My Accounts Were Hacked By a Scammer

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 28 Sep 2010 Posts: 13

Hey Guys! I've been following the forum for a long time and had some good times messing with a few scammers myself. Unfortunately they have somehow compromised my Facebook and gmail accounts and have set up a new email address where all of my emails (I think) are being forwarded. If you all would be so kind to screw with them and see if you can get some info out of them I would be super excited. One of my brothers and a cousin of mine are already having a good time with them. If I could get a true pro on the case I think you could probably break him.

I'm more than happy to send you the brand new email address that he has set up on my Facebook account. I'm trying to shut down my gmail account currently. Please PM me.

I look foward to working with you!

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

I'm sorry.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 28 Sep 2010 Posts: 13

Well, that's what I get for using the same password on my two accounts. I've learned my lesson. If you want to move this thread to another forum that's fine. I wasn't sure where to start!

Thank you!

Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 2:14 am

If this person somehow managed to obtain access to both your email and your facebook page they clearly know a great deal of your private information.

In my opinion, you and your cousin/brother should cut off all communication and consider contacting LE.

Just my 2 cents...

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 28 Sep 2010 Posts: 13

I called the police earlier but I'm waiting to hear back from them. I've already put a freeze on all my credit reports, canceled my credit cards, and changed my passwords and email addresses for all my bank accounts, etc. I'm just not sure what to do in the meantime while I'm waiting to hear back from Facebook and gmail.

Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 4:18 am

Sorry to read of your dilemma, Yes It seems that you have done the right thing , the main thing is the YOU leave them alone,

Get a new addy and email your contacts to tell them to Ignore any message from the old email.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 28 Sep 2010 Posts: 13

Already done. I'm just here to offer the bastard up for you guys. He emailed my contact list that I was in London, was held up at gun point, yadda, yadda, yadda. I have the original email if anyone wants it.

Thank you!

Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 12:17 pm

Sorry to hear of your trouble, lilhippie. Have you checked your computer for keyloggers and other malware? This may have been how they accessed your accounts in the first place. You need to be sure your machine if free of this kind of crap or you may find yourself back in the same fix.

If you want some baiters to take a whack at him, post his format in the Surplus Letters forum and someone will probably have a go at him.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 28 Sep 2010 Posts: 13

My laptop has been checked and rechecked and checked again for malware and it's registered fine each time. My laptop is never out of my sight so I'm 99.99999999% positive that it wasn't a keylogger.

I'll put the letter over in the Surplus Letters forum and hopefully someone else will have a go at him.

Thanks!

Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 1:11 pm

Have you ever logged into an email account on a PC that you are not responsible for? At a cyber cafe or library, a friend's or relative's PC perhaps?

I stopped logging into PCs that I do not personally administer as I cannot verify their integrity and if they are free from spyware.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 28 Sep 2010 Posts: 13

Nope, I only use my laptop and phone to log into my accounts. I think my accounts must have been compromised at some point last week but they got to me yesterday. I was using my laptop an internal "guest" network of the organization in which I traveled to last week. That is literally the only thing I can think of. I don't click on weird links, all of my info on Facebook is set to maximum privacy, I'm just stumped.

Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:38 pm

Could be the guest network had someone sniffing sent data (passwords), or you're using a weak (easy to guess, or listed in a dictionary) password.

Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 6:28 pm

I know it's not polite to ask it, but... how long was it?
( Embarassed

How many chars was the guessed password, I mean)

Forgot: to be on the safe side, reinstall everything, starting from scratch. Your PC or laptop could be compromised beyond possibility of detection (especially if you run a nuclear facility in Iran Smile

)

Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 7:13 pm

Hey lilhippie1

The exact same thing happened to me. He got in thru a fake facebook login, and from there took over my emails (because stupidly I had the same password for them all). Unfortunately, not much the police can do. I called the Internet Crime Division of the FBI, as well, same thing there.

One important thing to look out for when/if you get your emails back is: in the settings area of your emails they will often insert their email as the one to notify in case of account changes--you change your password, they get an email with the password, and on and on and on.

Unfortunately, it took facebook, hotmail and gmail FOREVER to get it all worked out. I ended up emailing the hacker with another email and explaining that, dude, I am a musician, I have no money, no one I know is going to give him any money, so just please give my emails back. We messaged back and forth for about 20 minutes, and he eventually DID give me back my emails. My situation seems to be the exception, not the rule.

Hope this helps.

Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 7:45 pm

Nowhere Man wrote:

I ended up emailing the hacker with another email and explaining that, dude, I am a musician, I have no money, no one I know is going to give him any money, so just please give my emails back. We messaged back and forth for about 20 minutes, and he eventually DID give me back my emails.

You must be professor Xavier, of the X-men.
That would explain a lot. Smile

I hope you did not send him to a safari in China.

Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 7:47 pm

@DeLune: No, but he is what got me interested in scambaiting. He then said we could be friends on YahooChat, facebook, etc. It was a really strange experience.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 28 Sep 2010 Posts: 13

HA! My password was 8 characters and not a real word. I really think it was just plucked from the network I was using while on travel for work. Anyway, what's done is done.

I talked to the cops today, they took my report, I more wanted it just incase he did try to open any accounts with my information. I told them I didn't expect them to catch him. The officer did say that I would be surprised at the number of scammers that do come to the US thinking they are about to get a pay day and end up arrested instead.

The hacker has been talking to several of my friends and family which the cop thought was hilarious. I wonder if this guy would give me my accounts back if I asked him?

I'm not holding out much hope for my gmail account, for the life of me I can't remember when I first got it and of course they have no live help. I've offered my police report to Hotmail and Facebook hoping that will speed things along but haven't heard back from them either.

Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 9:33 pm

Quote:

The officer did say that I would be surprised at the number of scammers that do come to the US thinking they are about to get a pay day and end up arrested instead.

Really?

I'd like to send these cops more business!

Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 9:51 pm

lilhippie1 wrote:

HA! My password was 8 characters

That's short.
Could have been brute force, I wonder?

Quote:

I really think it was just plucked from the network I was using while on travel for work.

I apologize for my ignorance: you mean someone eavesdropped on your wireless connection to get your password? Or some skilled hacker got tons of ids and password and published or sold them to the best bidder?

Quote:

I told them I didn't expect them to catch him. The officer did say that I would be surprised at the number of scammers that do come to the US thinking they are about to get a pay day and end up arrested instead.

The hacker has been talking to several of my friends and family which the cop thought was hilarious.

If they really wanted to catch him, they could have posed as a concerned friend or relative and have him pick the monies where he could be apprehended.

Quote:

I wonder if this guy would give me my accounts back if I asked him?

I've got a better idea! Let Nowhere Man talk to him. Not only the lad will give back your accounts but he will probably but you a new laptop. The man's that good - check out the Travelling Computers thread and see for yourself. He probably makes a living by selling used cars. Smile

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 28 Sep 2010 Posts: 13

I'm not much of a computer guru so I'm just guessing that's how they might have gotten my information. Your guess is honestly probably better than mine!

Yep, the cop said if I or someone could get the spammer to come here they would definitely arrest him. So if one of you guys can convince this idiot to cross the pond that would be the Holy Grail!

I'll go check out the Traveling Computers thread and Nowhere Man if you have some time to go after this guy PM me! You guys rock, thanks to you all. Very Happy

Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 10:39 pm

@DeLune: Used cars! Hahaha!

Sure lilhippie1, PM me the email and info, I'll see if I have any luck.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 28 Sep 2010 Posts: 13

Nowhere Man, I sent you a PM with the info and what my family members are up to with this guy. Below is the email he sent to all my contacts from my gmail account.

Thanks again!

Good morning

Am sorry i never inform you about my trip. I came down here to London united Kingdom for a short vacation unfortunately for me I was robbed at the park of the hotel where i stayed, worse of it was that my bags, cash, credit cards and cell phone were stolen of me at GUN POINT, it's such a crazy experience for me.

I need help flying back home and the authorities are not being 100% supportive but the good thing is that I still have my passport but don't ave enough money to get my flight ticket back home and pay for the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let me leave until i settle my bills..I'm just gonna have to plead with you to lend me some funds right now,i'll pay back as soon as I get home. I need to sort the hotel bills and get on the next available flight home.

Am freaked out.

My Accounts Were Hacked By a Scammer	View next topic View previous topic