Beware of E.mail hackers

[Mups]

Poor old Bill Bailey has just been robbed.   I like him.  He does a lot for animals. 
 (However, that is by-the-by).

I have just read that cyber criminals hacked his email account, then conned his Accountant into sending them money. 

Apparently the scammers  emailed his accountant and asked them to transfer money to another  account saying that he was buying a property in Turkey  -  so they did.   But it was transferred to the hackers account instead,  not Bill's.

He says he cannot believe his accountant fell for the scam.
No doubt he will be changing his Accountant's very soon!   
Aren't they absolute swines, these hackers.

[Scrumpy]

I think the Accountant sounds a bit 'Iffy'...

[Alex]

I can't imagine any Accountant transferring sums of money to an unknown account (presumably he had Bill's account details) without confirming with the client.

[klondike]

He had been fooled into thinking he'd had instructions from the client. The mistake was in considering email to be a secure means of communication. No decent accountant would have done that imo so we have incompetent or dishonest. Either way Bill should be able to sue and their insurance should be footing the bill.

[dextrous63]

Fear not, for all Mr Bailey has to do now is to take £10k in used notes to Barcelona airport to pay a man wearing a white rose and a Panama hat for the admin fee to have his money returned to him.

[Mups]

Apparently the email accounts of some other 'Celebrities' have hacked, too.


Strangely though,   for roughly the last couple of years some hateful git, or gits,  have been emailing me,  and  pretending to be a friend of mine.
If I block these menaces,  they still return under a different address,  like scammers do with blocked phone numbers too.

It's always the same type of thing.  They always write and tell me to open some photos, pretending they are of old friends .

I would never, ever open their attachments,  but it does worry me because I don't know where they got my email address from.   Have they got into my 'Contacts'   - or have they got into my friend's  'Contacts'  and that is where they found my email address?

After a few attempts to scam me, they bugger off.  Then every few months it starts all over again for a while.

It does worry me.

[dextrous63]

Mups, don't worry about it.  It happens to most people.  Occasionally they catch someone off their guard and that's how they make their despicable living.

You're way too savvy to get caught for a fair old while yet.  And by the time you do start to lose it (like Scrumps🤣🤣🤣🤣), hopefully technology will have found a way to protect you.

[Mups]

Thank you for that, Dex  -  even though Scrumpy will probably give you thick ear. 

I don't like having to be constantly on guard though.   If its not emails, its phone calls, texts, and occasionally even the front door.    It could take only one second of being pre-occupied, or too  trusting,  to end up in dire trouble.    

I hate all these  schemeing, ruthless, nasty people.

[Scrumpy]

Mups, don't worry about it.  It happens to most people.  Occasionally they catch someone off their guard and that's how they make their despicable living.

You're way too savvy to get caught for a fair old while yet.  And by the time you do start to lose it (like Scrumps🤣🤣🤣🤣), hopefully technology will have found a way to protect you.

Mups.. I never answer the phone unless I know who's calling..
I never open an email unless It's someone I know..
If I cock up and pick the phone up I never answer the caller.. I just put the phone down immediately..
My mobile will tell me if it's suspected Spam..
Don't give your bank details to anyone unless you are absolutely sure.. If in doubt ..ignore..
 You will be fine sweetheart.. Don't let it worry you..

[Diasi]

I would never, ever open their attachments,  but it does worry me because I don't know where they got my email address from.

More than likely it's from a data breach at a legitimate company. I think British Airways had one a while back.

The fact that they have your email address does not mean that they've been able to access it & I assume you have dual verification.

You can check your email by entering it at Have I Been Pawned.

https://haveibeenpwned.com

[dextrous63]

The irony of you providing a link isn't to be overlooked Di.  🤭😉😬

[Mups]

More than likely it's from a data breach at a legitimate company. I think British Airways had one a while back.

The fact that they have your email address does not mean that they've been able to access it & I assume you have dual verification.

You can check your email by entering it at Have I Been Pawned.

https://haveibeenpwned.com

Thankyou Diasi.  

I have had that website in my saved info for a long time,  but  haven't checked it for several years,  but because you have reminded me, I thought I  would check now.

It seems I was 'pawned'  back in 2013, '17,  and '18,  but not in the last 6 years  - touch wood.

Trouble is,  I suppose these wretched hackers then sell our details on to all sorts of other evil gits.

[Scrumpy]

I buy online with Next and many others .. They always ask if I would like them to keep my details.. adding We Respect Your Privacy... 
 Don't believe it...