2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumGUYS: About that Election Day hacking... PLEASE BE ON ALERT.
I'm posting this here, too.
calimary here. I do not know if this IS part of the results of that hacking, BUT:
I got an email this morning that alerted me that my PayPal account has been limited. It started asking for all the usual information of the kind you do NOT want to have hackers and other nogoodniks to have.
I became alarmed and called the PayPal people on our landline, according to the phone # on my monthly statement.
They looked into things and confirmed, yup, that email is from nogoodniks.
The reason I became alarmed and suspected a link to DU was because, immediately before Election Day, we were all advised that only star members could interact all day.
Of course, all day on Election Day, we were hobbled and silenced by hackers.
The day before, I decided to make sure my star membership was maintained, and made a small payment ... via PayPal.
PLEASE BE ON THE ALERT. I don't know if this has anything to do with the hacking, but it sure is suspicious, time-wise.
spooky3
(34,444 posts)Dr Hobbitstein
(6,568 posts)However, scammers send out emails like you mention all the time.
I used to get daily emails that appeared to be from Washington Mutual bank about my account details, except that I've never had an account. It's scammers hoping for the one person who does to enter their information.
It has nothing to do with the DU hack.
tallahasseedem
(6,716 posts)there is something to this.
DemonGoddess
(4,640 posts)Lithos
(26,403 posts)If you clicked the link, it was likely not to an official PayPal server, meaning if you clicked the link, entered your username/passoword, then you just gave them to a hacker. I would hurry up and go back into the official paypal site and change your password and check for any unauthorized payments.
Never, ever trust an email with an alarming message like that. When in doubt, just access Paypal (or whatever site/service is being referenced) directly (not thru an email link) and see if there is anything there.
I get those emails all the time and have for years. Thankfully Google is good enough to push most of them into the Spam folder.
WhiteTara
(29,705 posts)and I too made a donation the day before the election but no repeat email. But still the internet is a dangerous place and we all need to be very aware.
barbtries
(28,789 posts)that actually sounds like an everyday phishing email. they're just hoping you'll bite and provide the information they do not already have it other than your email.
no way to be sure of course, but i've received emails like this from banks i don't have any association with.
always a good rule of thumb: NEVER provide your password or any other information (PIN numbers, SS, etc) to anyone that contacted you via email. If you believe you received a phishing email, forward it to spoof@paypal.com.
uppityperson
(115,677 posts)calimary
(81,238 posts)Didn't mean to duplicate.
I just thought it was awfully fishy, time-wise, or should that be phishy? Because A) I'd re-upped my star with a PayPal payment, B) I've never gotten that kind of email about my PayPal account before, C) the timing was just too close to have been a mere coincidence, and D) I thought if it happened to me, it might also happen to other DUers.
HAB911
(8,890 posts)that sends them all the headers and info to track down the perps
Equinox Moon
(6,344 posts)BTW..."Gals & Guys". Thanks!
Get stuff like thst all the time. Get one that says it from Citi but the last 4 numbers not the ones on may card. I just forward them spoof@citicorp.com.
calimary
(81,238 posts)I notice there are a couple of emails that start with the word "spoof". Is that a general email configuration for these kinds of things?
Thanks; You know Im in deep red Alabama. Alabama voted 62% for drump. Spoof is what Citi said send it to. They're real tricky looks a real site, but the last 4 numbers on your card don't match theirs. They hope you want notice. They want pin, password, etc. Don't fall for this trick. If