Monday, January 17, 2011

My Gmail Account Was Hacked

I've always thought I was too boring for anyone to want to hack my web accounts. Turns out I was wrong - someone hacked into my gmail account and used it to send sales letters to my database. Thankfully, the people who hacked me write so badly that no one actually believed that the email could possibly come from me.

A few sent me short notes to warn me that I'd been hacked. So guys, thank you for your patience with the SPAM I inadvertently sent you, and for telling me of the problem. And my apologies to all my clients who received the badly written email.

I have now changed  my log in details, and hopefully the people who did this thing have moved along. In case you;re wondering, no I'm not angry with the hackers. That would be a waste of emotion on people who don't really matter in the great scheme of things. Sure they inconvenienced me for a day, but I doubt they'll make a single cent from the venture. As I said, people in my database didn't believe that I could produce such a badly written sales letter, and there is no mystery as to what my company sells, and it ain't what the letter was hawking :-). And I doubt if the hackers would even bother to learn from the experience even if I ranted and raved about what they did, so why waste my breath?

So. What do you think of hackers who hijack people's web acounts and use them for their own ends? Are they a worrying security threat, or are they just a nuisance factor?

P.S. I've just posted a video onthe Shukumisa web site where Justice Minister Jeff Radebe talks about corrective rape (corrective rape is when a lesbian woman is raped by a man who claims that the act will cure her of her sexual orientation). Check it out  and if you have 3 minutes and leave a comment.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have tried contacting you several times to discuss a writing project that you solicited from us. It was a batch of gardening articles. Please contact us immediately as this matter is urgent and you have not responded to several emails that were sent to you.

tiah said...

How annoying! I'm glad your clients were understanding.

Damaria said...

@Anne - I will be in touch re the gardening articles. I thought I had responded to you before Christmas.

Damaria said...

@tiah - it is annoying. especially because they also contacted people I haven't emailed in months, maybe even years, with that crap.

Anonymous said...

Please meet your outstanding obligation. I would prefer that this matter be resolved immediately as it has now been more than a month and this issue has still not been resolved nor have you contacted me as you stated here that you would do yesterday.

Damaria Senne said...

Anne, I have emailed you this week to let you know that I'm having as problem with Paypal, as my account has been limited since 10 Dec due to unusual activity. I tried to resolve it, with no joy.

I have asked for advice from a number of business forums I belong to, and so far, the proposed solution is for me to open another local bank account with FNB and re-register that account to validate my paypal account all over again ( my current credit card is being rejected). Which I will do ASAP.

I also emailed your SA contact to ask if I can transfer SA rands to her, which she can then pay to you through Paypal. Haven't heard from her.
So I'm sorry you felt you had to take this discussion to a public place rather than just responding to my email about options. But you will get your $50.

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

I never received any email from you and that is why I posted here. The person you are contacting no longer works from us. I will send another email to you and please reply this time so that we can move the conversation there.

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