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ATT hacked in January

BpbreloadingBpbreloading Member Posts: 35

Yeppers 9 million plus accounts to who knows where.

My one email account spam mail has gone from 5-6 daily to 40+.

Then the interesting questions on sale items like this one.

-- BEGIN MESSAGE FROM USER--

I am interested but cannot swing 550 and the cost of shipping if you resist please let me know.

End

Looks harmless , yea not so .


Usually I just fire off a quick response as I'm running down through all my emails.

Shipping to where?

However this morning when this one popped up I was kind of in the mood. Because I was thinking about all the spam mail I've been getting and phone calls.

Soon as I read the lack of details I knew it was a scam.

Other emails start out with one or two questions. Then develop into 6 or more emails. I'm like, is this guy looking for questions on a forum to ask me?!

This onslaught of spam started last August.

January 2023 Norton LifeLock was hit.

Makes me ask why do I have these so called safety accounts when they don't notify us.

Just an FYI guys read the email question twice prior to responding.

BPB FFL

Comments

  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭

    I am getting hundreds of spam mails and texts that claim to be Paypal, Amazon, Fidelity Life and a dozen other scam sites. Most have VERY long email addys like theblueseahastranquilfishandchevys@ ????????? I just hit the spam button and go on with life.

  • Kevin_LKevin_L Member Posts: 1,448 ✭✭✭✭

    Any time you respond to a spam email, you're giving the spammers a positive response. They know your account is active and that escalates future spam.

    Set up a few filters to automatically block/delete those spam emails. Never respond to them. Never.

    "...the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." 🍺 🇺🇲 🍔

  • SW0320SW0320 Member Posts: 2,386 ✭✭✭✭

    Same here, I hit SPAM and also use block the sender so hopefully I will not hear from that account again.

  • bambihunterbambihunter Member Posts: 10,675 ✭✭✭
    edited March 2023

    Yeah, like the others said, don't give spammers a second of their time. Any email claiming you have an issue with an account, NEVER use any links in that email. Close it, and if you are concerned, instead open a browser and check it out that way. Personally, I don't even do that because spammers/scammers target the biggest consumer base by saying they are from Paypal, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, etc. There are a few very good mimics out there, but most if you look at them objectively are obviously not written by an American professional business. There are other world English (like colour instead of color), or things that were translated by a translator and are worded oddly. Like the OP's message: "I am interested but cannot swing 550 and the cost of shipping if you resist please let me know." Who in American English would write "if you resist let me know"? I'll bet it was Google Translate or similar.

    A few years ago as the head I.T. Systems Administrator for our company I had seen a big uptick in spam traffic getting picked up by our filtering software. I also know that it doesn't block it all. So, I sent out a message company-wide with similar things to look at as I mentioned above, but I actually grabbed some of the captured spam as examples. Without going into details, within minutes of me sending out a "watch for spam/scam emails", one of our accountants emailed me and asked me to check on one for her. I did and responded that it was fake. She responded with an oh )#%#&)*_@*_% message. She had just wired $30k to the company owner. To me, wiring money is a huge red flag, but it was common for them. Long story short, thanks to the warning, her quick response, and me knowing how to get the process started, we got it stopped. The sad thing is they were able to detain the person for questioning when they came into the bank (in California) to pick up the money. They determined that she had fell for the Nigerian Prince scam and she was just to pick up the cashiers check, take to another bank and keep a little for the trouble and it would have went back over seas. No one was ever prosecuted for it in spite of me providing the complete email IP trail (they did not use VPN's or IP spoofing). They really didn't seem to even pursue it much past the original persons questioning. Somewhat of an example of caveat emptor.

    Fanatic collector of the 10mm auto.
  • BpbreloadingBpbreloading Member Posts: 35
  • BpbreloadingBpbreloading Member Posts: 35

    Ah another Monday morning with ATT tech support. Seems my router name and PW change all by its's self "again". Plus as a bonus I could not log into my ATT account to check router status.

    Support gave me the name change so I could log in then round and round we go with excuses as to why it has happened. Oh our tech department is updating security- they send out emails and notices-Oh yea I've gotten not one email on that.

    2 techs not a one listened to what I said they just ramble on about re-set someone hit the red button to re-set the router. Our techs updated security and that defaulted back to the pre-set device name & codes.

    Some days I wish I was back at work sitting back in the computer room so I could send out a huge spam file to them.

    Naturally that is followed by the Troll buyer who makes an ridiculous offer & cites discrepancies in a rifle as his reason With a no need to counter offer.

    Then the non paying bidder who hasn't responded to one note I sent him until he got the NON paying bidder hit. His response--Sent money never got item.

    Not a when it was send or copy of the MO receipt.

    OOPS hold on have to go-the Medicare health department is calling-

    Ya'll have a Great Monday!

    BPBReloading

  • bambihunterbambihunter Member Posts: 10,675 ✭✭✭

    Not when they are set right. It does take a little practice though. Good hardware and software helps with the task as well. I am one of 4 admins that set the SonicWALL firewall and TrendMicro email filtering rules. Then, the users mark any that get through. In the 12.5 hours so far today, it has blocked 10,552 emails and 24 have gotten to our 1000's of employees who then marked them as spam. .002% made it through.

    Depending on the quantity you are dealing with, it might be worth getting a consumer grade email filtering anti-virus or network appliance. Partly because I administer the enterprise version at work, I use Trend Micro Worry Free Business at home (the version with email scanning). Anyway, just food for thought...

    Fanatic collector of the 10mm auto.
  • austin20austin20 Member Posts: 34,817 ✭✭✭✭

    I read ATT and I think of this girl


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