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Ask Slashdot: Identity Theft Attempt In Progress; How To Respond?
An anonymous reader writes "It appears that two weeks ago my email address got into the wrong database. Since that time there have been continuing attempts to access my accounts and create new accounts in my name. I have received emails asking me to click the link below to confirm I want to create an account with Twitter, Facebook, Apple Games Center, Facebook mobile account, and numerous pornographic sites. I have not attempted to create accounts on any of these services. I have also received 16 notices from Apple about how to reset my Apple ID. I am guessing these notices are being automatically generated in response to too many failed login attempts. At this point I have no reason to believe any of my accounts have been compromised but I see no good response."
Sometimes, it becomes necessary to change your e-mail address.
SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
I would contact my local police force and talk to the financial crimes desk. They may not be able to do anything at this point, but you should establish a paper trail ASAP, which would certainly work in your favor while explaining things to your bank or whatever if the bad guys do manage to hurt you in some manner.
Need a Linux consultant in New Orleans?
1) Wait and see if they succeed, then create new online and financial accounts and deal with the personal and financial fallout
2) Create new online accounts, transfer all information to new accounts and delete the old ones before they succeed
Up to you.
Sent from my ENIAC
It is a huge PItA to reset an AppleID.
This time, don't use "abcdef123456" as a password, hmm?
I have had my email address compromised (in spam databases) for years, and nothing like this has happened. However, I use non-trivial passwords (I use the Randall Munroe Method), so I have yet to have had an email address actually cracked.
It sounds like they got more than just your email address. It looks like they actually cracked it.
I am getting sick to death of all my friends, associates, tech support folks, salespeople, etc. getting their email accounts cracked. I mean, I know scientists, engineers and real highbrow types, and they are constantly (often repeatedly) getting their emails cracked.
When you get your email cracked, you are selling out everyone on your contact list.
Good job!
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong."
-H. L. Mencken
Or two weeks ago you pissed someone off and they are just plugging your email address into everything.
I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
It looks like you've pissed somebody off and now they're just screwing with you. What would motivate a stranger to randomly open free online accounts under your email address, which they presumably don't yet control, when they can get one of their own just as easily? The days of breaking into and squatting somebody's paid AOL account are long gone. If this was true identity theft, things would start showing up on your credit report, you'd be getting nastygrams in the mail, and the collectors would start calling. Go change your passwords and move on with life.
Um... yes... There's this person, probably in another country, that I suspect is trying to gain access to my facebook account. LOL.
Laugh, but the GP is correct. File the paperwork. It's a CYA move, just like you'd do if something fishy was going on at work. Not only does this cover YOU, but it also provides a jumping off point, should some computer crimes force actually stumble on the perp. They can't do a thing against them in many cases unless someone has reported it first. Having a report on file unties all sorts of red tape for their investigations.
That said, reporting it to a local county office isn't going to do much; you need to find the closest computer crimes division that will actually file your report and also add it to the federal/international databases so it can be cross-referenced by other investigators.
What moron moderated this bullshit "insightful"?
1. Including navigational software in my case it would rather be 300 EUR. How about steam? How about othe electronic goods?
2. You do not have to create new accounts, only the password and the emailaddress associated with it - your initial post was already misleading
3. If you do 2. and not the bullshit you were suggesting, nobody has to rebuy anything
Again: What moron moderated this insightful?
Password Safe. I let it remember my passwords for me, and only have to remember the one to open the password safe.
"I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"