifi. Should I be changing all my passwords to sites like Amazon? I have bit defender on all my computers.

Thanks

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Scott

Hi @caputkid

In a word, yes, change all of your passwords (and usernames) you can. And also on all the accounts that you can, enable 2FA. Hopefully, you are using a Password Manager, which can generate at least 16 random alphabetical/numerical/character passwords and secure them for you. As with the below (VPN) Bitdefender has their PM, but there are other good PM's out there as well. Just be sure to use one :)

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2700/

https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/hotforsecurity/which-authenticator-apps-are-safe-to-use/

It may have happened at the cottage when you were on their WIFI, but, with the other Smart TV (home theater) issue going on and all the online business hacking going on, it can be hard to say exactly. If you're not using a VPN, especially for public WIFI, I would consider using one. There are also many good VPN providers, here is a link regarding Bitdefender's.

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/7126/

@Flexx @Alexandru_BD and @Gjoksi will possibly have some follow up advice as well, but this is the ground work of what needs to be done for now.

Kind regards.

Alexandru_BD

Hello,

This would require a thorough investigation to find out where it all started. Obviously, the first step would be to change passwords for all critical accounts (email, banking, social media, shopping sites like Amazon) from a secure device, and enable 2FA on all accounts that offer it. Then try to review the system logs on that home theatre computer to see if there were any unauthorized accesses or activities while you were away. Check if any remote access tools were installed or used. It would be useful to review the WiFi network logs at the rented cottage, if accessible, to see if there were any unusual activities. Public or semi-public WiFi networks, like the one at the cottage you mentioned, can be vulnerable to attacks, so this is a possibility. If your laptop was connected to an insecure network, it might have been compromised, but at the same time if Bitdefender was installed and fully operational, I think it should have normally detected suspicious activity, if the hack actually took place at the cottage.

Since your email and Facebook accounts were accessed and altered, it’s possible that the attacker used these credentials to gain further access to your other accounts.
I assume you did this already, but I'll still mention it. Report the unauthorized transactions to your bank or credit card company immediately and block the card.

Also, run full system scans on all your devices where Bitdefender is installed to detect and remove any malware or suspicious software. Change your home WiFi password and ensure it uses WPA3 encryption, if available.

As for long-term measures, monitor your financial and online accounts for any suspicious activities, at least for a while from now. See if you can set up alerts for any unusual login attempts or changes to your accounts. Last but not least, avoid using public WiFi networks for sensitive transactions or accessing important accounts and always use a VPN when connecting to public or unsecured networks to encrypt your internet traffic.

I'm sorry that happened to you and I hope that the damages can be recovered.

Regards

Flexx

The most important thing here is to get your credit card blocked and apply for a new one from your bank. While you have changed your password for your ISP router, I would advise you to get it completely reset.

Regards