Rob Cheng
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John DodgeThe Dodge Retort: Twitter, Facebook fertile phishing grounds
By John Dodge
Phishing was not on my list of things to educate myself about until I was victim to a couple of attacks over the past month in my Twitter account. Who wants to bother with such things? Maybe you should before it happens to you.
Never sharing logins and passwords is common sense but people do it. And periodically changing important logins and passwords is not a bad idea either. Those are the basics and there's an abundance of anti-phishing advice online.
Here's what happened to me.
Somehow, a hacker appeared to get my Twitter login and password and started sending messages to my followers: "I made $426.23 online today with [web site URL here]." I'm not going to identify the web site because that's exactly what they want me to do, but as you might imagine, it's was one of those make money online nonsense sites.
CNet reported a week ago (see image) that it was not a phishing expedition because the victims were lured to a spammy make-money-online site, not sites designed to trick the unwitting into divulging log-ins and passwords. CNet also said the same thing was occurring on Facebook.
If phishing was not involved, how did they get into my account and masquerade as me? Had I my Twitter account been phished? That I don't know scares me.
Several of my followers notified me that my account had been hacked and urged me to change my password which I did. That's when the fun started.
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November 24th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
You really have to be kidding? You responded to an email about an online account and password! I have only received 1000 of those the last 2 years! Dumb as dirt!
November 24th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Phishing is some idiot replying to a scam email designed to get at his/her security and/or bank details. If you didn't do that, it's not phishing, not in any sense of the word.
It appears that Twitter's database has been hacked – how else could they get your log-in details?
Your ire needs to be directed at Twitter.
November 24th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
You're a moron. My kids know better than to fall into this trap.
November 24th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
And even after all of this you STILL invite people to join this site? Now either you are dumber then dirt and have not learned your lesson on sites like this…or you are the most moronic imbacillic person walking to want to place others on a site that you claimed was hacked!!
Remind me never to take any advice from you ever again!
November 24th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
it concerned a date site girl wanting me to enroll in another site to watch her web cam and vote her, when I wouldnt she hacked into my computer changed my passwords and id confirmation statements in yahoo and msn and my verizon account. they think its funny….
November 24th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Relax, Ron. The Facebook version of this virus looks exactly like an email sent to you by a friendly facebook user. You wind up revealing your username and password to the virus because the screen asking for that info is also exactly the same as the standard Facebook portal. Facebook has added an alert message to the possibility of phishing emails. Just don't open the message at 3 am when you're half asleep and operating on autopilot. You'll miss it. It's not your fault if you get shot because youweren't fast enough to dodge the bullet.
November 24th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
just out of curiosity,do these phishing attacks happen to mac or linux users as well as pc users?
November 24th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
How about just not log into these crapsites for manic attention seekers?
November 25th, 2009 at 12:18 am
Two days ago, I started getting replies from my Facebook friends that didn't make sense. When I logged onto to FB to see what the emails were about…my status line had been hijacked (or hacked into) and it said, "I make $172 a day working at home. Go to (name of site) to check it out." First of all, that's true…I do make MORE than $172 a day and I work at home…but I didn't post that. So I was left wondering…HOW did someone get logged into my account and post that? I responded to the few people who had commented to tell them it wasn't really me, then I removed the comment in my status line. I will change my passcode, but this really bugs me.
November 25th, 2009 at 12:33 am
wow. dodge report – you mean like drudge report? now we have the tech version of a complete ass dispensing awful info. i heard about this happening to unsuspecting attention starved fb junkies, but you get no pass as you sit in the geek ivory tower. not to mention, you provided no new info. is this issue confine3d to pc's only, for example? shame what passes for "expert" these days. fyi to all readers – i gave up pc's for anything outside of gaming some time ago. perfect trifecta: mac notebook (for all purpose), sick pc (custome made for gaming), iphone for mobility. a pc for anything else is like having a home in a warzone with the back door always open! stop fooling yourself. open source!!!
November 25th, 2009 at 1:50 am
Some of the newer versions of koobface worm can automatically post junk from you especially if you let your browsers remember your passwords etc.
My clueless buddy clicked on a link that looked to be some great movie or something & of course this led him to a mal-site which installed several malware files — all koobface related. Nasty lil worm.
November 25th, 2009 at 3:47 am
yes i have had the same problem,many times .i just delete them, don't know if they get the message or not !
November 25th, 2009 at 4:05 am
reason I will not oin twitter or facebook…My privacy means more to me than being on these sites…listening to a bunch of nonsense…No thank you, I'm happy as I am
November 25th, 2009 at 5:30 am
Anyone who comes to this site would already know better than to fall prey to scams like that. This article is a waste and gives me doubt about being here at all. There's no such thing as easy money, great investments or meeting hot babes on the web. We are smarter than that. My two cents. ~Bob~
November 25th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Holy crap, I've read most of these replies and I find it funny that people who can barely spell PC are commenting on what's a good article and whats not. First of all, there are people out there who spend so much time on twitter and fb that they probably fall for these scams or they at least check them out because the message came from a TRUSTED FRIEND. Second of all, mac vs PC vs linux is not the freakin issue morons. It's an identity hack not a hardware hack.
If you access the freakin internet from a browser, you're a target, bottom line.
Dodge, great article man. It points out that even those of us who do everything possible to protect our identity can get taken for a ride cuz sh!t happens.
November 25th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Morning John Dodge,
Just wanted to say thank you very much for posting exactly what you experienced on facebook.."which Im a full blown Facebook Addict", by the way…& we learn about these type invaders that sneak around & take control of our accounts from people such as yourself…So Mr.Dodge,Thank you again fro passing on information that was very helpful to me and many others Im sure! As to the smart mouths that responded on this page…THAT ALREADY KNOW IT ALL…ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO NO RESPECT AND NON HUMAN ABILITIES TO REPLY THEIR OPINIONS IN A SIMPLE MANNER..OTHER THAN IGNORANCE..WHICH ONLY PROVES THE TRUE MEANING OF WHAT THE TERM, "IDIOT" MEANS..AND HOW STUPID PEOPLE DONT KNOW BETTER THAN TO JUST BE STUPID!
So again Mr. Dodge, thank you for commenting here with the simple reason to help others that can use good advice..
November 25th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
If being hacked gets you down, then learn mysql, learn MD5 encryption, then learn how to go after those who mess with you, That poor sucker who tried to hack my accts. he was begging me to forgive him…. hehehehe
November 25th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
This is EXACTLY why I WON"T join Facebook, Twitter or any thing like them. You want to move ahead with technology, by my guest. You want to me contact, do it the old fashioned way (by email, phone, etc) or just leave me alone!!
November 25th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Hey….these seem to be attached to some real looking application that attaches to the facebook site. When you go to the application…maybe some quiz or something it attaches to your profile and sends all your friends some stupid message about how "they look really good in the video" or something similar…I think the malware must be foreign because the English is usually bad in the title..I have seen this about three times in the last year….
If you don't go to any applications that don't have signatures you won't get hacked
November 26th, 2009 at 3:23 am
So…….what! Doesn't anonymity mean anything anymore???
I wouldn't be caught dead, and I mean DEAD on those websites auch as (F***BOOK, UGETTUBEd,TWEEKER, WHOSESPACE), etc. Bottom line . . . if you need and want reverse anonymity so bad, join a gosh darn soroity or fraternity if you can't make friends on your own. Or, better yet, be just like me and don't have any friends at all!Then there is no trouble to be had anywhere!
November 26th, 2009 at 5:39 am
hey Dee, idiot comes from the greek term idios, meaning a private person, one who lived in their own world. this means they're IGNORANT of what's happenin in the world around them, doesn't mean they are stupid. people like you are stupid! stop using caps, makes you seem retarded and gives your statement less meaning
November 26th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
First of all, John is saying he didn't know if he "or" the website had been hacked. Didn't know if he had been hacked because he probabaly wasn't. He never said he clicked on a phishing link.
As replier Ron said, this could be a hack of tweeter's servers, where all user name and passwords are kept. The hardheads who think hardware has to do with it are short on software and are blatant purveyors of their preferred choice of computing methods as repler David mentioned.
In fact, David is right. My brother had an experience on 2faced-book whre friends were getting a video link "from him" about a great video, similiar to what replier "notclicking" is referring to. He clicked on his received video link (and yes, it even had a connection website that was pesonalized to the person it was "from")and it prompted him to download an Adobe Flashbook update. Never a good idea. Don't even have the actual program options set to auto update (uses too many resources anyway). This popup looked like the real thing. When he clicked on the upgrade it downloaded the koobface virus.
In my brother's case, he had to have his computer cleaned by his IT department and then go back to 2faced-book and change his password from a "clean computer". But prior to that, he got a popup that looked like the control panel with flashing red on drives that were "infected" with a choice to clean the infection. Well, he clicked thru, gave his cc info, and ended up with two charges to his card he disputed successfully with his bank. This "was" a phishing expedition, no doubt. Always rely on your onboard antivirus and not one you need to pay for on the spot.
So Mr. Dodge, and all you computer gurus who replied to this post, this article is for those of us who know no better. That's what you quick to criticize should realize. Don't shoot the messenger!
November 26th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
WOW, John Dodge, how the heck did you ever think it was okay to reply to spam?? You NEVER DO. ALL you do is FLAG or report, then send to spam folder, done. MY accounts have never been hacked EVER. Do you know why? The passwords, usernames are all very hard for hackers to even imagine. Unless someone mind melds me (ala SPOCK) I seriously doubt anyone will get my info like they did yours. I rarely use twitter now, its almost pointless, facebook is a much better tool.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
John, I'm truly sorry that there are so many rude, ignorant people on this site. How it's changed over the years!
November 30th, 2009 at 12:52 am
Don't apologize for the children who come on here masquerading as adults (no matter what their real age). These morons are only brave because no one can reach through their monitor and punch them in the mouth for being this nasty. Some people really get their jollies from doing this to others.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
And yet you continue to reply and re-inforce what they are saying.
November 30th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
I think its hilarious how Maro flames dee for using caps by saying they look retarded and it makes the post look "less meaning" when they themselves use caps in the replying post…..pot kettle black?
That aside, Nowhere in the original report does is mention that the author clicked on a link, he stated a link appeared not that he clicked on it
December 2nd, 2009 at 7:24 pm
All of this is well and good, but I think online etiquette should ALWAYS have first consideration in debate. Your arguments will hold a lot more water if you exercise courtesy in what you say to others. Many will use open forums to take their life's frustrations out on others. To me, its taking a coward's stance, and I will say THAT publicly if the situation presents itself. Be kind to each other folks! It'll go much further.