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View Full Version : Yahoo! identity hijacking


QuikSand
01-20-2006, 07:08 AM
I recently got an email, saying that the password on my Yahoo! account had been changed. I smelled a phishing attempt, but when I went directly to the Yahoo! site, it seems to be true... my only guess is that someone is messing with my account, for some reason.

I don't use it for much -- mostly incidental fantasy sports stuff, but am still very uncomfortable with the idea of someone else using the account.

Trouble is, I now can't seem to make a change. I went through their information page to reset the password, but no luck -- it seems to hang on a blank screen. I wonder if the hijacker might have re-directed the "alternate" email address already, to have the new password sent to him instead?


Anyway... anyone have any advice here? I can still confirm my identity through their modest process, but that doesn't seem to get me anywhere. I don't like this... any recourse other than the stuff on their site that anyone can think of?

albionmoonlight
01-20-2006, 07:11 AM
Though I am sure that you have thought of this, did you use your Yahoo password for anything else? If they had that password, then they may be able to get into other aspects of your online life.

Sorry that I can't help with your actual question.

QuikSand
01-20-2006, 07:11 AM
There's nothing of any consequence that password overlaps with... but I'm doing some checking now just in case. Thanks - good thought.

gottimd
01-20-2006, 07:14 AM
Speaking of phishing for account passwords, has anyone gotten the same IM from somebody named "SMLamontagne". Person IM'd me tons of times yesterday asking about putting my name in some yearbook and to press some link. I warned and blocked because it was getting annoying, especially with auditors at my desk all day.

PackerFanatic
01-20-2006, 08:08 AM
QS, I would say contact Yahoo! directly if at all possible. There is probably a way they can reset your account in matters like this. Even if it isn't possibly to retreive the password, I am sure there is a way they can just shut down the account and allow you to start another one.

rkmsuf
01-20-2006, 08:10 AM
I'm facinated by the use of "Yahoo!" here.

That's attention to detail my friends.

cartman
01-20-2006, 09:02 AM
I recently got an email, saying that the password on my Yahoo! account had been changed. I smelled a phishing attempt, but when I went directly to the Yahoo! site, it seems to be true... my only guess is that someone is messing with my account, for some reason.

I don't use it for much -- mostly incidental fantasy sports stuff, but am still very uncomfortable with the idea of someone else using the account.

Trouble is, I now can't seem to make a change. I went through their information page to reset the password, but no luck -- it seems to hang on a blank screen. I wonder if the hijacker might have re-directed the "alternate" email address already, to have the new password sent to him instead?


Anyway... anyone have any advice here? I can still confirm my identity through their modest process, but that doesn't seem to get me anywhere. I don't like this... any recourse other than the stuff on their site that anyone can think of?

I had this exact thing happen to my Yahoo! account about a month ago. But instead of clicking on the link in the email, which also looked valid, I went directly to the homepage and navigated from there. But like you, I wasn't able to successfully change my password. It took some trying, but I was able to make it through several of the automated reply email layers and get my password changed.

I've also been having a problem as of late with password protected areas on Yahoo! I can load the homepage of the section, but after I type in my username and password combination, I get a "Connection Reset" message from Firefox. I then will get the same message if I try to reload the homepage of the section. If I try the same thing in IE, instead of Connection Reset, I get Page not found. It does this on all three of the machines I have.

PackerFanatic
01-20-2006, 09:03 AM
I'm facinated by the use of "Yahoo!" here.

That's attention to detail my friends.

lol, for some reason I always do that...most of the time subconsicously. I am just wierd like that.

cartman
01-20-2006, 09:06 AM
I did check my machines for Spyware/AdWare/Malware, and made sure that the hosts file didn't have any extra entries and that my DNS entries were what I expected them to be. Everything there checked out.

PackerFanatic
01-20-2006, 09:15 AM
cartman, I love the quote in your sig (about binary) Very funny.