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Hacker help....

Gliderman8

Great Pumpkin
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I checked my email this morning and I found two emails from Google regarding my gmail account with the subject "account recovery".
Each email has a link so that I can re-set my password.
NO, I never initiated any password change or recovery.
The letter goes on to say: <span style="font-style: italic">If you didn't initiate the request, you don't need to take any further action and can safely disregard this email.</span>
Obviously it appears that someone is trying to change my password on my gmail account.
Here's my question: If I was fool enough to go ahead and make the password change how would that benefit the hacker, since he still would not be "notified" of the change since my gmail account is has my primary email (not gmail) as the contact info.
At this point I have done nothing... any suggestions?
 
That's always a possibility Stewart and I guess I could do an ip look-up. Not to worry, I am not clicking their link... objects in mirror are smarter than they look
grin.gif
 
Good idea Rich... Thanks.
 
gliderman8, the only way i can think of how it might benefit this person is that he wants your password for his own use, if you change yours he might be able to then use it?
 
At the bottom of your GMAIL page you should have a link that tells you when your "last account activity" was, and a link with 'details' you can click on. Click on it, and it'll tell you a short history of who has been on your account along with their location. A typical internet connection may change occasionally, even the location might change, but you'll see if a foreign IP is getting into your account (AOL is an acception, those users might see their IPs change constantly).

If someone is monitoring your gmail account that page will let you kick them out while you change your password. Check it again after the password change to make sure nobody else is there too.
 
Scott.... That's EXACTLY what I did when I first got the email. I went into my gmail account and checked the activity and IP address's. Nothing shows except my local IP adress.
Of course, I will continue to monitor it. Thanks.
 
If you follow the link it LOOKS like a legit gmail page, requests both your current password and "allows" you to change to a new one... as SOON as you post to it, that gives the 'bot access to your account and it "mines" for your contact list. Then the fun begins.

:madder: :eeek:
 
Thanks for the info doc. Of course I have no intention of clicking on any link when I did not initiate the change.
I will continue to monitor the IP activity and at some point I will change the password.
Thanks again for the help.
 
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