Comments on: Make sure you don’t use the same easy-to-break password on multiple websites; or, How I almost lost $950 http://www.chrisandkatewheeler.com/2007/09/20/how-i-almost-lost-950-dollars/ Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:36:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: valerie http://www.chrisandkatewheeler.com/2007/09/20/how-i-almost-lost-950-dollars/#comment-7888 valerie Fri, 21 Sep 2007 19:56:33 +0000 http://www.chrisandkatewheeler.com/2007/09/20/how-i-almost-lost-950-dollars/#comment-7888 Wow, that is scary! I, too, am glad that your bank and PayPal backed you up and that you're not out anything other than frustration and time! Wow! This really makes me nervous, lol, if this can happen to you, it can happen to anyone! Wow, that is scary! I, too, am glad that your bank and PayPal backed you up and that you’re not out anything other than frustration and time! Wow! This really makes me nervous, lol, if this can happen to you, it can happen to anyone!

]]> By: Lisa http://www.chrisandkatewheeler.com/2007/09/20/how-i-almost-lost-950-dollars/#comment-7880 Lisa Fri, 21 Sep 2007 04:25:36 +0000 http://www.chrisandkatewheeler.com/2007/09/20/how-i-almost-lost-950-dollars/#comment-7880 That is scary! I'm glad you didn't lose that money. That would have sucked! That is scary! I’m glad you didn’t lose that money. That would have sucked!

]]> By: Candace http://www.chrisandkatewheeler.com/2007/09/20/how-i-almost-lost-950-dollars/#comment-7878 Candace Fri, 21 Sep 2007 03:36:05 +0000 http://www.chrisandkatewheeler.com/2007/09/20/how-i-almost-lost-950-dollars/#comment-7878 This is a good reminder. Thanks. This is a good reminder. Thanks.

]]> By: Christopher http://www.chrisandkatewheeler.com/2007/09/20/how-i-almost-lost-950-dollars/#comment-7877 Christopher Fri, 21 Sep 2007 01:42:31 +0000 http://www.chrisandkatewheeler.com/2007/09/20/how-i-almost-lost-950-dollars/#comment-7877 I guess I forgot to add something to the original post... From what I read, most of these cases of unauthorized logins and transactions on PayPal are actually not the fault of PayPal. Generally I guess what happens is that these jerks hack into less secure websites and are able to steal passwords from there. Since lots of people reuse passwords for multiple sites, its highly likely that the password they steal will work at PayPal. Also, they steal email addresses and add them to a list. Then basically what they do is compile a list of email addresses, and a list of passwords, that don't necessarily match each other, and use some sort of program that tries logging in to these websites with all the different combinations of usernames and passwords, until they get a match. So, no responding to phishing emails is a good strategy, but there are other ways to steal passwords. I guess I forgot to add something to the original post…

From what I read, most of these cases of unauthorized logins and transactions on PayPal are actually not the fault of PayPal. Generally I guess what happens is that these jerks hack into less secure websites and are able to steal passwords from there. Since lots of people reuse passwords for multiple sites, its highly likely that the password they steal will work at PayPal. Also, they steal email addresses and add them to a list.

Then basically what they do is compile a list of email addresses, and a list of passwords, that don’t necessarily match each other, and use some sort of program that tries logging in to these websites with all the different combinations of usernames and passwords, until they get a match.

So, no responding to phishing emails is a good strategy, but there are other ways to steal passwords.

]]> By: Mike Laughead http://www.chrisandkatewheeler.com/2007/09/20/how-i-almost-lost-950-dollars/#comment-7876 Mike Laughead Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:05:32 +0000 http://www.chrisandkatewheeler.com/2007/09/20/how-i-almost-lost-950-dollars/#comment-7876 Holy crap! I need to go change some passwords. If I don't reply to phishers can this still happen to me? Holy crap! I need to go change some passwords.

If I don’t reply to phishers can this still happen to me?

]]> By: Becca http://www.chrisandkatewheeler.com/2007/09/20/how-i-almost-lost-950-dollars/#comment-7875 Becca Thu, 20 Sep 2007 23:48:40 +0000 http://www.chrisandkatewheeler.com/2007/09/20/how-i-almost-lost-950-dollars/#comment-7875 That must've really made your weekend suck! That and the fact that the Hawkeyes lost to the Cyclones! ;) Glad to hear you got it all straightened out! Hope the chili was good. That must’ve really made your weekend suck! That and the fact that the Hawkeyes lost to the Cyclones! ;) Glad to hear you got it all straightened out! Hope the chili was good.

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