my email address was being used

[spiceycat]

a very nasty, mean and cruel person was using my hotmail account.

so think I finally got the thing closed - erased everything on it. had that email account since the 90's.

so was very upset with this being stolen from me. the password is especially upsetting since it had worked for so long. now will definitely change it every 70 days.

what is worst - now that I am retired don't have alot of options. when at work the computer experts were very helpfully in fixing this kind of slime. but now - it is hard.

msn was especially NOT helpfully - they kept wanting to know who it was - well guess what I DON'T KNOW.

one of the last thing with Spicey in it.

anyway - if you change your email address with DVC website and DVC make this your password.

you MUST call them. You have to set up an entire new account. So you need their userid and security password.

anyway mad that the thief (and it was a thief) and MSN. If anyone has a mailing address to them - would really like it.

 

[robinb]

a very nasty, mean and cruel person was using my hotmail account.

so think I finally got the thing closed - erased everything on it. had that email account since the 90's.

so was very upset with this being stolen from me. the password is especially upsetting since it had worked for so long. now will definitely change it every 70 days.

what is worst - now that I am retired don't have alot of options. when at work the computer experts were very helpfully in fixing this kind of slime. but now - it is hard.

msn was especially NOT helpfully - they kept wanting to know who it was - well guess what I DON'T KNOW.

one of the last thing with Spicey in it.

anyway - if you change your email address with DVC website and DVC make this your password.

you MUST call them. You have to set up an entire new account. So you need their userid and security password.

anyway mad that the thief (and it was a thief) and MSN. If anyone has a mailing address to them - would really like it.

That just stinks! Did they get access to your DVC account?

 

[Tamar]

I've seen this happen to more than one friend who uses hotmail. I have had good luck with gmail. In fact, gmail even recognized the fake hotmail email that was sent out when one of my friend's email was hi-jacked. For all intents and purposes, the email asking for money to be wired to London looked like it was coming from my friend (except I knew she wasn't in London). Gmail sent it right to my spam folder, and had a big banner across the top of it when I opened it that said it might not be from who it looked like it was from.

 

[DSanJose]

I have a hotmail account, and someone hacked into it also. I was so embarrassed. For over a week they kept sending all of my contacts emails to buy viagra. Everyone kept asking me, why are you sending us this? Wanted to die!!!! My husband swears by gmail and has never had any problems.

 

[Donald_Quackers]

This makes me glad to have and use gmail. They have additional security you can setup to protect your account from stuff like this.

Some of the tools are more useful if you have an android phone, but they also have backup codes you can use.

 

[TisBit]

a very nasty, mean and cruel person was using my hotmail account.

so think I finally got the thing closed - erased everything on it. had that email account since the 90's.

so was very upset with this being stolen from me. the password is especially upsetting since it had worked for so long. now will definitely change it every 70 days.

what is worst - now that I am retired don't have alot of options. when at work the computer experts were very helpfully in fixing this kind of slime. but now - it is hard.

msn was especially NOT helpfully - they kept wanting to know who it was - well guess what I DON'T KNOW.

one of the last thing with Spicey in it.

anyway - if you change your email address with DVC website and DVC make this your password.

you MUST call them. You have to set up an entire new account. So you need their userid and security password.

anyway mad that the thief (and it was a thief) and MSN. If anyone has a mailing address to them - would really like it.

I had a very similar experience and it turned out to be one of the apps on my phone had a bug which released my email and password. I had thought it was a virus on my home computer for months and finally just changed my password slightly and it worked. Shortly after this, my wifes account was hacked too, same thing....a third party lost her email and password. Word to the wise, use seperate passwords for things like DVC from your email (for example just using 1234 on one and 4321 on the other)...if their system gets hacked, it won't let the spammers get your email account.

 

[Wedgeh]

It's shocking how many sites keep your password in plaintext therefore leaving you even more vulnerable if they are hacked (see Sony). Indeed I was most displeased to see Dreams Unlimited Travel doing this, my email complaining about it received no response

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

Most email accounts (gmail, yahoo, msn) can get hacked if the hackers know what they're doing. Now-a-days with a bit of social engineering, people can figure out your security questions (the ones you have to answer incase you forget your password) and that's how they get in.

It is best to answer these questions INCORRECTLY but write your answers down somewhere were you won't lose it....

So if the security question is

"What high school did you attend?"

Answer with something like "D-Link wireless hub"

Because if you answer with your actualy high school name, people can figure that one out rather quickly.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Most email accounts (gmail, yahoo, msn) can get hacked if the hackers know what they're doing. Now-a-days with a bit of social engineering, people can figure out your security questions (the ones you have to answer incase you forget your password) and that's how they get in.

It is best to answer these questions INCORRECTLY but write your answers down somewhere were you won't lose it....

So if the security question is

"What high school did you attend?"

Answer with something like "D-Link wireless hub"

Because if you answer with your actualy high school name, people can figure that one out rather quickly.

Never thought of that, but you're right! My DCuz a Franciscan Friar had his AOL account compromised and the stuff that came from that account really turned some heads!

 

[supersuperwendy]

Oh how terrible. I've been using the same hotmail account for over 10 years. I hope this doesn't happen to me. Maybe I should take it off my phone if that's easier to be hacked.

 

[Mtnman44]

We use separate emails and passwords for all of our "serious" websites. "Fun sites" use an entirely different email address and different password of course.

If you are on Facebook, be wary of what you let the public and your friends see. Remember, whatever your friends can see, so can the hacker who gets in your friends' account. This could expose your email, your name, address, birthdate, sites you frequent, employer, travel plans, etc etc.

 

[spiceycat]

Most email accounts (gmail, yahoo, msn) can get hacked if the hackers know what they're doing. Now-a-days with a bit of social engineering, people can figure out your security questions (the ones you have to answer incase you forget your password) and that's how they get in.

It is best to answer these questions INCORRECTLY but write your answers down somewhere were you won't lose it....

So if the security question is

"What high school did you attend?"

Answer with something like "D-Link wireless hub"

Because if you answer with your actualy high school name, people can figure that one out rather quickly.

boy never even though of this - thanks!

my security question was - favorite pet - any guesses to that answer. Some days wonder where my brain is....

so put in an incorrect answer and you are safe?

Thanks so much!!!