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My E-mail Accounts now blocked! Hackers sent out message to all!

By
Mortgage and Lending with Reverse Mortgage Division of HSL

This is what my friends, business associates, and relatives with whom I'm in contact through g-mail and hotmail accounts received as a message from me.  This is the exact wording, spelling and grammer so no one took it seriously!  My son called me and said that he was down at the Western Union office and was wondering where to send the money.  Very funny!!

"Brutal Experience Need Help!!!!

I'm writing this with tears in my eyes.  I came down here to United Kingdom for a short vacation with my family unfortunately we was mugged at the park of the hotel where we stayed,all cash, credit card and cell phone were stolen from us but luckily for us we still have our passports with us.

I've been to the embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all and my flight leaves in less than 3hrs from now but am having problems settling the hotel bill and the hotel manager won't let us leave until i settle the bills, i'm freaked out at the moment.

Thanks.

Ken Keranen"

This is bad enough but what is really upsetting and unsettling to me is that both e-mail accounts are no longer accessible to me.  Both accounts were closed down; bang!!!  I am trying to resolve the issue beginning with my Google e-mail account but there is no way to talk with a human being that I can find.  One of the questions on the computer generated form to report the problem is; What month, day and year did you set up your account?  Maybe I'm just getting old but I really don't remember.  I know that it might have been sometime in 2004 but I guessed wrong and so no g-mail.  I hope that this nightmare does not happen to any of you!

Jen Birmingham
Coldwell Banker - San Francisco's North Bay/Wine Country - Petaluma, CA

What an awful situation, Ken! I hope it gets resolved soon. I also would have no clue when my gmail account was established. That is a rediculous security question.

Sep 06, 2010 09:12 AM
Todd & Devona Garrigus
Garrigus Real Estate - Beaumont, CA
Broker / REALTORS®

Very, very scary! I don't know how to help you out of this current predicament, but when you get your accounts back up and running, make sure to use a strong password. "They" say a very strong type of password is the long, personal acronym kind, for example:

My daughter is now enrolled in Brown university- turned into the password: mdineibu

And if you add capital letters and a number or two, the password becomes even stronger, like:

MdineiBU2010. This kind of password is unbreakable by password bots, and it should help keep your accounts secure.

Sep 06, 2010 09:18 AM
Ernie Steele
Lebanon, PA

Sorry Ken but this just shows that using 'free' email accounts for business is a poor idea...Using Comcast, Verizon etc. with their free protections is worth the money as well as a company provided email address...Sorry about your trouble, but it could have been prevented...Enjoy the day.

Sep 06, 2010 09:23 AM
Ken Keranen
Reverse Mortgage Division of HSL - Carlsbad, CA

I've learned a lot in the last few days.  I will never again use a password that is in anyway tied to my name.  I will blog about what else I've learned at a later time when I'm not quite so frustrated!

Sep 06, 2010 09:31 AM
Jean Hanley
Coldwell Banker Kivett Teeters - Hemet, CA
Specializing in Folks Who Want To Buy/Sell Homes

Ken, here's what I have learned.  I don't think it has anything to do with whether you have a freee email or not.  But, when you open spam emails, they will haunt you.  When you forward emails from your friends that have been forwarded hundreds of times, you will be haunted.  Even on Facebook, when you play those games or when you press like, I truly believe that you are just opening yourself up to trouble.  I simply use my email and my FB, etc. for my business and personal.  I have even stopped opening emails from friends who are forwarding their cute little jokes.  Not worth it.  They can call me and read it to me if they think it's so damned funny.  Hope your problems are solved quickly.

Sep 06, 2010 10:23 AM
Bob & Carolin Benjamin
Benjamin Realty LLC - Gold Canyon, AZ
East Phoenix Arizona Homes

Sounds awful-- we all have to be careful -- there is junk and spam all over the place.

Sep 06, 2010 10:25 AM
Jackie - computer-training-atlanta.com
770.498.7333 - Atlanta, GA
Learn to leverage technology to get more done.

Ken,

Thanks for commenting on my blog. I am so sorry this happened to you. I hope this post is featured, because it contains information most do not know.

Sep 06, 2010 04:38 PM