Hacked through Hotmail?

[Tippon]

I had an email yesterday claiming to be from Ionos (formerly 1&1) claiming that my password had been deactivated due to suspicious login attempts to my account. Because it came to my Hotmail account I thought it was spam and planned to look at it today. In the meantime Disqus sent me a similar email, but saying that my account had been used to post spam by a 3rd party, and had the password temporarily disabled. I went to the site directly (not by following the email links), and it was true. I’ve apparently posted about 200 spam comments in the last two days. Thankfully Disqus automatically removed the spam.

I’ve logged into both accounts now and set up complex passwords along with checking through the accounts, but the only thing that both sites have in common is my Hotmail email address. I’ve updated the password there too, and checked through my security settings, but given the amount of blatantly obvious spam I get from them, and the number of general problems I get, I’m pretty sure that Hotmail was the weak link.

[Dave Rice]

I see it a lot.

[Ed P]

Its one reason I REALLY dislike the Microsoft practice of trying to force you to use your Microsoft Account (normally Hotmail based) as a Windows Admin password. It just exponentially increases the exposure of your PC to rogue entities.

Although I was one of those forced to get a Hotmail address along with Windows 10, I only used it for the initial logon then immediately demoted it to a User account and set up a different Admin Account. (All using complex KeyPass generated passwords)

Incidentally if you suspect your account has been hacked, use haveibeenpwned for a quick check. Maybe its something Hotmail users should use on a regular basis.

[Bob Williams]

I used    https://haveibeenpwned.com/    some time ago and still return to it at regular intervals. I change relevant passwords and block everything it finds but have not had reason to do that for months, probably a year or so. Gmail is the one that gives me most spam: as I have said before, it is around 95% Scandinavian and it mystifies me why they use Scandi languages instead of the universally-known English. Gmail always puts them in the Spambox, I know they are deleted soon, but always block each address. The addys are all computer-generated of course and change in a month or so. Gradually they are disappearing: some have never come back.

I don’t open them, but some photos are available after blocking, before deletion. Sometimes they remind me of something I thought I had forgotten…☺?

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Tippon]

Sorry, I tried to post this a few days ago and just found out that it didn’t post:

 

Ed P wrote:

Incidentally if you suspect your account has been hacked, use haveibeenpwned for a quick check. Maybe its something Hotmail users should use on a regular basis.

Thanks for the reminder Ed. I did have a look when the news of the huge leak broke recently. I’ve been working my way through my accounts and updating the passwords, but an email and password combo is on one of the dumps listed. I’m going through everything with that email address and changing the passwords today.

[Bob Williams]

I got this via Gmail Scambox today:

” Greetings from Mabel,

I want you to read my letter with one mind and assist an orphan like me to make my dreams comes through in your country where I will invest my inheritance money and live there for the rest of my life.

My father was a very wealthy cocoa merchant in Abidjan , the economic capital of Ivory coast, my father was poisoned to death by his business associates on one of their outings on a business trip .

My mother died when I was a baby and since then my father took me so special. Before the death of my father on November 2015 in a private hospital here in Abidjan he secretly called me on his bed side and told me that he has the sum of 9,000,000 dollars left in one of the prime bank in Abidjan and he used my name as his only Daughter for the next of Kin in depositing of the money.

He also explained to me that it was because of this wealth that he was poisoned by his business associates. That I should seek for a foreign partner in a country of my choice where i will transfer this money and use it for investment purpose such as real estate management or hotel management Sir, I am honourably seeking your assistance in the following ways.

1) To assist me to receive the money in the bank where my late father deposited the money.

2) To serve as a guardian of this fund since I am only 18 years old.

3) To make arrangement for me to come over to your country to further my education and to secure a resident permit in your country.

Moreover, sir I am willing to give you 25 percent as compensation for your effort/ you indicate your option towards assisting me as I believe that this transaction would be concluded within seven (7) days you signify interest to assist me. Anticipating to hear from you soon. I am happy to have somebody like you as a gaurdian.

Please reply back to me on my private email address for more details to receive my inheritance money for your investment. mabelmanakuuu@gmail.com

Thanks and bless.

Best regards,

Mabel Manaku ”

Do you think I should help this poor orphaned young lady and make her dreams comes through by becoming her gaurdian?

Answers on the back of a £9 note please.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

I got this via Gmail Scambox today:

” Greetings from Mabel, I want you to read my letter with one mind and assist an orphan like me to make my dreams comes through in your country where I will invest my inheritance money and live there for the rest of my life. My father was a very wealthy cocoa merchant in Abidjan , the economic capital of Ivory coast, my father was poisoned to death by his business associates on one of their outings on a business trip . My mother died when I was a baby and since then my father took me so special. Before the death of my father on November 2015 in a private hospital here in Abidjan he secretly called me on his bed side and told me that he has the sum of 9,000,000 dollars left in one of the prime bank in Abidjan and he used my name as his only Daughter for the next of Kin in depositing of the money. He also explained to me that it was because of this wealth that he was poisoned by his business associates. That I should seek for a foreign partner in a country of my choice where i will transfer this money and use it for investment purpose such as real estate management or hotel management Sir, I am honourably seeking your assistance in the following ways. 1) To assist me to receive the money in the bank where my late father deposited the money. 2) To serve as a guardian of this fund since I am only 18 years old. 3) To make arrangement for me to come over to your country to further my education and to secure a resident permit in your country. Moreover, sir I am willing to give you 25 percent as compensation for your effort/ you indicate your option towards assisting me as I believe that this transaction would be concluded within seven (7) days you signify interest to assist me. Anticipating to hear from you soon. I am happy to have somebody like you as a gaurdian. Please reply back to me on my private email address for more details to receive my inheritance money for your investment. XXX@gmail.com Thanks and bless. Best regards, Mabel Manaku ”

Do you think I should help this poor orphaned young lady and make her dreams comes through by becoming her gaurdian?

Answers on the back of a £9 note please.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Richard]

Sorry the cash machine is out of £9 notes and what do you know the £11 coins are too heavy to post and hard to write upon. On second thoughts it is interesting that Nigeria is not the centre world focus for this sort of thing, though I bet this one started life in some junk-mail boiler house anywhere in the world.

[The Duke]

Why do you even loom in the pam box bob.it shows its working how it should, given that’s where they end up. Yi ucjojdl see my jotmaill addy, at best 50% end up in the spam box. Which is usp for about 5% in 2006 when gmail launched. Its very rear I see any spam in my Gmail inbox.

Usally about every 3 months I’ll get 3 hours worth make it to my inbox, until Google treak their algorithm to change that. Gmail is pronaly the best there is. Not even best or free, just best.

[Bob Williams]

Some of those ScamSpams are a laugh, Steve. I don’t open any of course, but I can Block before I look and the delete forever.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Author]

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