Feeling slightly panicked

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Perhaps I should have posted this in the "computer" section but I've placed it here as I think most of us spend some time here and I'm hoping for some quick responses.

Quite some time ago, about a year or so, I got an email from Google - well it looks like Google I think - saying someone had tried to log in with my details (or a message to similar effect - don't remember exactly how it was worded) and that they had blocked it. I spoke to the chap I know, who "knows" about computers. His opinion was that there was probably nothing to worry about, someone probably has an email address almost identical to mine - maybe only one digit - and and they mistakenly misstyped when logging in? As it had been blocked there probably wasn't a problem but to keep my eye on things generally "just in case". I've been doing this and am not aware of any issues.

Now, maybe 18 months on, it's happened again. Same message "WE HAVE DETECTED A SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY ON YOUR ACCOUNT" With the massage "log in attempt blocked" giving the location as "Denver Colorado". It then has two boxes, a blue one with "yes me" in it and a red one with "not me" in it. when I click on the "not me" it takes me to a message box like a "new composition email box" with an email address which means nothing to me and a "send" button at the bottom.

I'm very reluctant to get involved in any of this but it does occur to me that changing my email log in details might be advisable? What do you think folks?

 

[DaveMcT]

Google a description of what's on your screen but it sounds like a phishing scam. If you click either of the buttons they'll download a keystroke logger and steal your online identity.

https://malwaretips.com/resources/g...l-activity-on-your-account-phishing-email.77/

A clue is usually in the sender's email address.

It's another reason I have an Apple Mac though that's not necessarily protected from keystroke loggers if I'm daft enough to click anything unusual. Normally with Macs, you are asked to enter your login password to install new software but there was a recent flaw that bypassed that.

If you have clicked anything unusual, your computer might be infected. Some of these keystroke loggers are hard to remove. The only sure fix is to change all your passwords from an known clean computer and set your infected machine back to a clean backup.

More info here. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...nstalled/d14c6cd6-6975-4b25-a2c5-17e5de194b50

 

[Eklipze3k]

I've not had one of these for a while, but the email doesn't have a "this was not me" option, just one to log into your account and review activity. As Dave says, it'll be phishing.

 

[jimboy]

Don't worry about it Jock, I get crap like this from time to time plus phone scams abundant. Slightly off topic but if I'm in the mood to play with the phone scammers, I tell them all the crap of the day & keep them on the phone for ages. As a care worker some of my vulnerable clients get these calls, I take over, it's like a hobby.....

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Now, maybe 18 months on, it's happened again. Same message "WE HAVE DETECTED A SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY ON YOUR ACCOUNT" With the massage "log in attempt blocked" giving the location as "Denver Colorado". It then has two boxes, a blue one with "yes me" in it and a red one with "not me" in it. when I click on the "not me" it takes me to a message box like a "new composition email box" with an email address which means nothing to me and a "send" button at the bottom.

OK my "pal" from up the road is away on business but his son tells me he's expected back tomorrow night so I'll have a word with him then. In the meantime the chap directly across the road from me asked to borrow my tyre pump this morning so I thought I'd run it past him - He's some sort of IT manager. He's not a very gregarious type, you're lucky to get more than a couple of words out of him so I don't tend to have any more contact than the occasional "good morning". His opinion is that although I clicked on that "Not Me" button, which took me through to that email composition page, as I went no further, didn't actually enter any text or click on the send button it's very unlikely anything "bad" has happened. I'm still going to ask my other friend on his return tomorrow though as, with him writing security "stuff" for Dell, I'll be sure to get a definitive answer.

Still feeling a little uncomfortable and nervous about this but the one, original, change of underpants will suffice.

 

[jimboy]

I'm not an expert on the 'puter by any means, but I've learn't over the years just delete & ban these types of scams.

 

[DaveMcT]

I recently had an attempted data blackmail that included one of my passwords so they had somehow obtained that information. It was clearly an old password as I for some years I have always included numbers and text this was just plain alpha text.

So while it claimed to have infected my computer, in reality it was just a plain email which they hoped I would respond to.


That all said, I reverted to an old backup and checked all my passwords to be sure the one in question was gone. Using a password vault is well worthwhile as you can easily check the ones you are using.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Thought you'd maybe all like a wee update on how I'm getting on with this. I should say first off that this event has had a very pleasant side effect which is that I've got to know my neighbour much better and it turns out we have quite a number of areas of common interest most notably my interest in learning more about my laptop and that he is intending to buy a classic mini which I might be able to help him with (being an ex BMC/BL man that should be right up my street - hope he manages to find one that's not too rusty).

He works for a very big well known computer manufacturer, specifically in the area of security. So I seem to have been very lucky here. I popped in to his house last night and he tells me there are a few variations on this "theme" going around just now, although this is the first he's seen purporting to originate with Google. The idea behind it, he tells me, is that it is trying to "frighten" you into replying to the communication - hence the email composition screen which pops up. If you reply you will then be "led down the path" to installing stuff to your detriment. Whilst he obviously wouldn't discuss specifics he did tell me he has one major customer just now where a member of staff tried to cover up their (non existent) data breach by following the advice - they are now into the second week of trying to clear up the ensuing mayhem!

He thinks that, although you can never be 100% sure with these things, because I made no reply and so never "engaged" in any way, my risk factor here must be very low. He's had a good "ruttle" around in my laptop and found nothing. His last comment on the matter was that if clicking in that "not me" button was the trigger to installing something malicious then normally it would have stopped there. ie it would not then have opened a window inviting me to communicate.

So I'm going around, still slightly worried, with fingers, toes and everything else crossed, hoping that he's right. On the other hand If they've pinched "stuff" already, then now, best part of a week later, is probably far to late to be worrying about it?

Many thanks to you all for your advice. I'm still giving consideration whether to do as Dave suggests and revert to an earlier backup (I've actually only done a backup once) and change all my passwords but I'm very unsure as to how to do the backup bit and wonder if reverting it to "as shipped" would be better? Don't know how to do that either or what the finer implications might be? - and the girl at the bank wonders why I refuse to do internet banking?

Kindest regards to you all
Jock

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Oh, I also intended to ask, but forgot. Quite often, when I wake my laptop up, I get a message saying some of my software needs to be updated and asks if I want to do it now. Windows does it's own updating automatically (just did an absolutely humongous one day before yesterday) but these ones seem to be for microsoft, and other things I've no idea what they do. My question is should I just press the "do it" button or do I need to look at each one individually? If so how do I know what I should trigger and which ones I should just let lie? Or - if I just ignore it all will the important ones eventually just install themselves and I forget about the rest?

 

[jimboy]

High Jock, I'm no whiz kid on the 'puter I do have all the security windows defender etc I also have add block & other things which I can't remember. Most of the scams are blocked out & other crap. I just let the system do it's thing. I never press things that come up & obviously not started or asked by me.


For a number of years now I've fiddled away doing my thing on the computer quite safely. One thing I've learnt is look for the padlock up in the left hand corner. If I go to a site looking for something.....no padlock no open.

 

[Eklipze3k]

If in doubt, either:

• Take a screenshot and ask here
• Google the contents
• Ask your neighbour

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

If in doubt, either:

• Take a screenshot and ask here
• Google the contents
• Ask your neighbour

Ah, "take a screen shot" - I know Mrs J can do that on her iPad but I've no idea how to do it on my laptop. Is it easy?

By the way, my laptop did a humongous windows update (version 1903? or something similar) - took all evening to sort itself out. All seems to be doing fine I'm glad to say but I now can't upload pictures to my posts any more. It goes through the whole procedure, but, right at the end, after it's attempted the actual upload, it displays a little message, in black, at the top left of the box, saying "upload failed". Anyone any ideas? It was all working just fine before this update.

Oh, and thanks for the thing about the padlock jimboy, I always look for that too.

 

[Pickwick]

Ah, "take a screen shot" - I know Mrs J can do that on her iPad but I've no idea how to do it on my laptop. Is it easy?

Here's a guide for taking screenshots if you're using Windows 10:

https://www.howtogeek.com/226280/how-to-take-screenshots-in-windows-10/

And here's one for Vista, Windows 7 and Mac OS X:

https://lifehacker.com/how-to-take-a-screenshot-or-picture-of-whats-on-your-co-5825771

By the way, my laptop did a humongous windows update (version 1903? or something similar) - took all evening to sort itself out. All seems to be doing fine I'm glad to say but I now can't upload pictures to my posts any more. It goes through the whole procedure, but, right at the end, after it's attempted the actual upload, it displays a little message, in black, at the top left of the box, saying "upload failed". Anyone any ideas? It was all working just fine before this update.

Seems to be a disk space issue affecting the whole forum ...

https://www.fiatforum.com/500-classic/474427-not-able-load-pictures.html?474427

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Here's a guide for taking screenshots if you're using Windows 10:

https://www.howtogeek.com/226280/how-to-take-screenshots-in-windows-10/

And here's one for Vista, Windows 7 and Mac OS X:

https://lifehacker.com/how-to-take-a-screenshot-or-picture-of-whats-on-your-co-5825771



Seems to be a disk space issue affecting the whole forum ...

https://www.fiatforum.com/500-classic/474427-not-able-load-pictures.html?474427

Thanks Pickwick - what a truly wonderful place this forum is! - I'm on windows 10 so it'll do me nicely.

Great also to know that, after my recent suspected hacking experience, it's not just me having problems with pictures.

Thanks again - Jock.

 

[isthisagoodidea]

You make a some good points Jock... I have got into the habit of just deleting anything in my inbox that I don't recognise ...I just trawl through now and again without opening anything ,and any names , email addresses ,or subjects that are not from a known person I just bin them....if it's someone I know who maybe has a new profile that I don't know ...they will ring me or text me ....There is someone in the USA who has the same name as me and I sometimes get stuff for him now and again ,I think people put his name and then guess the rest ..