Escaping Digital Stalking: How I Faced a Security Nightmare

In an increasingly connected world, our devices have become extensions of ourselves. Unfortunately, this interconnectedness can sometimes lead to unsettling situations. Recently, I found myself at the center of a distressing experience—discovering that I was being stalked by an individual who had gained unauthorized access to my computer and phone. The journey to reclaim my digital safety has been both harrowing and educational.

The First Signs of Trouble

It all started late last year when I noticed inexplicable activity on my computer. My browser would scroll through pages without my command, music began playing from iTunes at random times, and my mouse cursor would move on its own. I brushed it off as a temporary glitch until my Android phone began displaying similar behaviors. Apps would open, icons would shuffle around, and my Reddit feed would scroll as if guided by an unseen hand.

One particularly alarming incident occurred when I got home. Approaching my front door, a video of a boxer training spontaneously began playing on my phone, despite me accessing it just half an hour earlier for something as mundane as the calculator. The lack of any logical explanation for these events rattled me; it felt as though I was under constant surveillance.

Confronting the Reality

The situation escalated when I detected even more invasive signs. One day, while using Firefox, I caught a fleeting glance of “4chan” in the corner of my screen—a clue that someone else was infiltrating my digital life. A glance at my hard drives revealed that my “D” drive, previously empty, now had over 6GB of data. The implications of this discovery were terrifying: if a hacker could easily plant illicit content on my computer, how could I ever prove my innocence?

Feeling trapped and paranoid, I decided to take drastic measures. I disposed of my computer, severed my internet connection, and traded in my Android phone for a basic model, hoping that a lack of connectivity would shield me from further attacks. Alas, even my new Alcatel phone began showing ominous signs, like notifications from an “unknown application” and strange clicking sounds upon locking and unlocking the device.

The Ripple Effect

Although I thought I had cut off access to my devices, I began to worry that my cousin, with whom I frequently communicated, might be inadvertently involved. I feared that malware could have transferred from my phone to his, creating a bridge back to my still