My Gmail account was compromised

[cyberina]

Last Sunday, I received a notice that my Amazon account was compromised, and I resolved the issue.. Amazon shut down my account, and all was well.

Meanwhile, the bank account associated with my federal Stafford loan was compromised. They were able to get all of that squared away quite easily with the password changed again, and all attempts at forwarding my funds elsewhere were thwarted.

This morning, while I was taking my jury examination, someone went into my Gmail account (which had a completely different password) and changed the secondary contact address and password.

Then they proceded to go and start sending multiple emails with my signature file to my entire contact list claiming that I am stuck in Nigeria, and that I need $1000 to get back home (or something to that effect). They are providing a Nigerian address and phone number to contact to send the money.
So far, my father has received over 5 such emails.

I have contacted Gmail regarding my account being compromised. I'm hoping that they are able to resolve the issue considering that there are documents in there very essential for term papers I have due on Wednesday.

I think I know how this happened. Since the Internet has been down at my apartment complex for 7 weeks now, I went inside the office to use one of the 4 public access computers they have in there.
Since I've had multiple accounts with different passwords compromised, I suspect that someone has installed some sort of keystroke recorder on those computers. Stupid me for checking my email account, checking my bank balance, and updating an Amazon wishlist for next semester on those computers. Ironically, the most traumatic one (bank balance) was the easiest to resolve.


PLEASE KNOW THAT IN THE INTERRUM, SSTEINER@TWU.EDU IS A WORKING EMAIL ADDRESS FOR ME!

[djetaine]

I went into my apartments office a couple months ago just to see if i could install something on the machine. No security whatsoever. I didn't actually install a keylogger but knowing i could have scares the crap out of me. There have been a couple time's when I had to go in there to do some banking or fill out a time card when my internet went down at the apartment. After I realized how lax the security is on those systems I decided never to do it again

I think I'll go down there and show them how easy it is and see if they want to hire me to lock em down. Lol

[cyberina]

Originally Posted by djetaine

I think I'll go down there and show them how easy it is and see if they want to hire me to lock em down. Lol

I tried something like that with my complex as far as Internet access went.
I worked for Verio and OnRamp and Nortel and Ricochet for a total of 8 years.... Internet connectivity was my specialty.

With the stuff being down for 7 weeks, and me even offering FREE services after a while... They will won't let me even try.

You dont just so happen to live at Serendipity... Do you?

[Roos]

How hard is it for folks to grab info if you are on a wifi connection somewhere? Can they see what you are writing in a messenger program or see everything you do on a webpage? I don't know that much about wifi scamming, so I never do anything regarding my bank or personal info when on one.

Hope you get your shit resolved Sabrina!

[cyberina]

Originally Posted by Roos

How hard is it for folks to grab info if you are on a wifi connection somewhere? Can they see what you are writing in a messenger program or see everything you do on a webpage? I don't know that much about wifi scamming, so I never do anything regarding my bank or personal info when on one.

Hope you get your shit resolved Sabrina!

WiFi is really rather easy, with the right equipment... The equipment can be bought at Fry's. There are several locations online with information on how...

Here's a google search for wireless security: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=802.11+security

McAfee makes privacy software for such things that makes it WAYYYY harder to crack the data over the signal.

In my case, I haven't used WiFi with my laptop in over 7 weeks and when I'm not using wireless I disable my wireless adapter to ensure security. All of this happened since this past Saturday.... This was almost surely from another means.. Since I used the leasing office computers the day before all of this drama, that's the highest likelihood.. Particularly considering the only other computers I've used on the Internet were on campus, and campus computer security is relatively tight...

Gmail just shot an email to my student email account letting me know that they resolved the problem... THANK GOD!!!

[zerojunkie]

Originally Posted by Roos

How hard is it for folks to grab info if you are on a wifi connection somewhere? Can they see what you are writing in a messenger program or see everything you do on a webpage? I don't know that much about wifi scamming, so I never do anything regarding my bank or personal info when on one.

Hope you get your shit resolved Sabrina!

Most banks are going to be over an encrypted connection anyways. So you'd have your wireless encryption then another layer of encryption provided by your bank to your browser. Pretty insurmountable if someone was able to break your wifi encryption and just passively listen to whatever you were doing on it. Chat they could read pretty easily though. McAfee's not going to do much for your wireless security...The best solution would be to do WPA2/AES with a pre-shared key. Next best is WPA/TKIP with a pre-shared key that was NOT a dictionary word or a derivative thereof. If you can't do WPA2 it's best to change your pre-shared key every few months.

[guerillahost]

Seriuosly, on a public terminal?

lol

Originally Posted by cyberina

...Stupid me for checking my email account, checking my bank balance, and updating an Amazon wishlist for next semester on those computers....

[hepkatmama]

nigeeeeeeeria darling

the dark continent

Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, Apocalypse Now, Congo

Close

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[BradH]

Originally Posted by Roos

How hard is it for folks to grab info if you are on a wifi connection somewhere? Can they see what you are writing in a messenger program or see everything you do on a webpage? I don't know that much about wifi scamming, so I never do anything regarding my bank or personal info when on one.

Hope you get your shit resolved Sabrina!

Not very easy. They aren't going to be able to see what you are doing on your PC without hacking into that PC. They can grab all the packets they want.... it takes a shit ton of packets to even break a wireless password encryption first off. I used to do simple stuff like this from my car, but nothing malicious. Ideally you want to change your default wireless router password.

You really have nothing to worry about.



In her case, using a public box to access highly private accounts is the biggest no-no ever.

[zerojunkie]

Originally Posted by BradH

it takes a shit ton of packets to even break a wireless password encryption first off.

Not really, you can use replay attacks to trick the wap into generating all the traffic you need.

You really have nothing to worry about.

If that makes you feel better about it.

[cyberina]

Originally Posted by BradH

In her case, using a public box to access highly private accounts is the biggest no-no ever.

Agreed, but one's gotta do what one's gotta do when it comes down to the wire for finishing the semester.

I talked to my apartment complex about it. They were quite concerned because they require residents to use those very same computers to pay via credit card if you don't want to bring in a money order for rent.

BIG mess.

[OHMEGA]

you might have a keylogger installed on your pc(s)


do you share them with anyone?

[cyberina]

Originally Posted by Jean-Luc Dickhard

you might have a keylogger installed on your pc(s)


do you share them with anyone?

Its not on my machine, but yes.. BINGO...
Re-Check the last paragraph of my original post.

[Jobe]

That sucks! Fucking Nigerians LOL!

When did you work for Onramp/Verio?

<-- 99 - 2000

[hepkatmama]

i'm sorry my dear. i wonder if nigeria is warm this time of year...ah, weather.com says its 86 degrees.

but in a county where the law says its ok to take advantage of stupid or vulnerable people, it is very much the law of the jungle out there. what a completely uncivilized way to live.