Post by Teh Donut on Jan 15, 2010 20:12:47 GMT -5
I feel that, being a member of the administration, I should speak to everyone on a very important and pressing subject: your internet security.
Recently (though not so recently, because this has been going on for a couple years now), there has been a rash of hackers and/or scammers using messenger services for their various nefarious purposes. While content varies and changes with time, the overall method is typically the same: the scammer will get hold of one person's login information, and then login as you and spread messages to all of your contacts (and I mean all). Sometimes it's just an annoyance. Sometimes, it's just advertising. However, it is always annoying, having to watch you login and out and in and out as the bot signs in and out with each successive message.
However, this is more than an annoyance issue for your online friends.
The VAST majority of the time, the scammer will send your contacts a link, with some accompanying moronic message like "zomg dis ish so joo lol" (internet scammers spell in Nigerian). The link will take you to a legitimate-looking site, where you evidently must log in with your messenger username and password, or e-mail and password depending on the messenger, in order for you to view some content that your friend/contact evidently has stored and waiting for you. Mhmm...and how that contact set up an account that would use your username and the private password that you never tell anyone is beyond me.
It's obvious what these people want with your passwords; they'll run around to all manner of business and backing sites, using their bot programs to input all the e-mails, have "forgot password" requests sent to your e-mail address, login to your e-mail...it won't be pretty. Either that, or sell your passwords off to someone else.
[glow=red,2,300]NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, SHOULD YOU GIVE OUT YOUR PASSWORDS TO ANYONE, FOR ANYTHING.[/glow]
Seriously.
This is akin to someone calling you, pretending to be some institution, and asking for your Social Security number (or similar identification, for our overseas friends) and other private information to "verify" something or other. You wouldn't give them your private information...would you?
I hope not.
I know places like Facebook, Myspace, and whathaveyou will ask for your e-mail login information so they can see if you have friends among your contacts, but just remember...no one except Yahoo/MSN/AOL will ask you for your relevant passwords. If they do, make damn sure to read their privacy policy. Always remember, however, that giving out your password in such a manner puts any liability on YOU if it gets stolen and abused by scammers or hackers.
I sound like a bad Lifelock commercial, but protecting your security doesn't have to be a chore. It's common sense.
Got it? Good. I don't want to see anyone else on my contact list popping on and offline twenty times a minute because some scamming nucca got their personal info. If you suspect you may have had your login or other personal information compromised, change it now.
I will send PMs to people I know to be "hacked."
Recently (though not so recently, because this has been going on for a couple years now), there has been a rash of hackers and/or scammers using messenger services for their various nefarious purposes. While content varies and changes with time, the overall method is typically the same: the scammer will get hold of one person's login information, and then login as you and spread messages to all of your contacts (and I mean all). Sometimes it's just an annoyance. Sometimes, it's just advertising. However, it is always annoying, having to watch you login and out and in and out as the bot signs in and out with each successive message.
However, this is more than an annoyance issue for your online friends.
The VAST majority of the time, the scammer will send your contacts a link, with some accompanying moronic message like "zomg dis ish so joo lol" (internet scammers spell in Nigerian). The link will take you to a legitimate-looking site, where you evidently must log in with your messenger username and password, or e-mail and password depending on the messenger, in order for you to view some content that your friend/contact evidently has stored and waiting for you. Mhmm...and how that contact set up an account that would use your username and the private password that you never tell anyone is beyond me.
It's obvious what these people want with your passwords; they'll run around to all manner of business and backing sites, using their bot programs to input all the e-mails, have "forgot password" requests sent to your e-mail address, login to your e-mail...it won't be pretty. Either that, or sell your passwords off to someone else.
[glow=red,2,300]NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, SHOULD YOU GIVE OUT YOUR PASSWORDS TO ANYONE, FOR ANYTHING.[/glow]
Seriously.
This is akin to someone calling you, pretending to be some institution, and asking for your Social Security number (or similar identification, for our overseas friends) and other private information to "verify" something or other. You wouldn't give them your private information...would you?
I hope not.
I know places like Facebook, Myspace, and whathaveyou will ask for your e-mail login information so they can see if you have friends among your contacts, but just remember...no one except Yahoo/MSN/AOL will ask you for your relevant passwords. If they do, make damn sure to read their privacy policy. Always remember, however, that giving out your password in such a manner puts any liability on YOU if it gets stolen and abused by scammers or hackers.
I sound like a bad Lifelock commercial, but protecting your security doesn't have to be a chore. It's common sense.
- Don't give your personal information to anyone for anything, even if you "know" them.
- Change your passwords regularly. Something like "every 90 days" is the prefered, but every other year works. Just make sure they get changed from time to time.
- Always check to make sure that any website you use that requires your personal information (i.e. Paypal) is the official website, and not a copycat knockoff. Checking your own spelling helps...
Got it? Good. I don't want to see anyone else on my contact list popping on and offline twenty times a minute because some scamming nucca got their personal info. If you suspect you may have had your login or other personal information compromised, change it now.
I will send PMs to people I know to be "hacked."
