Yet Another Scam

[grendel]

I would have thought that during a period of lockdown when everyone should be at home was not a wise time to be trying such a scam.

[Chelsea14Ian]

It seems levels of scams are on the increase. This scam seems to be doing the rounds in the bexley ,Belvedere  and Dartford. 

[MauriceMynah]

I'm not sure whether this is a scam, phishing or a genuine facebook security alert. Whichever it has left me a bit worried.

My e-mail this morning had a mail allegedly from facebook giving me a "Facebook account recovery code". A six digit number. the text was...

Hi John,

We received a request to reset your Facebook password.

Enter the following password reset code:

123456

Alternatively, you can directly change your password.

Change Password

Didn't request this change?

If you didn't request a new password, let us know.

This message was sent to jimcrint@gmail.com.
Facebook Ireland Ltd., Attention: Community Operations, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland

. The bits in blue were the links and the bits in red I edited.

I had not logged in to Facebook for ages though have done so now to change my password. To do this I needed to enter my existing password which had not been changed.

Well? What view from the teccies here? Was this a scam or has someone been trying to hack me?

Edited to add, I didn't use the links. I logged into Facebook from a different computer and changed it using their "settings".    

 

[grendel]

you did the right thing in logging on directly and not using the links, usually if you hover over the links when using a pc your browser will show you the actual place it links to (ie not where the link says) and even that can look convincing also similar with the originating email address if you hover the cursor over it it will tell you where it actually came from,.

[MauriceMynah]

1 hour ago, grendel said:

if you hover over the links when using a pc your browser will show you the actual place it links to

I did!

1 hour ago, grendel said:

and even that can look convincing

It did, very convincing. that's why I'm not at all sure it wasn't from Facebook. If it was, then somebody else is trying to hack me and I have no idea why!

 

[grendel]

2 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

I did!

It did, very convincing. that's why I'm not at all sure it wasn't from Facebook. If it was, then somebody else is trying to hack me and I have no idea why!

 

probably vying for your position as Forum idiot

[MauriceMynah]

I'll have you know I have an impenetrable password for my idiocy! 

[OldBerkshireBoy]

41 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

I'll have you know I have an impenetrable password for my idiocy! 

Wouldn`t be qwerty or 123456 would it? 

[MauriceMynah]

No, I just told you it's "Impenetrable"

[MauriceMynah]

Had another suspicious e-mail today, this time allegedly from Microsoft see below for the copy & paste.

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Microsoft account team <account-security-noreply@accountprotection.microsoft.com> Unsubscribe

5:59 PM (1 hour ago)

to me

Microsoft account

Unusual sign-in activity

We detected something unusual about a recent sign-in to the Microsoft account jg*****@gmail.com.

Sign-in details

Country/region: Italy

IP address: 80.211.54.54

Date: 8/4/2020 4:59 PM (GMT)

Platform: Windows

Browser: Chrome

Please go to your recent activity page to let us know whether or not this was you. If this wasn't you, we'll help you secure your account. If this was you, we'll trust similar activity in the future.

Review recent activity

To opt out or change where you receive security notifications, click here.

Thanks,

The Microsoft account team

ReplyForward

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What think the team of this?

[unclemike]

had similar last week, changed password and ok now

[grendel]

I had a suspicious one from microsoft too- starting 

Quote

Hello,

You’re receiving this email because we are updating the Microsoft Services Agreement, which applies to one or more Microsoft products or services you use. We’re making these updates to clarify our terms and ensure that they remain transparent for you, as well as to cover new Microsoft products, services and features.

with a huge link for each of the hyperlinked words, starting mman.microsoft.com - but I was still suspicious as I could not fit the entire link highlighted into the visible space, so couldnt tell if there was a redirect in the link.

[MauriceMynah]

Had a second e-mail from Microsoft. Again I didn't click on any links but have changed e-mail password and microsoft one. I'm still wondering if these e-mails are genuine or not.

[rightsaidfred]

40 minutes ago, grendel said:

I had a suspicious one from microsoft too- starting 

with a huge link for each of the hyperlinked words, starting mman.microsoft.com - but I was still suspicious as I could not fit the entire link highlighted into the visible space, so couldnt tell if there was a redirect in the link.

I have had that  one as well today.

Fred

[Upcycler]

2 hours ago, MauriceMynah said:

Sign-in details

Country/region: Italy

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What think the team of this?

It might be legit, as this bit of the email got me thinking. But as they say, check out the email address before replying.

Don't forget your email can be hacked from any country, and people travelling will try to access their email accounts from different parts of the globe, so these email providers have to be careful.

[MauriceMynah]

It's looking to me more and more that the e-mail is legit. as was it's follow up.

The clincher was that when I changed my Microsoft password, I received a warning from the same address telling me that it had been changed.

Now I'm left wondering what has happened, how it happened and what can I do to stop it happening again.

[grendel]

make a point of regularly altering your passwords, many of us (myself included) tend to stick to using the same passwords year in and year out. my only problem now is remembering which of my password protocols I am using for any particular site.

if you can set up multi factor authentication, yes its a pain in the bum having to answer the phone every time you log in somewhere, but its better than the alternative. all my microsoft logins (personal and several different ones for work), have this set up for a phonecall then press hashtag.

[deebee29]

11 hours ago, MauriceMynah said:

Had another suspicious e-mail today, this time allegedly from Microsoft see below for the copy & paste.

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Microsoft account team <account-security-noreply@accountprotection.microsoft.com> Unsubscribe

5:59 PM (1 hour ago)

to me

Microsoft account

Unusual sign-in activity

We detected something unusual about a recent sign-in to the Microsoft account jg*****@gmail.com.

Sign-in details

Country/region: Italy

IP address: 80.211.54.54

Date: 8/4/2020 4:59 PM (GMT)

Platform: Windows

Browser: Chrome

Please go to your recent activity page to let us know whether or not this was you. If this wasn't you, we'll help you secure your account. If this was you, we'll trust similar activity in the future.

Review recent activity

To opt out or change where you receive security notifications, click here.

Thanks,

The Microsoft account team

ReplyForward

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What think the team of this?

This is from Microsoft.

I had this continually a few months ago & Microsoft kept locking my account & refused to say what the problem was.

they finally locked the account meaning I had no access to emails or any other Microsoft programs (office 360 etc. Linked to that account even paid for)

fortunately I had the important emails & contacts backed up but it was one hell of a hassle contacting all the companies I was registered with to change my email ( most send a link to your existing account so had to explain I had no access)

Seems this is a common issue from conversations I’ve had with some of my software suppliers.

I’ll never trust Microsoft again

 

[TheQ]

All my passwords are different,  at each site,  using a formula, a common word and something in a sites name. 

You would need access to several sites passwords to work out the formula. 

There is a different formula for sites where I purchase items,  and a third formula much more complicated for banking. 

For example, though this isn't my formula,  your special word might be "broads"  and for this site your resulting password might be sdnabofrb . IE broads spelt backwards with nbf inserted forwards. Or for a company that's no longer with us called Track Shack,  sdtaroarb,  using the first three letters of track. 

 

[MauriceMynah]

Yes Mr Q sir, I do similar with three levels of complexity and are used in the same way.

My machine offers to "save passwords". How safe is that? or should I ask, How dangerous is that? 

[rightsaidfred]

52 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

Yes Mr Q sir, I do similar with three levels of complexity and are used in the same way.

My machine offers to "save passwords". How safe is that? or should I ask, How dangerous is that? 

I use it for sites that hold no personal information only definitely not for any site that I use financially or that requires personal details,  I do have individual passwords and in some cases email accounts for every site I use which I change from time to time and these I keep a record of  in an anonymous  place on different equipment and OS to my main PC which is where I use them.

Fred

[Meantime]

6 hours ago, TheQ said:

All my passwords are different,  at each site,  using a formula, a common word and something in a sites name. 

You would need access to several sites passwords to work out the formula. 

There is a different formula for sites where I purchase items,  and a third formula much more complicated for banking. 

For example, though this isn't my formula,  your special word might be "broads"  and for this site your resulting password might be sdnabofrb . IE broads spelt backwards with nbf inserted forwards. Or for a company that's no longer with us called Track Shack,  sdtaroarb,  using the first three letters of track. 

 

The only problem with that method is that more and more sites are now starting to ask for at least one special character %&! etc. as well as one upper case letter and normally a number as well.

I use a password database program. All my passwords are stored in that and I have just the one very complex password that gives me access to the program. The database file is backed up to multiple places in case of corruption or loss of device. I use the program to generate the passwords for any site that requires a password which means even I don't know the passwords for any of the sites I use and ensures each site has a different password therefore even if by some miracle one password was cracked it is limited to just that one site.

Once you have the database open you click a link for a site you want to visit and then just cut and paste your user name or password as required.

[TheQ]

You can always add a special character OT your common word. 

 

[MauriceMynah]

Perfectly correct Mr Q, some like it OT

 

[grendel]

hows this for a new one 

supposedly from HM Courts an Tribunal services, issuing a fixed penalty notice 

Quote

Delivery date:
7:00am - 7:00pm

 

For the following: the use of a vehicle on a road in the charging area which a charging scheme applies without payment of the appropriate charge, at the date and location started below

 

Location: United Kingdom

 

If you do not respond before the end of the period of 28 days beginning with the date of service of this notice a charge certificate may be issued which would increase the penalty charge to £100.

 

Failure to then pay the increased penalty

So i have infringed a charging area, in a vehicle at some unspecified time somewhere in the uk. 

 and this is supposed to be an HM government email address.

I dont think i will be clicking on any of those links thank you.