Confidential Document Email Hijacked! (page 2)

Juan Viejo2

Please note:

I strongly suggest that any of you who are still using older mail systems like Hotmail, MSN.com mail, (even Live Mail) and AOL mail move to Gmail or Yahoo! mail. Gmail is a lot more secure, but Yahoo! is a good substitute if you have prejudices against Gmail. All are free.

Hijackers have figured out how to crack your AOL and Hotmail accounts. I have managed to get all of my friends and family to stop using those old accounts. Even I, someone who thinks of himself as a bit of an expert, had my Hotmail accounts all hijacked. Mine was actually taken over by someone spreading a virus. You can imagine how I felt when my ex-wife wrote me and asked me why I tried to destroy her computer after all these years by sending her a virus. I finally told everyone on my list to simply delete any emails from me that were sent from my old Hotmail box.

Three of my closest friends have had their AOL mail boxes hijacked the same way. I've managed to get all of them to switch over to Gmail and have had no further problems.

I have no monetary interest in Google. I have nothing against AOL or Microsoft, but the fact is that their mail systems are obsolete and under-protected.

Sorry, Simon, if I have violated any forum rules, but I feel that these facts must be known for everyone's protection.

JV

ilnonnosa

Yeah i saw that spam this morning. Thank You Atlantis.

Juan Viejo2

One last thing:

As much as I dislike some of the methods used by the Watchtower, I don't believe that spammy attachment sent out on Atlantis' email came from them. That attachment is typical of a spammer operation. Here's how they work:

1. They contract with a mass-media sales organization to advertise for them. They get paid a certain amount for so many measured clicks. They then buy a list of hijacked email addresses and send out thousands of spam mails.

2. The client pays them some ridiculously low amount for each click back (1/4 of a US penny is common). However, because so many will open the mail (because it comes from a trusted friend) and the mail has been sent by the thousands, the result can be quite lucrative for the spammer.

3. By the way: They don't even have to actually hijack your email account. They can use a system called "masking" that allows them to overlay a throwaway mail box with an innocent party's mail address. But the results are the same.

4. If they get a lot of clickbacks, then they sell that email address to some other spammer to use for their own nefarious uses. The first email may just be a link to a spammy webpage. The next might be a virus. Remember that innocent looking web pages can have viruses tucked away in the graphics or other links on the page.

5. Hotmail and AOL mail boxes do not have the latest in spam protection and can easily be hacked. Once they are hacked, they are useless and should never be used again.

JV

Gayle

The WTS may try but will not keep up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2pUe8FiHFA

carla

Thank you Atlantis!

No spam in my box yet. Another thought for folks is set up an email acct just for specific information, which is what I did. It was going to be my Atlantis only email acct. Naturally you have to have a system in place for all those passwords though.

doneandout

Sorry to hear this, with your warnning I didn't open anything from it.

And I thought that this would be an easier way to receave them!

(Even though I have a low post count, it wasn't me!)

BluesBrother

Atlantis... I got one and was puzzled, but I knew that it was not you sending me weird stuff

Thanks for all your work

cedars

I've had my hotmail account hacked twice. Stay away from hotmail if you can.

Cedars

Simon

Gmail suppports 2-factor authentication via mobile phone for even better security.

What this means is that even if someone knows (or has guessed) what your email password is they still won't be able to get access to your account unless they also have possession of your mobile phone.

The recommendations for good strong passwords still apply of course. Your email account it typically your keys to everything so it's important to secure it.

admirmitch

Speaking of hacking, what ever became of Anonymous and their efforts in regards to the child abuse database?

Confidential Document Email Hijacked!

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