Q&A for How to Know if You've Been Hacked

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  • Question
    How do I know if I've been hacked?
    Luigi Oppido
    Luigi Oppido
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
    Luigi Oppido
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Expert Answer
    One sign that you've been hacked is if all of a sudden you start to see your inbox flooded with repetitive emails. However, if you change your password, you'll lock the hacker out of your account. To check whether your email address has been included in a data breach, visit a site like haveibeenpwned.com. They'll tell you whether your data has been exposed, as well as which sites may have been involved in the breach. Another way you might be able to tell whether you've been hacked is if you start to see fraudulent charges on your bank statements or credit cards. To prevent that, sign up for alerts that will inform you every time a purchase is made on one of your accounts.
  • Question
    Is it normal for a message to display saying that the latest update is being installed and to not close the PC?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yes, that's normal. Corruption of data can happen if you shut down the PC during an update.
  • Question
    If my computer has a camera, can they see me?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It's entirely possible, yes. If you're worried about this, cover your computer's webcam with a sticky note when not in use.
  • Question
    Can someone hack my connection to slow me down?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Possibly. More likely you have downloaded something that contained a virus, and it is using up your computer’s resources.
  • Question
    What do I do if a strange name comes up as the account user and I can't switch back to my own?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You have been hacked. Look in your email address that is connected to your account and look for an email from the company that tells you that your account has been accessed. If you see unauthorized activity, change your passwords immediately.
  • Question
    Can hackers put things to make me believe that I have been hacked?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    If a hacker put something in your computer to make you think you've been hacked, you actually have been hacked.
  • Question
    Can I be hacked by watching YouTube?
    Ethan Mellow
    Ethan Mellow
    Community Answer
    No. Unless you follow a link that is malicious, you should be safe on YouTube
  • Question
    Can someone hack me if I just opened a suspicious email?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    No, it's only if you click on a link and/or an attachment that is in the suspicious email.
  • Question
    Should I be worried if someone received an email with my name that I did not send?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It is most likely a hacker who has hacked your account and is using your email address book to send bogus emails like the one your friend received. Run some antivirus software on your computer, and notify everyone in your address book not to open any emails from you unless they're sure it's from you.
  • Question
    Am I being hacked if my phone has started giving me random notifications, saying that a specific website is not responding?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It depends on what is running. Sometimes it might be a faulty connection which means its not responding. Install virus checker software.
  • Question
    What are my chances of being hacked with an iPad?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Extremely unlikely. Unless you go onto your web browser and download things from websites or get your device jailbroken.
  • Question
    How can I figure out the method someone used to hack me?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You could look at the file that might be suspicious, and use a de-compiler to see the code. That way you could see if there is a key logger, or a RAT. If you let your browser save your passwords and you have a rat (If there isn't a key logger), then he can see them. Also you might be able to track them by their IP address.
  • Question
    I believe I have been hacked. I think I know who the hacker is. How should I handle this?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    The only thing you can do is to pass along any relevant information to the police but without significant proof, they can't do much. In the meantime, upgrade your security and change all your passwords etc. Hacks are very rarely carried out by someone you know unless they have direct access to your computer and/or passwords.
  • Question
    What should I do if my ex texts me telling me I'm being watched?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Has your ex ever been involved with computers? If not, then maybe they are just trying to scare you. Be careful, and try not to use online banking. If you think your ex is the cause of the watching and is stalking you, you should contact the authorities.
  • Question
    How do I change my password for email?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It depends on what you use for an email. Usually if you go to the settings, there should be a Change Password option.
  • Question
    What do I do if the hacker has deleted my antivirus?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Power down your computer. Run it in safe mode (simple google search will help you with this as not all computers can go into safe mode the same way), and download "malwarebytes" and run the program. It should do a scan for common malware. Then you can install your antivirus again using your activation code.
  • Question
    A tab opened on its own saying "You Have Been Compromised," and then it filled up my history with about 50 of the same page. What should I do?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Install a trial version of a program like Norton. Do a full scan on your computer, and it will try its best to detect and remove viruses. There is a small chance that it won't find the virus, but a full scan is better than nothing.
  • Question
    I was on a website on my tablet, and suddenly my tablet automatically downloaded something. My Avast program called it malware and deleted it, but I'm still worried. What should I do?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    If your antivirus has marked it as deleted, your tablet is fine, but you should still do daily scans.
  • Question
    My screen keeps flickering, and my graphics driver is up to date. Am I being hacked?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Probably not. It may just be a glitch with the graphics driver and/or the display itself. You should try to revert back to an old graphics card driver and see if the problem is solved.
  • Question
    How can I tell if I've been hacked on Facebook?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Usually hacking on Facebook is obvious because there will be messages present that you didn't send, statuses you didn't post, or photos you didn't share.
  • Question
    If I am being hacked and I completely reset my entire computer, will it remove the hacker?
    ture znipp
    ture znipp
    Community Answer
    Not entirely; the hacker might still have access to your router and/or modem. If you're worried that the hacker has access to your connection, do the following: reset your router and modem. Then, contact your ISP to change your IP address. This way, the hacker will have the wrong IP if he has access to it. After that, you're pretty much safe, but if you're still worried that you're hacked, configure a proxy and/or VPN. This'll hide your IP when you browse the internet. Also, set up a password and WPA2 for your connection, if you already don't have one of those. After that, reset your PC again.
  • Question
    If I worked on my Facebook account on some pop-up window, does that mean that it has been hacked?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    If it has a lock in the corner and says "Facebook.com" on the bar, then no, it has not been hacked. If it doesn't, you're on the wrong website and risk being hacked.
  • Question
    Someone sent me a link, when I clicked on it it downloaded a file he said was a picture (it had .scr at the end), but when I right clicked it said "Install." I did not install, but do I have a virus now?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Don't open files from people that you do not know. Files that end in .scr are typically screensavers. Most computers don't have a program to open and view .scr files regularly. This means you could have just as easily downloaded a screensaver and tried to view it as a normal picture file. Typically this will not work and computers will attempt to download a program to properly view the file. To be sure, I recommend running a scan with an anti-virus program.
  • Question
    What are the chances of my iPhone getting hacked?
    ture znipp
    ture znipp
    Community Answer
    Very low, as iPhones are very secure from being hacked. Your iPhone can't be hacked, but your accounts can.
  • Question
    I had a command prompt popup very briefly. Is this a suspicious act?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Most likely not. If you clicked on a .bat file, that is perfectly normal. If it happened without your actions' influence, still doubtful.
  • Question
    Can I be hacked even if I have McAfee Total Protection?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yes, you can.
  • Question
    Can someone hack my android Google account and see my web activity?
    ture znipp
    ture znipp
    Community Answer
    All accounts can be hacked, so yes, they can. If this ever happens, change your password and set up two-step verification.
  • Question
    I was listening to music on my tablet and the screen went completely blank for about 3-5 minutes. The music was still playing as the screen was blank. Is this something to be concerned about?
    ture znipp
    ture znipp
    Community Answer
    You're probably fine. The screen going blank was probably just a glitch, but if you're worried, download an antivirus app and scan your tablet. If nothing comes up, you're fine.
  • Question
    What if my computer just says "Security/Safety alert, please contact/email... etc."?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Usually this will not be the system itself sending this message to you. Most Microsoft/Apple iOS programs will automatically send emails to their necessary contact for you. They may also ask for permission to send if it is set up to ask before sending. If the "System security alert" shows and takes you to system settings then it will be the computer. It would be best at this point to setup your Anti-Virus software to scan on a 32x+ clear. Only doing the 1x, 2x, 4x, or 8x pass does not always help it detect hidden viruses. The 32x or 128x are a lot longer and are a lot more thorough. McAfee or Avast are great recommended antivirus.
  • Question
    Am I safe if I might have been hacked, and immediately disconnected from the internet and shut down my PC?
    R2_d2000
    R2_d2000
    Top Answerer
    You should be, see How to Remove a Virus for help with removing the virus.
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