Email telling me I'd requested a new password

Mumstheword

Hi, I had an email tonight to say I'd requested a password change, then another email with a new password.

I didn't request these.

Has anyone else had any issues?

I've now changed the pw and email to update security.

There is another user called mumstheword (all lower case)... Perhaps she tried logging in using a capital?!

wavelets

I believe there have been several hacked MSE user accounts recently.

In the circumstances you describe, I believe whoever requested the password change must have gained access to your MSE account (i.e. known your existing password)

(If someone, e.g. the person with a similar user name, was innocently/erroneously trying to access your account without logging in, I think you would have received a different email explaining how to change the password first)

Fortunately, you were informed to your email address the new password the hacker had set, so that you could still access your MSE user account.

You were correct to go in and change the password again to prevent further unauthorised access. Changing the email address associated with the user account was probably unnecessary unless you believe someone else also has gained access to that, but it's an extra level of security as the hacker would have been able to see the email address previously associated with your user account.

Can I ask, do you ever access MSE using a shared device? Maybe a computer at work, or a public library, etc?

Former_MSE_Tine

Hi Mumstheword,

The messages you describe are auto-generated by our systems if someone is trying to log in as you and tries to reset your password. It's a standard "forgotten password" protocol. It does not mean anyone has gained access to your account, but likely that someone either with a similar name or who thinks they may have registered with that username have requested a password reset.

If you are concerned please send a ticket to us at forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com with the details from the messages you received and we can look into it further.

wavelets

MSE_Tine wrote: »

Hi Mumstheword,

The messages you describe are auto-generated by our systems if someone is trying to log in as you and tries to reset your password. It's a standard "forgotten password" protocol. It does not mean anyone has gained access to your account, but likely that someone either with a similar name or who thinks they may have registered with that username have requested a password reset.

If you are concerned please send a ticket to us at [EMAIL="forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com"]forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL] with the details from the messages you received and we can look into it further.

But wouldn't whoever requested the password reset need the OP's email address for a forgotten password ??
Hence my conclusion reached in post#2

Or is there another method one can apply for a new MSE password?

Oh, the mischief people could get up to if all they need is your MSE User ID to reset your password. :eek: