IMPORTANT! Have you received an email to your forum username?

MrRedundant

Its convenient how they have the time to keep merging e-mails into this thread but not too put up anything on the main site about this or offer any reassurance at all.

I personally think they know fine how its happened and when and are just simply back covering as if they say anything they may be bound by it when the ICO come calling along with any other legal action for neglience.

meltonchar

I got one too, however, had the nouse to realise that Martin and his team wouldn't email out tools! They'd advertise it on their home page. Therefore marked it as phishing scam and delete it. Thankfully side stepping yet another crappy virus.

Will these idiots never stop!

Thanks for picking up on this though MSE team, I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of it.

cmw1212

I got the dodgy one to a different email address from the one I get the money tips to.

SugarSpun

Violetta wrote: »

I don't mean to come over all "conspiracy theorist" but it seemed a bit odd that this happened just over 24hrs after this was posted Please look after your privacy now that does seem more connected with forumites publishing personal info, so maybe I'm adding 1+1 & getting 6.

That's a separate incident Violetta, related to information that MSE users linked to that was on FB that was then posted by a third party on MSE directly. I doubt the person responsible is able to hack MSE and harvest email addresses.

Edit: No, powerRIP, of course I wouldn't be happy with that. What I originally said was in response to a comment about people overreacting. I think it's natural to respond the way people have given the security breach, and it must be worse for people who don't understand the technical side of things. That's all

DrPaul

Rossy. wrote: »

Have a word please.

You didn't get the job.. woopy doo. Your post sounds pretty much in anger.

Secondly i highly doubt MSE would sell details. I mean get real. This website has helped thousands if not millions obtain information to correct their life styles etc. Do you really think a highly acclaimed person like Martin would allow this?

Nasa gets hacked. Is that an inside job too?

Companies and servers get hacked all the time. It doesn't mean its an inside job.

Lastly this is an email address only people. How many people use Yahoo and have spam recieved every day? It's hacked nothing more. Email addresses are free so change it. No point grumbling about it

Most of you are going on like you are about to corrupted by fraud over a blinking Email.

Fair comment, I shouldn't have mentioned the gripe about the job application.

BUT this is a major data protection security breach as it is evident that MSE's data has been compromised.

I personally do not believe that MSE sold the data, it is simply that the only options here are that they were hacked or an insider (could just be a temporary worker who had access to the system) passed on the information.

In either case they could be construed as being legally liable for not protecting our personal data - just like about every government department you could mention!

As I said, I take steps to protect myself as I have the luxury of my own domain(s) and an infinite range of email addresses I can use. However I feel very sorry for any users who have used their one and only email address to subscribe to MSE and now find that address compromised. Sure you can set up a new address with the likes of Gmail, but then you've got to tell all your family, friends whatever and what about all the other mailing lists you may have joined with the original address?

So, sorry, but there IS a point in grumbling about this! I've had an email address of some sort since the late 80's and get hundreds of spams a day hitting some of these addresses. Comes with the territory and I accept it, but that doesn't diminish the seriousness of the data breach that has happened here. "Companies get hacked all the time"? It shouldn't happen!

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

Violetta wrote: »

I don't mean to come over all "conspiracy theorist" but it seemed a bit odd that this happened just over 24hrs after this was posted Please look after your privacy now that does seem more connected with forumites publishing personal info, so maybe I'm adding 1+1 & getting 6.

Nah i think thats just coincidental - i believe that was triggered by another incident, not a system security breach as such, more by one idiot causing a bit of agro on threads which spiralled out of control. Can't say anymore than that though!

But had i not known otherwise my 1+1 would have equalled 6 too.

tigermum

I too have received this email but I wasn't aware of the previous breach. Not everyone logs into the site on a regular basis, it was only by chance that I did today and saw the warning. Had I not done so I could quite easily have opened the email. Is there no other way that people can be notified of such occurrences?

23n1th

Mr_Oink wrote: »

Just wondering how much money Martin Lewis made selling off our email addresses? I don't tend to buy that 'we were hacked b/s'. The coming months -v- what lands in the inbox from these 'lost' email addresses will tell.

I am, of course, hoping Martin Lewis has registered with the ISO for data protection and this breach has been reported?

This is exactly the point, my email address is now compromised, if the spam starts to pile up I now need to get a new one and move all my contacts over. I take great care to keep my email addresses off the radar, thanks MSE for letting them know it exists!:mad:

PhylPho wrote: »

You posted on here your belief that hackers aren't involved and that Martin Lewis has done it all himself to make a quick personal profit.

I posted that such a conclusion was music to the ears of any hacker.

In response, you have now posted a recital of prospective woes and putative penalties worthy of a drama queen.

Both posts would suggest that you have so many issues with that 'orrible thief Martin Lewis and his website that you'd feel a lot better quitting this place now and erasing any ID/password/email addy details relating to it.

I think maybe you're missing the point, who cares what any supposed hacker likes or doesn't. The point is that Mr Lewis and team have a responsibility to look after our private data which they haven't done.

Also no one knows whether it was a hacker or the info being sold. Some people have had more than their email compromised, like their identity if they have their real name and DOB in any way attached to their account.

worldtraveller wrote: »

Did you read the OP?

"We're sorry for any problems this may have caused you. The e-mail did not come from and has nothing to do with Moneyexpert or defaqto, their names have been used to try and trick recipients into clicking the link.

We are still investigating how the e-mails were sent to so many of our users but we've found no obvious breach at this stage. We'll let you know more as it comes to light but it's possible that the e-mail addresses were harvested during a breach that happened last year...."

I'm sure that further information will be forthcoming from the MSE management later, when they have more definitive details.

Also, these matters never tend to be as simple as to be able to make general apologies, since there may also be legal implications involved.

I read it and thats not an apology.

Also MSE Team how about a proper warning instead of just directing people to this overly long thread!

basketcase

Another one who received the Email, addressing me by my MSE Username

Fortunately I knew not to click any links! :eek:

meher

Rossy. wrote: »

If you feel violated then thats your problem

This is ostrich philosophy and no one has to settle for a problem that's not their making because there's an element of trust when you key in your details to register and it has to be upheld as practicable as possible and done everything to make sure there is security; likewise ours to report for them to look into. We're directed to this page by webby and invited to post here and that's why we post our experience and concerns.