Falling Victim to the Old “Test My Game” Scam: How Should I Move Forward?

Recovering from a Hacking Incident: A Cautionary Tale

Recently, I found myself navigating the unsettling experience of being hacked through a well-known scam known as the “Test my game” scheme. Although I had been contacted by long-time acquaintances on Discord, I realized too late that trust can sometimes lead to dire consequences. Here’s my story and the steps I took to regain control of my online life.

The Incident

Two older Discord accounts, familiar to me for years, reached out claiming to share a new game for testing purposes. Despite knowing better, I let my guard down, downloaded the file, and executed it. Shortly thereafter, I began receiving messages from a third Discord user, complete with a screenshot showing that they were logged into my Google account. In that moment, the severity of my situation became painfully clear.

Immediate Actions Taken

Fortunately, I had a backup notebook accessible, which allowed me to act swiftly. Here’s what I did:

Disconnected My PC: I immediately removed my computer from the network to prevent further unauthorized access.
Logged Out: I logged out of all devices associated with my Google account and Discord.
Password Reset: Realizing my passwords were stored in Google, I quickly reset them across all accounts and enabled two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever possible.
Clean Installation: On my primary computer, I performed a complete reinstall of Windows 11. While this only wiped the drive with the operating system, it was a necessary step in addressing the immediate threat.
Security Scans: I ran Windows Defender for a full system scan, which I am currently repeating. Additionally, I plan to install Avast and Malwarebytes for further analysis.
Isolated Environment: As a precaution, my PC remains disconnected from the internet.

Seeking Assistance and Recommendations

For anyone willing to help, I’ve found that the malware can be accessed at oblivora dot com, and I’m looking for safe avenues to check it. However, I am faced with a question about my storage drives:

Is a complete wipe necessary? While I would prefer not to erase all my drives, I understand that it may be the safest option. If wiping is required, what tools or methods would you recommend for a thorough process?