Account hijacked!!! - I'm so careful - how did it happen!

headcovers

I got home from work today and found 46 emails from Ebay giving details of handbags that I supposedly listed on buy it now, which needless to say I didn't!

I also had emails from ebay that said that my account had been suspended for listing dodgy items and thank God they did because the listings were unauthorized - if they hadn't I could have been in all kinds of trouble.

Now - I know what you are all saying, the silly moo responded to a spoof email and typed in her password, but honestly I didn't. I am really careful about that sort of thing. I am an IT professional and I run PC's and servers at work and I am fully clued up on what to look out for.

I have run spyware regularly on my computer and it is clean. I have full virus protection and I am firewalled.

What the hell happened - how did some rotter get my password. I am really stumped. Does anyone have any ideas?

fsdss

i read something similar yesterday i think this may have your answer

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=149235&command=displayContent&sourceNode=149218&contentPK=15711217&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch

headcovers

Thank you for taking the time to respond, but as I said above I have not responded to any spoof ebay advert emails as the woman in that article did, so I do not think that this is the same situation.

Browntoa

could be something on the PC

run through steps 1 to 4 of this thread

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=133269

to check that there are no nasties lurking

soolin

The only other thing is do you have a password that could have been compromised in any way?

A colleague on a sci fi list I read got hacked by another user who was cyber stalking her...they must have taken months to work out that she used sci fi related passwords on all her accounts, so just ran a programme based on the password criteria they gueesed she used, and Bob was their Uncle.

Also be aware that if someone can hack your ebay, then none of your online transactions are safe, so change your passwords on everything you've ever done online.

Even on the most extreme unmoderated boards there has been no suggestion that ebay have themselves ever been truly hacked, unlike a few of the big UK banks which do admit to having been hacked, or compromised their customer safety at some point.

Soo

Cat72

Maybe have a good look at other things you use the computer for to check if the security has been comprimised in any other way. I saw a programme the other day about how easy it is to hack wireless networks with the right software, the man on it had bought stuff from ebay & holidays and they hacked into his computer and told him his passwords & all the details. The man had spent a lot on internet security against wireless hijacking.
If it is only ebay that has been affected that It could have been someone has guessed your password. I have a different registered email address from the ebay one so get less attempts from spammers .
I hope you get it sorted it makes you sick sometimes the con merchants trawling ebay trying to hijack accounts.

Sooler

headcovers wrote:

I got home from work today and found 46 emails from Ebay giving details of handbags that I supposedly listed on buy it now, which needless to say I didn't!

I also had emails from ebay that said that my account had been suspended for listing dodgy items

Are you sure that these emails are not spoofs?

headcovers

Sooler wrote:

Are you sure that these emails are not spoofs?

No they're real enough. They were accompanied by the emails from ebay stating that I had been suspended for listing unauthorized items. The listings were confirmed by my ebay account as well.

I emailed Ebay for assistance yesterday and have yet to hear anything from them.

I have also changed all my banking passwords as well as I am sick with worry that somehow my other passwords might have been compromised as well.

headcovers

Hi guys - I need some more help if you don't mind.

Ebay, as I stated earlier, fortunately suspended my account, not because of the hijack, but because they thought that I was listing authorized items.

Whilst this helped me incurring any further problems, it has prevented me from changing my password to keep the little tinker from doing it again. I am only on a 7 day suspension and my account is likely to be up again on Wednesday and open to abuse again.

Ebay have not responded to my contacts despite the fact that it has been 3 days now and they promise to respond within 48 hours. I am really worried that they will reinstate my account at a time when I am away from my computer and that the account will be taken over again.

What can I do? Will Ebay ever get back to me?

frivolous_fay

Have you tried live help? You'd be better off head-butting a wall than emailing ebay.

headcovers

Sorry for my ignorance. I am only an occasional user, where is the live help to be found? I have checked the help pages, but I can't find it.

Edit: it's Ok, I've found it - thanks