Email compromised ***??!?!?!**

[niknjas]

Hi

 

Just to make people aware that there are more email hackers about than ever. We've just been subject to one from some little cretin and before you ask, no, we did everything we were supposed to.

 

Apparently we were in Manila (Philipines) according to email sent to all our contacts, on holiday and had been robbed and were lucky to have our lives and passports but could not afford to pay our hotel bill. The email then asked for money and to ring the contact numbers at the bottom of the email.

 

We had three calls in just as many minutes, from friends in UK and Sydney telling us about it as we had no record of it. It changed the appearance of our mail, moved emails, deleted contacts and worried friends and family. Luckily it was quite choosy and did not send it to customers.

 

We deleted all the emails that we had about work after printing them, notified the service provider for the second time, changed the password and then shut the account. Also changed every single email / password we had on everything. We also went to the police as were worried aobut the phone numbers - they could do nothing but said that there has been a spate of it lately and just logged it on the system.

 

We've always run virus checks and malware, maybe not as often as we should, should have changed passwords a bit more often too. Been a bit of a learning curve. All our contacts were in there, some in the address book and some not.

 

Think going to rely on technology a little less from now on like we used to before mobile phones, computers and the such like and go back to writing down phone numbers, addresses and email addresses so won't lose the important things again.

 

Apart from that all tickety boo after several wines and whines which made it all the more bearable. Just be careful you don't get stung too.

[likesshopping]

wow thats alwful!!

 

Thanks for making us aware - I for one, will be certainly be changing our passwords more regulary.

 

 

sarahx

[Guest The Dimmocks]

My e-mail account got hacked. People in my contacts were getting e-mails off us saying how well we were doing and earning loads of money and you could do it to if you click on this link. Didnt go down very well with a man Justin had turned down a job offer. He sent us a very nasty e-mail telling us to stop harrassing him and to stop sending e-mails. As soon as i realised what had happened I sent an apology e-mail to all in my contacts and then deleted them all. Contact provider and now have my password set to change every few months. I also changed all my passwords.

[niknjas]

My e-mail account got hacked. People in my contacts were getting e-mails off us saying how well we were doing and earning loads of money and you could do it to if you click on this link. Didnt go down very well with a man Justin had turned down a job offer. He sent us a very nasty e-mail telling us to stop harrassing him and to stop sending e-mails. As soon as i realised what had happened I sent an apology e-mail to all in my contacts and then deleted them all. Contact provider and now have my password set to change every few months. I also changed all my passwords.

Hi Michelle

It's annoying and embarassing isn't it. My mother in law went into melt down as we are going to visit a friend in Sydney and she thought we had made a detour?!? (putting it down to her being worried). Problem is I only had half of mine written down. Can I ask how did you set your password to change every few months?

Thanks

Niki

[Guest The Dimmocks]

I bet your MIL was worrying as if it came from your account then they take it as it came from you. My friend had contacted as well but didnt think it was of me as the wording wasnt like what I would have sent. I felt really bad when this man e-mailed us as it the e-mail he had was basically to him us bragging.

 

I followed a link the e-mail provider sent me as they had also contacted me about my account being hacked and the best way to stop it happening again. Try contacting provider and advising them you been hacked and see if they can get it set on your account. My account has not long automatically told me to change password. Time gets away with you and it better to have something remind you as I would forget.

 

Michelle

[ian mc]

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this is the e-mail that I recived thouught it was funny why would you go to Minila

 

 

This message is coming to you with great depression due to my state of discomfort. I came down here to Manila, Philippine with my family for a short vacation but unfortunately, we were mugged and robbed at the park of the hotel where we stayed. All cash, credit cards and cell phones were stolen off us but we still have our lives and passports.

We've been to the embassy and the police here and they have done the best they can. Our flight leaves in less than 12hrs from now but we are having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the bills which is $1650. I am contacting you to ask for a short loan which i will refund immediately i get my family back home safely. Let me know if you can help.

Looking forward to positive response.

 

Jason Wyness (Roofing Contractors)

BLD237916

Tel: 0466 775856 / 0406 748820

 

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[niknjas]

Thanks Michelle

 

Ian was that funny haha or funny peculiar:smile:

 

I'm just glad that nobody completely fell for it. Just annoyed about it. Didn't even think it was that plausible as not our phraseology and holiday - whats one of those? Could have been worse though. You don't realise how many people have been through similar experiences until you fall foul of it. Friend told me of one yesterday and it made me laugh for five minutes but glad it wasn't me - can't divulge I'm afraid.

 

Jason & Niki

[ian mc]

It was funny Peculiar it was just worded wrong I think you can always tell when its not someones first language and they are trying to make it sound right.

[niknjas]

Hi Ian

 

you're dead right on the one about language. Thing is is sent MIL into panic and friends Mum's as well. Think they read it quickly and did not look at the way it was worded. Now we are just getting lots of jokes from friends about not funding our jollies.

[Guest ladyarkles]

This "help me, I've been robbed" email nonsense has been going for a while.

I have had three friends that were supposedly robbed and left penniless in Glasgow, London and Hong Kong.

 

Three separate incidents of hacking over a period of a year or so.

 

It's so very annoying and makes it important to remember to change your passwords on a regular basis.

 

I'd love to get hold of these bloody ratbags, by the throat, and show them what it means to be properly mugged. GGrrrrrr!!

[AussieRob]

Did you reply to one of those e-mails where you thought you were going to get some African kings pot of gold or a Russian lottery win..... ?

 

Seriously though it's very worrying that they can do this so easily. it reminds us we all have to be a little more vigilant..

[jim and adel]

I'm all for changing passwords regularly as a general rule, but the reality is this sort of hacking can happen with a new password just as easily. It's not usually a case of them getting your password because it's obvious or because you've had it awhile - that's not how hacked email accounts work (if it was, they'd change your password as soon as they compromise you in order to lock you out and take full control).

 

By all means change passwords regularly (as I say, it's good practice), but don't feel anymore secure because of it - especially when it comes to web basedl accounts such as gmail, hotmail etc. The best thing you can do is not add anybody to contact lists but type their addresses in manually each time, or copy and paste from a doc that's stored locally (a pain, I know, but contact lists are the most vulnerable parts of email systems and also the easiest way for viruses to spread) and delete messages when they're no longer required (not forgetting to delete whatever's in the delete box!)

 

Jim

[niknjas]

Hi

 

Aussie Rob- joking apart, we had had some similar stuff come through like that in our spam folder, reported it and deleted it without reading as always have preview set up.

 

Jim & Adel - Thanks for the good advice. To be honest, set up new email address, changed every single password for everything on my pc but like you suggested have not put contact details in. Once I have read my emails, I am deleting them straight away and emptying (paranoid now) apart from the ones that I need to keep for work until it is actioned but I am putting them in folders. What else can you do??

 

Niki