Thursday, May 19, 2011

@#$&*@%)@!

Yesterday morning as I was replying to a personal email in my inbox.... I noticed the counter on my inbox was growing exponentially. 6, 14, 22, 30! What was happening? I stopped typing my friend's email and went to find out.

In my inbox there were over 30 emails with the heading "undeliverable". I was flummoxed. What were all these emails about? I opened one to find this crazy story;

""I'm writing this with tears in my eyes,sorry I did not inform you about my trip. I actually made a quick travel to London, United Kingdom and unfortunately attacked and mugged at gun point on the way to my hotel,all cash,credit card and cell phone were taken away from me but luckily i still have my passport with me.

I've been to the embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all and my return flight leaves anytime from now but I'm having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let me leave until i settle the bills.

Am freaked out at the moment and i need your help right away. ""
Followed by my signature.

At the same time as I was reading this, the phone rang. It was my lawyer's receptionist. He had just gotten this email and was calling to find out if it was true or, a hoax. (I haven't traveled anywhere since April 2009.) My youngest brother who I haven't heard from in 2 years sent an email asking if, I was okay? He also wrote asking if this email true? People were calling me from all over the world due to this hoax.

While reading this on my one email ISP.... I thought.... what about my other email ISPs?
In too short of time to matter they were also hacked. Passwords were changed quickly as were the security questions .

I am now in the process of trying to regain my email ISPs.

Gmail (google) was great and I was back to my email program within hours. Only problem I don't use that one much and I have but, a few of my many contacts listed in my mail program. So a big HURRAY for Google!

Hotmail.... grr! I had to answer this big long drawn out questionnaire about my account. Of course I was upset when I did the stupid questionnaire and I guess I didn't answer the questions well enough or, completely enough for or, to their satisfaction. So after having to wait their obligatory 24 hours for a response from them, their determination is; the account is not mine (!!!!!! what!!!!!!) I am appealing their decision that the account is MINE! So here goes more involved paperwork and questionnaires.

Now let's talk about Yahoo. I am locked out of this email account also. Once hacked my password and security questions were changed.... happens really fast I tell you. (Suggestion here.... if this should ever happen to you, get to your accounts tout suit! oh yeah.... and make yourself a really, really, really strong password using letters, numbers and symbols. And, change that password more frequently than every 2 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Okay about Yahoo.... you know once you are locked out of your account, there's no way to get back in. You can't fill out anything for Yahoo in their form letters about being hacked. Cause one of the things you have to do to advance thru their pre-ordained menu is to answer for Yahoo the security question. Which the hackers have already changed on you. There's even a button to tell Yahoo this isn't your security question but, you know what? It doesn't matter because it continues to ask for an answer. And, if you can't give it one, you can't advance to the next step. So with the knowledge I can't notify Yahoo this way, I go in search of the "contact us" button. There is NOT ONE! Or, at least one I can find. It's all automated, pre-made questions and answers. No way to inform Yahoo.... no way to get my account back.... or, my contact list, or the folders with information in them.....sigh...... I am sad.

But, most of all I am mad! Why do people do this kind of thing? Is it funny to them? Do they get their jollies disrupting someone's life. And, someone they don't even know? What's up with that?
If I could just find this person who did this.... I would.... I would..... Please, go ahead and you tell me how this makes you feel. Post a comment, please.

2 comments:

Cartoon Characters said...

I've never been hacked ...but then - working for the government - i have at least 6 different "strong" passwords that I have to rotate every 2 months...(can't use any letters in my name, can't use any symbols, letters or numbers i have used before in the past 3 passwords) and so I find it easier to change all my accounts passwords so they are all more or less the same (with a tweak on each to make them all different).

I did however forget my Yahoo password and almost ended up totally abandoning it....but somehow looked back on my address (5 moves ago - it asked for my old postal code)and they restored it, but then when they changed their yahoo photo provider, they deleted all my photos....so basically - i never use that account anymore. I would delete it but...oh well.

Yahoo was by far the worst, i have to admit.

But upset? Yup. Getting hijacked is the worst.

Btw, change your FB password too if you have it. There was a change made to FB that made it easy for hackers....just last wk.

Phiddy said...

Thanks CC for the advice.
Too bad I learned all this a little too late.
How's the baby eagle doing?

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