July chitchat

[Virginia]

I do not use the cloud. I am afraid it is not safe. My brother bought me a whole new computer system just recently, and he had a security system put on that he uses in his businesses.

We think all this happened sometime back before he put in the new computer. I foolishly left my passwords typed in the old computer in Word. We think the computer was hacked and they got all the passwords.

Yes, now I am one of those people who keep my passwords by hand. When I have changed a lot of them I type them in Word, print them out and delete the document from word. I never save it in Word anymore. I don't trust any place with my passwords anymore, so I would not set up any outside source to keep my passwords. I understand that you and Agate have had good luck, but at this point I am coming from a different place.

When this happened about 6 or 7 months ago I couldn't keep up with everything they were going so fast. My brother told me immediately to secure everything I had to begin. So I changed two government passwords that I get checks from and one private one. I have not been able to get into Social Security, however I did call a federal agency that I was told to call so there should be a record of that. My bank told me to call them. I was given a list of places to contact. The problem is that you never get a human on most of the places.

We don't know that is how my information was stolen, but it just made the most sense.

Yes I do go to the pharmacy where I use my credit card and I go to the grocery store where I also use a credit card. If they have a machine that you can just tap that is what I do. I only swipe it when I have to and then I try to look to see if there is anything attached to the machine I am using. If I have to order something I use my credit card, but almost everyone does that and not everyone has their complete identity stolen. I am about to pay my home insurance and my car insurance. I pay it for a full year in order to get a discount which is a good one, but it means a large payment. Again, I will use my credit card. While it is bad to have your credit card hacked, that still does not give someone all your information. I seldom pay anything with cash and I write a check to my hairdresser and cleaning people. The most likely place is putting gas in my car and I only have to do that about once every six to eight weeks, because I just don't drive very much and never far. As best I can I check the machines I use, but I am no expert at that. A lady from the fraud department of my bank told me over the phone how. to do it, but she said it was sometimes hard to spot them.

The thing that is bothering me right now is Amazon. I had changed my password and I have 2step verification there, so how did someone charge $149.08 on my credit card.

[agate]

Virginia, I hope you contacted the card people at once about that large unauthorized charge on your card.

That article in Forbes indicates that the gas pumps are very likely places to have problems with credit/debit cards that you use to pay for the gas. I find that easy to believe because those machines probably get a lot of use, constantly.

I use a password manager but I also have a little notebook where I keep an alphabetical list of all of the Websites where I have log-in information (usually passwords but sometimes PIN numbers and user names too). I keep that notebook in a desk drawer and it is never out in the open. But since I'm so often at this desk, it's really not in much danger of being stolen. Hardly anyone else is ever in here.

Most people probably have far more contact with the outside world than I do, and it's the outside world contact that can create problems, I guess--or times when you're so busy that you might do something careless like leaving a credit card lying around. I'm entirely too apt to do something like that. A couple of times I lost my credit/debit card case in a store. I did eventually find them but had a very panicky time until I did.

Another reason I don't miss going to brick-and-mortar stores: You go in with a lot on your mind, a list of things you need to get, hoping you won't need to visit the restroom, hoping you'll keep track of everything important like keys and that all-important plastic, and you wander around making decisions about items to buy, having to deal with blockages in the aisles and out-of-stock items and whatever else goes wrong, and by that time you're dropping things without realizing you've dropped them. At least that's how it would go for me.

[flatcap]

Virginia, I was totally stumped by your experience with the text(s) you are using for 2FA, so I did a quick search and found there is a fairly wide variety of ways that a hacker can bypass 2FA.

Search: Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

Unfortunately for me and probably a lot of other folks, most of the articles turned up by the search give fairly complicated descriptions of the problem and the solutions.

Nonetheless, I am thinking of trying one of the authenticator apps mentioned in some of those articles, specifically Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register....

Meantime, it is incumbent upon me to admit that you need someone more qualified than I am to address your issue. I only just learned about all this today, thanks to you — and I mean that sincerely — so I am not an expert by any means.

However little it might be, I hope this will be of some help to you.




Here are two articles I found and bookmarked for future reference.

• Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

• Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

[Virginia]

Agate, it can get hectic if you are out in a crowd, which I almost never go out in crowds. When I do I am more cognizant than ever of my credit card and my pocketbook. I try not to take chances with anything I have. Still, in spite of everything I think using a credit card is safer than carrying a lot of cash around like we use to do. We have, at least some recourse with a credit card. I make out my hairdresser's check before I leave home. I haven't carried a check book in a long time.

I did think of two places where all this could have begun and though I was cautioned at the time that people who have this much information about you often hold it for 10 to 20 years before using it. They are not just working one person but a number of them.

One place was when I was hospitalized years ago with breast cancer. I went to the Women's Center at University of North Carolina. It was years before it happened, but their system was hacked. They sent me a letter stating that they were sure my information was among the ones who had been hacked. This was a number of years after I had the surgery. Still, all my information as far as SS#, name, address and all pertinent information was the same. I was told then it could be 10 to 20 years before it was used, if at all.

The other time I can think of was some years ago I had Dish TV. I had to remove it because my HOA said I couldn't have the dish up even on the back of my unit. However, I received a call one evening when I wasn't close to my phone caller ID. I picked up the phone and there was a man that did not speak good English, and he was calling from California. He told me he had all the information on me including my SS#. He certainly had my phone number. He said Dish had sent it to him. He finally put a young lady on the phone who told me she was his daughter. She was laughing and I could hear laughter in the background. Dish had sent him all my information when I had called seeking a copy of my contract when the HOA told me it had to come down. I was so angry. He did give me his name and I called Dish and really went round and round with them. Of course they apologized but what good did that do. At that time I had a friend who was an attorney and he sent a letter to Dish, at my request. However, he told me there was nothing I could do to hold them accountable if anything happened to my information because I couldn't prove it was the person who called me.

I have spent a lot of the day on other things because I don't know what else I can do other than what I am doing. I do not buy anything over my tablet, only on my desktop computer. I check my credit card account at least every two days and also my bank account. This is how I caught this last fraudulent charge on my credit card.

[agate]

I agree, Virginia, that a credit card is better than carrying a checkbook around. I write checks only for the rent and the grocery delivery service. Most people let the grocery delivery service people just debit their debit card but I won't give them my card information. Whenever I can get away with not giving out the card account number, etc., I take that route. I won't use the card system in the laundry room either. People can swipe their card in a machine and their checking accounts are debited for the laundry machines. I use quarters instead though sometimes I've had to use the card.

I have backed off from situations where I'd have had to give my Social Security number. I'll give the last 4 digits of it but that's all. There are a few times when I absolutely have no choice, though.

Sounds as if DishTV didn't work out for you at all. I was about to sign up for it a while back as this building has a satellite dish and it would have been possible but I just didn't feel I knew enough about it. Not that I know anything about the cable I still have either but it's what I already have and am used to it. After reading about your experience, I'm glad I didn't sign up for DishTV.

[Virginia]

Flatcap,.my e-mail address is at the bottom of the page on the first link you gave me. How did that happen? I didn't sign in anywhere I just clicked on the link that says defeat 2fa.

I have been working on something else this afternoon. I had an email from PAN organization regarding help with my co-pay for Rebif. I have been working on that and hope that I get it. I couldn't get through on their patient portal, so I finally called and they took the information down. They said they would let me know in 4 days. Since it is the weekend I guess it could be as late as Wednesday.

I also typed an email to a friend, but I couldn't get it to send. I put it in my draft box and when I got it out later to again send it only about 1/4th of the email was there. It gave me some kind of notice about checking my system, but I think this is their problem. It just set there and little circles go round and round and then most of the email is gone.

I give up. I am going to get ready for bed.

[agate]

Virginia, maybe it's time to run an antivirus scan? You have antivirus software, I think? I'm concerned about your e-mail problems.

I don't understand how your e-mail address managed to show up when you clicked on the link in flatcap's post. I tried all 3 links to see what would happen, and I didn't see anyone's e-mail address. Then when you said you were unable to send an e-mail, I began to wonder. I'll try sending you an e-mail just as a test and see if you get it. You may not get this until Saturday some time but I'll send it now.

[flatcap]

Flatcap,.my e-mail address is at the bottom of the page on the first link you gave me. How did that happen? I didn't sign in anywhere I just clicked on the link that says defeat 2fa.

That is truly weird, Virginia. The link takes me to Google with the terms defeat and 2fa already in the search box. That's what it is supposed to do.

How your email address appears at the bottom of the page is beyond me. I don't know what to make of it, but something is clearly wrong — a lot wrong.

I don't even know who you might report it to. The mods? Has the forum been hacked?

I doubt it, or we would all be seeing our email addresses popping up wherever when clicking a link here. That just isn't happening, at least not to me. I have no idea what can be done about it, but I can tell you that I'd be pretty worried if it did.


ETA 1: You might want to consider getting a throwaway email account that you can use and discard as needed. Your post freaked me out so much that I changed the email in my profile to just such an address.

If you want to have one like it, I use mail.com. There, you can have up to 10 alias addresses at a time. You can use and delete them as needed. If you get rid of one alias, you can turn around and get a new one.

I will show the URL here instead of posting a link: Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

Let me know if you have any questions.


ETA 2: I forgot one thing and that is this: If you create an email account at mail.com, they will ask for some of your personal information, such as your DOB. Don't give it to them. Make something up instead.

[flatcap]

...I would not set up any outside source to keep my passwords. I understand that you and Agate have had good luck, but at this point I am coming from a different place.

My experience is with the local app I previously mentioned, KeePass. The encrypted database resides on your PC, not in the cloud. In fact, KeePass doesn't connect to the internet at all when you run it.

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

I believe Agate uses another method for storing passwords.

[Virginia]

When I first came on today my email add was still showing, however it is now gone. It just says NE Raleigh, Raleigh, NC. I do not live in NE Raleigh. There is a place for me to sign in, which I will not do. I think this is something to do with Google.

[agate]

Just where is your e-mail address showing, Virginia?

I'm not sure which of the 3 links flatcap posted is the one where you noticed the problem. If it's the one for MalwareBytesLabs, in the lower right corner there's a large window where you can insert your e-mail address to sign up with them. If I hover over it, I get a dropdown menu that shows my e-mail address. This often happens where a Website wants you to register (and almost all of them want you to register). That drop-down menu entry (your e-mail address) might have accidentally slipped into place and that may be why you saw it but now you're not seeing it. I've had this happen too.

It doesn't seem to be a problem if that is what happened.

It shouldn't really be showing anywhere unless it's in a sign-in window, which would happen only if you've authorized it.

[flatcap]

I went to the Malwarebytes page just now via the link I posted, and for what it's worth, I saw no indication whatsoever that they have somehow extracted my email address from who knows where. The same applies to my home address or location: they don't have it.

Whatever is going on, it isn't Malwarebytes. It is coming from the user end.

There is no way that Malwarebytes would ever even try such a thing. Period.


ETA: If you sign in to Chrome, then you are carrying your Gmail address right along with you wherever you go on the web. If that's it, then sign out of Chrome, clear the cache of everything including cookies, and try again.

Here is where you go to clear the cache using Chrome: chrome://settings/clearBrowserData (Copy and paste it into the address bar; it is not a link.)

This opens an internal page within Chrome where you can check off the items you want to delete. (I check all the boxes, FWIW.)

Note: If you do this, you will lose all of the information you have ever entered into Chrome for "convenience." Examples include this forum. You will not be automatically logged in here just by coming to the site. You will have to login each time you come here if you clean the cache after each browser session.

Well, now, isn't that a PITA? Not if you care about your privacy, it isn't. IMO, you should stay as incognito as you possibly can on the web and only sign when you have to, such as you do at your bank.

What to do then?

1) NEVER sign into Chrome.
2) ALWAYS clear the cache between browser sessions.
3) NEVER give up privacy for "convenience."
4) ALWAYS guard your data on the web.
5) NEVER give up data you don't have to.
6) LIE whenever you can get away with it.
7) Get a throwaway email address and USE IT.

YMMV

[agate]

If you have a Bookmark for this forum and if you've indicated that you want to stay logged in here, you won't be logged out every time you clear the cache in Chrome.

I clear the cache at the end of each day when I shut the computer down by going to More Tools--> Clear Browsing Data in Chrome. The next time I'm back online, I'm still logged in here.

I don't see a problem with this method. I also have CCleaner, which I recall having years ago but only recently added it again. It can be useful in clearing out junk files and generally speeding up the way the computer behaves.

I don't agree about lying except for Websites you have real doubts about. One problem with lying is that you can't usually remember what you've said to whom.

[flatcap]

Agate, your alternate instructions for clearing the cache amount to exactly the same thing.

It's your choice of which boxes to check off. You are not clearing the cache thoroughly if you are leaving the cookies behind.

That would be the only thing that fits. Delete all cookies, reload the page or restart your browser, and you will find you are no longer logged in. Simple as that.

Ccleaner collects boatloads of your data. If you care about that indisputable fact, you would be better served by something that doesn't.

I use BleachBit. Easy to use and 100% PRIVATE, but it's your choice.

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

You are, of course, welcome to always be truthful when answering questions from strangers. Just know that you don't always have to and probably shouldn't on the internet.

[Virginia]

I can't remember if I have told y'all, but after thinking about it over night I might have figured out how Google came by that information. Recently, my brother bought me a new smart TV. He recommended that I get UTube TV which is not only cheaper than the cable TV I had, but I think it is better.

While he was setting up my UTube TV he asked how I wanted to pay for it. I didn't want to give my credit card number to them. By the way, this is done through your computer internet. So, I told him to pay with Google pay. I remember him having to give my email address. I do not use Google Chrome, but that time it seemed easier. I have it already on my computer but it is not my browser, so I don't think about it even being there. Then I started thinking and I believe they picked up my email address when I opened the link that flatcap had referenced. They linked it to NE Raleigh rather than North Raleigh and they were one zip code off. That one link he referenced was a Google link. The others I checked were not and they didn't have anything at the bottom of the page.

I am to see my two brothers tomorrow to eat. They both have UTube TV and I am going to find out how they pay them.

I think this is just a flook. I don't think anyone was trying to perpetuate a fraud. The email address has gone away, but I expect I could get it to come back by opening up where it says sign in, which I will not do.

Does what I have said make any sense?

If not for me what would everyone on here do.for excitement?

I am off to bed.