OT - Be Careful!

[TEK224]

Hi everybody. Just thought I'd pass this along.

For the past 2 days I couldn't log into my AOL e-mail acccount. Kept getting a message saying I entered the wrong screen name or password. I knew I had the right names, but still couldn't get on.

Today, after searching forever for an AOL phone number (it's not listed anywhere on the AOL.com site - I got it from a friend), I called them and found out my account was blocked.

It seems someone, somehow got hold of my password and was sending out, what amounted to SPAM. I had no idea. Whoever it was sent out about 260 e-mails in 5 minutes from my account. So AOL blocked my sn until the matter could be resolved (would have been nice if they let me know).

I was able to get it resolved. Aol gave me a new password and then told me to log on and change the password to something I wanted. However, the other passwords can't be used again because they have been compromised.

The real pain is that now I'm going to have to remember two new passwords (I use 2 names on my account, for different boards.)

So be careful out there. I guess this is why they tell you to change your password every few months.

 

[dtuleya]

This has happened to my son several times and it is such a pain! Apparently someone was IMing people and inviting them to watch their live webcam. We don't even have a stinking webcam and both times DS was at my parents' house visiting when apparently this occurred. They don't even have a computer.

 

[Maleficent2]

oh that is a stupid question because I know Denise email addy. DUH

Man that really bites I have been hit with Trojans 4 to 5 times in the last few days all from the MSN home page!


Mal

 

[dtuleya]

Man Mal, that's alot! I hope you used your magical powers to defeat the dastardly Trojans!

 

[candleonwater]

That happened to us - it was my brothers screenname that was being "tapped" into... we're still not sure how it happened so many times... how someone got his password. The person at AOL, when he told me about what "my brother" was saying in chat rooms, sounded disgusted with us...

This would be one of the major reasons we're no longer with AOL... Of course, I can't begin to tell you how much I miss hearing "goodbye"... right when I would be in the middle of typing an email..

 

[Maleficent2]

but I know where I would like to stick my wand ... on the guys who wrote these programs!



GRRRRRRRR


Mal

 

[TEK224]

After I was able to get back into my e-mail, I checked the "password protection" info on AOL. It lists all the different scams out there.

I remembered getting an e-mail saying "Thanks for ordering flowers from us." I opened the mail, read the thank you and saw a link that said "click here to check your order".
Now, I didn't place an order and I saw the mail was sent to several similar screen names. As I was thinking, "I shouldn't click on this", bam! I clicked. Dum, Dum, Dum.

Anyhow, I think that was how my sn was attacked and password stolen. I definitely learned my lesson.

Terri

 

[Maleficent2]

thanks for sharing that with us I for one has been tempted many a time to click on emails just like that one.....now I will resist any temptation to do so!



Thanks again

Mal

 

[Maleficent2]

and when I returned Norton's had removed a virus!

A trojan horse called addclicker....

Why Norton's let it install is anyone quess but it did remove it.


It is not a password strealing trojan but one that clicks on banners owned by the writter of the trojan.

"W32.Adclicker.F.Trojan is a Trojan Horse that is designed to click on banner advertisements on certain Web pages. Most likely, these Web pages belong to the author of the Trojan. "


If you use Norton go here and download

http://analyzer.securityfocus.com/downloadnis.asp

I am also bumping the thread for Adaware and Spybot.


Mal

 

[MiknMinMouse]

I have my McAfee Firewall and everynow and again I get a message saying someone is trying to hack and I guess it's blocking. I've had problems with my main AOL screenname where I get all of this mail saying mail returned to sender as if I were sending out spam. I got really worried and contacted AOL, but they said that it didn't mean anyone had been on my name. I think you can check by going to billing, but I get lazy and sometimes don't check. I love 9.0 because it's got much better controls. It's a shame that we have to worry bout all this stuff.

 

[MiknMinMouse]

Forgot to add that I also was able to download Adaware 6.0 through AOL. Used to be when I ran adaware I had spies every now and again and I was doing TONS of programs. Now I only do about 5 reward sites maybe a couple more and when I run adaware I have about 10 a day. ARGHHHH