topic Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked in Email

My Mum's Account has been hacked

Claptnei1 — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:08:22 GMT

Hello,

I talked to your support last night for over an hour, but the problem still exists.

My mum is over 80 and her webmail account has been taken over.

See attached transcript docx

She is locked out and being threatened by a hacker.

I am trying to help her as she is partially sighted and I live over 300 miles away.

I thought we had stopped the attack by changing the recovery details. But they now seem to be back to the hackers details, a German outlook.de address?

There is no way off changing the recovery details back to her?

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Ady-TalkTalk — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:12:48 GMT

Hi Claptnei1, first job is to run antivirus and malware scans on every internet connected device she has. Once that's completed go to webmail and make sure it's logged out. If not log out. Once that's done then you can reset the password. Do not reset the password until you've cleaned the devices or the hackers will regain access as they'll have your newly set password.

Ady

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Claptnei1 — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:16:59 GMT

Hi Ady,

She got the email on her phone not pc. As I said I am 300+ miles away and she is partially sighted.

The password rest does not work and it sends to the scammers email and phone number.

I need access to her account to secureit for her?

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Ady-TalkTalk — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:18:34 GMT

I've turned off the forwards and asked that we suspend the account until you can get the anti virus scans run. Unfortunately any mails they have already taken via the forwards are gone for good. I'll keep monitoring the mailbox in case they reset the forwards up.

Ady

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Ady-TalkTalk — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:19:38 GMT

I'll need you to PM an alternate email address and mobile number for the password reset tool.

Ady

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Claptnei1 — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:25:52 GMT

I assume you did this for my mums account? obscured for customer security

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Ady-TalkTalk — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:21:04 GMT

She must have opened a message with a trojan in it. So the antivirus and malware are critical.

Ady

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Ady-TalkTalk — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:21:34 GMT

That's the one.

Ady

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Claptnei1 — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:21:39 GMT

I cant get to her phone to run virus check either?

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Claptnei1 — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:24:01 GMT

So i basically have to trave 600 mile round trip to check her phone before we can do the recovery?

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Claptnei1 — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:26:15 GMT

How do I PM you and can I give you my deatails (email and phone number) to reset as she is eldery and partialy sighted?

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Ady-TalkTalk — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:26:45 GMT

Ok here's what I can do to fix this right now. I can get her account suspended and leave it at that until someone can do the absolutely essential anti virus and malware scans done. If we just reset the password it will be back in the hands of the hackers in moments.

Ady

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Claptnei1 — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:29:38 GMT

What do you suggest I do to run a Virus /Malware test on her Android phone please?

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Ady-TalkTalk — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:33:05 GMT

You can't do it remotely. Does she have someone local to her who can help? Any banking/email etc may be susceptible if there's a trojan, keylogger etc on the phone.

Ady

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Claptnei1 — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:35:08 GMT

There is no one there to assist her as my date is a total technophobe 😭.

Looks like I am going to have to tell her to bin the phone.

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Ady-TalkTalk — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:36:40 GMT

It won't help. They'll still have her passwords etc. She needs to get them off the phone, then change the passwords.

Ady

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Claptnei1 — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:37:42 GMT

I give up. I hate hackers and technology!

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Claptnei1 — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:38:15 GMT

Please delete her account ASAP!

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Ady-TalkTalk — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:41:33 GMT

I can't delete it and if I could I'd need her to confirm data protection info to do it. The quickest and best is to suspend it. BUT that doesn't protect any other software on her phone. They could have access to anything she might use. The phone has to be cleaned with AV and Malware cleaner and then passwords reset for anything that might have been compromised. That could include banking facebook whatsapp so and so forth.

Ady

Re: My Mum's Account has been hacked

Ady-TalkTalk — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:43:01 GMT

I should add without being there and seeing the av results its not possible to say its just mail or just TalkTalk webmail or whatever. I'm not trying to scare you, I just need you to be aware of the possibilities.

Ady