Computer breaches

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  1. SandyMcCollum profile image62
    SandyMcCollumposted 11 years ago

    Hi there, I'm not sure if this is the right category to post in. I know there's an email address for support at HP but I cannot find it, possibly due to my anger.

    Someone has breached my computer and reset things so that I am not the administrator any longer and I can't change it back. This someone is the daughter of our roomie, who hates her mother so much that she's striking out at me in hopes of hurting her mother. She's got into my email, my banking, my articles - some of which she either erased the last half or just the second half of every sentence. I've called the police and they say there's no crime. I'm losing clients in droves.

    HP is just one place where she used my password to get in here, and she's made it so I'm following every question and conversation on here. I received over 6,000 emails in one day because she's signing me up for so much junk. She's ruining me, and she's even changed my security questions/answers, so I can't even change my password. If I answer wrong 5 times, it'll lock me out for 24 hours.

    Help?

    1. Anti-Valentine profile image75
      Anti-Valentineposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      "I've called the police and they say there's no crime."

      Unbelievable. yikes

  2. knolyourself profile image60
    knolyourselfposted 11 years ago

    "Someone has breached my computer and reset things so that I am not the administrator any longer and I can't change it back." Not sure if this is applicable.
    Start/Programs/Accessories/SystemTools/SystemRestore
    and change the computer settings back to a date before the breach. As for email get a new one. Prob will have to contact hub staff. Do not keep passwords on your computer or use Truecrypt an encryption program.

  3. paradigmsearch profile image60
    paradigmsearchposted 11 years ago

    You know who this person is. Sometimes the best alternative is you, them, and a closed room...

    1. SandyMcCollum profile image62
      SandyMcCollumposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, PR, I agree. However, it's not possible. She's a fighter and I'm a little thing. I would love to be in a closed room with her, if I had the muscle! Thanks for your reply.

      1. paradigmsearch profile image60
        paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

        Try open, honest verbal? This may actually be a one-time opportunity to solve everything...

        1. SandyMcCollum profile image62
          SandyMcCollumposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          I do appreciate your efforts, as that would be the best route. But, this woman has gone to the point I'm going to have to get an order of protection against her. If I knew I could talk to her without being hurt, I may try it, but I know better. I've known her since she was a child, and she's a bad seed from the start. Thanks for trying the most mature and sensible answer, but this woman is not mature or sensible.
          Thanks.

          1. paradigmsearch profile image60
            paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Those kinds of people do indeed exist; we have all experienced them. I guess tech solutions are what is required here. For that, I'll leave it to others. Hang in there.

            1. SandyMcCollum profile image62
              SandyMcCollumposted 11 years agoin reply to this

              Thanks, PR!

  4. jacharless profile image74
    jacharlessposted 11 years ago

    Sandy, not to sound anti but if you were hacked, how do we know it is actually you and not this girl who is out-to-get? Because the info I would give you can protect your machine else destroy it, depending on who it is behind the screen.

    Am on the fence...

    1. SandyMcCollum profile image62
      SandyMcCollumposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you, and I do understand your dilemma. I don't know how to prove I'm not her, even my pc thinks I'm not me. I hadn't thought of it from that aspect. But she's literally ruining my life and I have to find out how to stop her, some how. I can't believe it's legal to do this to someone. The police say, "Get another computer, we have real crimes to fight"....

      1. jacharless profile image74
        jacharlessposted 11 years agoin reply to this

        You have Windows or Mac?

        If Windows, do a Restore to the day before the events took place.
        Mac:
        -open System Security Preferences.
        -reset the Master Password.
        -turn ON File Vault
        -check require to wake machine
        -check disable auto login
        -then click the lockbox -lower left- to insure these preferences cannot be changed.
        -now, open Key Chain Access and lock it to prevent future changes.
        KeyChain controls Certificates, Web forms, Pages, cookies and stored passwords for Web Pages. It will ask you to enter the new password each time. If this doesn't work, i can walk you through the system files to find the plist and edit it.

        You could even go so far as to lock each element, if needs be, but then you'll have to enter your password for every finder action, web page, form, you name it.

        1. SandyMcCollum profile image62
          SandyMcCollumposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          Windows, 7 to be exact.

          1. jacharless profile image74
            jacharlessposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Okay,
            1. throw that machine out the window -no pun intended- and buy a Mac
            2. System Restore! PS, the restore will not revert any of your non-system files like documents, email/address book, music files, etc. to a previous state, so backup these items -if recently altered- prior to restoration.
            3. I know this guy name Tony Itarova. He's a nice guy, lot of friends from Italy and Russia...

        2. SandyMcCollum profile image62
          SandyMcCollumposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          I'm going to go smoke because I'm really stressed (I know, bad for me). Then, I'm coming back to do these changes.

          Thank you so so much!

      2. Anti-Valentine profile image75
        Anti-Valentineposted 11 years agoin reply to this

        I don't think you should bother will the standard police. This has to go higher up. Cyber crimes division, or FBI, or something.

        1. SandyMcCollum profile image62
          SandyMcCollumposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          Thank you, great suggestions! I hadn't thought of FBI or looking for a Cyber Crimes agency of some sort. I'm still unable to change my security questions to something I know the answers to, as well.

          1. Anti-Valentine profile image75
            Anti-Valentineposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            It certainly is not legal. It's just that cyber crimes aren't taken seriously, at least by regular police. The FBI is a different story though. Try and tip them off. They'll sort her out, perhaps. You do live in the USA, right?

        2. jacharless profile image74
          jacharlessposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          +100

  5. SandyMcCollum profile image62
    SandyMcCollumposted 11 years ago

    Thanks, I forgot about system restore!

    And, sadly, yes I do know the person. She's my roomie's daughter who's been disgruntled since she was a teenager. Thanks for the help!

    But, will system restore change my security questions on HP to what they used to be? Because, I cannot change my password here at HP, I don't know the correct answers to the security questions because they are not the one I set.

    Thanks again. smile

    1. paradigmsearch profile image60
      paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You have a choice. A 10 minute "conversation". Or days trying to make your computer issues right again. Who knows? The 10 minutes "conversation" could make all sorts of other things better as well...

  6. Aficionada profile image78
    Aficionadaposted 11 years ago

    Sandy, have you contacted your bank yet? If there's a way to do so, I would disable any internet banking until you get this sorted out.

    1. Anti-Valentine profile image75
      Anti-Valentineposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah, and perhaps cancel your cards, too. Freeze your accounts, if that's doable.

  7. Anti-Valentine profile image75
    Anti-Valentineposted 11 years ago

    Get to another system if you can and change your passwords if you're able to. I wouldn't bother doing it from this one. Don't let her get a hold of it again, or any other system in your possession. As long as she knows the passwords, she can access your accounts from any PC.

  8. Aficionada profile image78
    Aficionadaposted 11 years ago

    Also, in your first post, you asked about the e-mail for HP support.  It is team@hubpages.com.

    Unfortunately, they usually have a backlog of e-mails to answer, and so you may need to call their attention to yours by giving a subject line like "EMERGENCY; I've been hacked" or something similar.  Even that may not make the process move as fast as you would like, but you could at least try it.

    I know that they can't just give you the answers to your security questions, but maybe they could offer some hints or something that would help.

    EDIT: Sorry, I reread and saw that the perp has changed your security questions and answers.  But do contact team@ anyway and explain.  They can help figure out what steps you can take.

  9. Aficionada profile image78
    Aficionadaposted 11 years ago

    One more thing - I remembered that someone had reported a similar breach almost a year ago.  It was Dorsi, and I have been trying to find out all I could about her experience, but I haven't had much luck so far.  One encouraging word was that when she contacted HubPages, she got some help very quickly.

 
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