Yes this is real. Yes it is bad. Yes it’s going to take some time to fix.
You will need to carefully think about how you use wifi for your devices. My recommendations off the top of my head are as follows
1) Do not use wifi in public spaces if you are doing anything that needs to be kept private. Even HTTPS can be vulnerable in these environments.
2) Switch to Cellular Data to do banking and personal information sharing
3) Check with your ISP if your modem and wifi are in the same device.
4) Use a cable to connect your laptop at home if possible, until a fix can be applied to your setup.
5) If you can and know how, use a VPN service.
Back in the day it was common for people to drive around and see what WIFI was open so they could break in or use your wifi for their own pruposes. This could cause a revival of this behaviour.
