Question: Today sometime around noon, DH got an email saying it was from me using my full name and from a Yahoo iPhone address. First of all, I don't use Yahoo at all, second I never use my full name. So whoever sent it picked up some (but not all) of my contacts and sent out some email?? It was even sent to my own personal old old email address. We didn't open it since it was obviously being hacked or whatever it's called. I immediately sent out a "DO NOT OPEN ANY EMAIL FROM ME THAT HAS A YAHOO ADDRESS" to the ones that were listed. Hopefully no one opened it.
My question is this: What do I do about it... if anything? Someone told me to change my password. OK... change my password on my AOL email address. That's not what was used. My full name is used on Facebook, but when I checked the info there, they didn't get the email address from there either. Could someone have opened a Yahoo email in my name? And if so, what do I do about it?
Anyway, I'm just curious as to how this was done and why. I can change all my passwords easy enough, but it doesn't seem like this is how it was done. Any suggestions?
This blog is meant to be a documentation of our journey into the world of retirement. I know the title should be "Older, but wiser". However, I really didn't know if that would be accurate. The "Older, but better...?" title could also be misleading. The 5 cats in the above pics are: Molly, Rose, Tux, Julie, and Ghost. (I have tried to make this collage smaller, but with no luck...)
Other than a password change to something complicated with symbols, letter, etc., I don't know. I've had my email addresses spoofed, including work email. Actually, a couple of years ago, scammers/spammers got through our university's firewalls, whatever, and mined a slew of work email addresses, so we were all getting spam messages from staff and faculty, even email from ourselves to ourselves. I don't know what you do on the back end, the server end, though. Every now and again I come home to find that I've called myself (not). LOL. So scammers even spoof phone numbers!
ReplyDeleteLOL, Kim. I've been home when the called ID says I'm calling myself... I just don't answer.
DeleteOnce I had an email claiming it was my daughter. I knew it wasn't her because it was addressed to John instead of Dad. I've heard you should not open such an email.
ReplyDeleteI've been getting "Congratulations, you've won $ " emails which I just delete without opening. Sometimes you can label them as "spam" on some email programs.
If I don't know who it is I'll just delete it.
I'm not sure what else you can do.
I'll watch your Comments to see if someone else has a good idea.
John, I asked someone at the Geek Squad about it. They said the best thing to do is just let your friends know that you don't have that email address. And possibly change your passwords although it didn't look like they used those... just opened a Yahoo acct?
Deleteagree with above, have no idea, scammers are more savvy than those that fix the problems it seems.
ReplyDeleteI really wonder what the intrigue of scamming is...
DeleteNobody ever told me (because nobody knew at the time) that one of the hardest things about growing old is having to remember all kinds of complicated passwords. And still the hackers and scammers find a way around it. Honestly, I do wish everyone would use their talents for good instead of evil.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Olga.
DeleteI saw your post on Facebook, but I never received any email from you. If this was all designed just to make you upset, they sure succeeded! Since you don't have a yahoo account, how could they have hacked something you don't actually have? It's a mystery to me. I hope if you find out more, you'll let me know.
ReplyDeleteDJan, I don't think everyone on the list received the bogus email, but I sent the alert to everyone - just in case. Apparently you can open an email account under any name (seems like another legal complication for the cyber police). I will let you know if I learn any more.
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