![]() "Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway." -- Mother Teresa On April 30th, my email account was hacked. Most of the family, friends and colleagues on my mailing list were sent a "fairly" convincing email from me asking for a favor. Some friends contacted me with a phone call, text, email or FB message to check in "to see if I was OK". I quickly realized the breach in my cyber-security. I then changed my password and contacted everyone on my mailing list to alert them of the scam email(s). This took a fair amount of time and caused me great embarrassment at the needless intrusion in so many people's lives. The icing on the cake was when a dear friend texted me pictures and receipts of (3) Google Play cards - $100 each. She sincerely thought I was on vacation (in the Bahamas as the scammers emailed her) and needed this "favor" for a niece's birthday gift. Fortunately she became suspicious when "I" (aka the scammer) emailed her to scratch the backs of the cards and send "me" the numbers to a phone that my friend traced to Texas? We are hoping that Google and VISA "do the right thing" and reverse the charge on my friend's account. She is waiting to hear back. To me, this charge should have been instantly reversed - especially as she attempted return the cards 15-minutes after purchase from a local drug store. My friend contacted her local police department and the police department where she purchased the cards. Both departments made a report and have copies of all emails exchanged. In the meantime, I am spreading the word every way I can think of for everyone to be on the look out for scammers - of all kinds - who invade emails, social media accounts, land lines, cell phones and inject uncertainty and vulnerability in those effected. It is, in fact, a virtual theft. If something seems "off", believe that your instincts are correct. Spend your time rather doing what you enjoy. My dawgs have the right idea. They are happy, industrious and honestly having a doggone ball working in the Jordan Branch Office. Although the other three songs are some of my old favorites, this "new discovery" delivers a message of warning in a clever and quirky manner. This was the ONLY part of this experience that caused me to smile (a little). ShoutOuts ☙ Here now, and looking forward to Mother's Day, 2020! on Vicki's Spin ☙ Re-Wilding by Fireside with Rolly Until next week, wishing you peace and a song in your heart, mar
20 Comments
Pamela Oglesby
5/15/2019 06:04:50 am
Dear Maria, I am so sorry to hear how much this hack upset you and others. Getting hacked is so frustrating. I think this is a message to all of us to change our passwords more often.
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Paula
5/15/2019 08:12:40 am
SHAME on nasty scammers! Hacking accounts is utterly low-life!! I'm aware this has happened to many people. I had a less serious incident twice in the past.
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Mike
5/15/2019 10:37:47 am
Hello mar - Again sorry you had to be put through this. I have always been convinced it was easier to work than try to gather money dishonestly. It says a lot about your friendship with the person that sent the money that she stopped everything to help you. Listening to the music now - Happy Wednesday.
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Verlie Burroughs
5/15/2019 12:40:03 pm
Aww Mar, that's awful! Good for your friend for trying to sort this hacker fiasco out, I hope the culprit is caught! And she gets reimbursed asap. I found your post today in my junk mail because that is where I put the fraudulent email, but looks safe now to move you back? Nice that you can ease the tension with these great tunes! Miss Fannie and Uncle Andy are adorable! Love Verlie
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Dear Maria,
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First, I am *so sorry* that happened! The frustration and time spent undoing what those turkeys did...grrr. And second, I am so paranoid about this kind of thing that at the school where I work, I'm constantly repeating the following: monitor your accounts, change your passwords regularly and use STRONG passwords, and you can use apps or your browser (i.e. keychain) to store your passwords and have it remind you to reset your passwords every few months. Oh my lord, when I see people who's computers I work on with these simple passwords, I'm always like, oh honey...we've GOT to work on this. lol.
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Kimmie
5/15/2019 08:41:25 pm
Dearest Maria
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Shauna
5/16/2019 12:52:33 pm
Mar, I'm so sorry your friend got duped. As soon as I saw that email I knew it wasn't you.
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Dearest Maria
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How awful for both you and your generous friend. Hope this gets fixed soon and that the culprits are stopped. I watched a Dateline episode the other day where the scammers were unknowingly out to get $$$ from the host of the show.
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