My account's been hijacked / Can you send my password?

Two questions, from different people:

1. plz send me my friends yahoo messenger password?

2. Hi Dave, i really hope u can help me here.. i had an account in Hotmail and some one hacked my email ID.It was really bad cause the bloody hacker had apparently forwarded all my private emails to my other contacts... its been so shattering and beyond explanations..to add to the misery my secret question has also been changes.. ive lost contact with so many of my friends as i have lost their ID's :(.. Plzzzzzz can you help me and tell me if anything can be done at all in this case ?? I would be looking forward to your email desperately.

Dave's Answer:

It never fails to surprise me how often I receive questions about hacking passwords, sneaking into other people's accounts (someone recently asked if I could help him hack into his brother-in-law's account to see if the guy was cheating on his sister, then was quite abusive when I said I couldn't assist!) and the flip side of that coin, people saying their accounts were hacked and their passwords changed.

In all cases, no-one can help. At least, no-one outside of the hosting companies, but even then, neither Hotmail nor Yahoo can really assist because they just don't have any way to confirm that the person on the phone or in email is the owner of the account.

Generally, though, it is fascinating to see how many people want to spy on others, sneak onto their accounts or cause malicious damage. If you don't already have a solid, strong password on your web-based email accounts, you really need to change them immediately. (remember, letters + digits + punctuation are good passwords. So "herefido" isn't a good password at all, but "4myDOGGY:)" is a great password).

I would also encourage anyone using a free web-based email account to ensure that the signin screen on which you enter your account and password pair are secure with SSL (that is, they're "https" not "http" addresses). If your web-based email service doesn't support secure access or login, then do not access it on any public terminal, because you just have no idea what's happening behind the scenes on the computer.

If you want lots more tips about web-based mail security, you might be very interested in the Connect Safely Wireless Security and Privacy Guide that my friend Chris Buechler and I wrote. It's also full of really useful information about wifi security and keeping those identity thieves at bay too, as you would expect. It's also really easy to follow so you won't get lost in technical jargon and baffling tips and techniques.

If you're wedded to something like Hotmail and are willing to live with the limitations and security risks, then at least create a great password, and don't share it with anyone. Even a cute hearthrob. Sharing your email password isn't "romantic", it's dumb.

Finally, you might well consider sporadically exporting your address book and saving all of your email archives onto your local PC so that if something terrible does happen you're not completely hosed. Google's Gmail system, for example, offers an "Export Contacts" feature that makes it easy to squirrel away a copy of your address book.

And yes, it is a drag to hear of people with Yahoo, Hotmail, AIM, and similar programs have their accounts apparently hijacked. It happens. Protect yourself!

These are reasons that I am a promoter of Google's Gmail program too: the fact that every page served is through a secure SSL connection is a big winner in my book!

Would you like an invitation to receive a Gmail account? Then please read this article: Get a free Gmail account

Additional reading:

• How to recover your Yahoo password
• Can people hack your Gmail account?
• Export your AOL Address Book

Categorized: Computer and Internet Basics (Article 5921, Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: aim, gmail, hotmail, passwords, yahoo
Previous: I want to write my memoirs. Where do I start?
Next: How do I get rid of AOL Search on my Taskbar?

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Comments

I can't stress how important it is to watch where you log in. I highly recommend not logging into your Yahoo or Hotmail etc from a public library or school. I took a lot of cookies home one day after school just to see... and I could have eaten a lot of yummies had I the motivation. You best watch yourselves, people! Not everyone is as unmotivated as I am.
The other imporant point is to be careful with your "security question". Even with a great password, if everyone knows your first school's mascot or your mother's maiden name, then you're "secuirty question" is actually less secure than your password. Choose your own question and answer if possible, and make sure it is something that only you know and will remember when the time comes.
For the really paranoid, there are random-password generators available. Use these and even change your password once a month or so for good security. Many large companies force their employees to use complex passwords (like Dave said) and to change the password at certain times.
Posted by: Matthew Poer at February 10, 2006 7:53 PM

please am joojo a friend promised me to sneak into my yahoo account box. yeah he has done and change my password and he is not telling me that, i want you to help me out with this and to retain back my pssword again.
my yahoo ID was exxmal@yahoo.com
PW exxmal
i think my secert ques: was what was your last school attended amd it was AKAB COMPLEX SCHOOL
my date of birth 10 JUNE 1985
Please help me out thus all i can remember.
Felix.
Posted by: duodu felix at September 23, 2006 4:18 AM

yo dave someone changed my myspace password and i dont know how to log on can you help me
Posted by: kyle at October 19, 2006 2:55 PM

dave i dont remember my password for my myspace. which is jazyjen109.. and then to log in you have to type jen69@aim.com. but i dont know my password.. my email address is jazyjen109@aol.com. but they keep sending me the wrong password cuz they person that made it for me put it under another address.. can you please try to get it for me i think it was like i love you b.. but i put that in and it doesnt work.. please help.
Posted by: jennifer at January 31, 2007 11:02 AM

i need to get my password back so i could log back on myspace
Posted by: Erik at March 2, 2007 11:15 PM

hello there. well plz can u find me the password of the address of noura1st@hotmail.com and send it on the address of noonast@hotmail.com
Posted by: noora at April 25, 2007 4:27 AM

Hi Dave! Just about a week ago I became so “fortunate�? to join the group of people that have their Yahoo accounts hacked. I’ve tried to recover my password, but oddly enough the security question doesn’t sound like the one I remember I chose when I set up the account (about 7 years ago). Maybe they changed the security question when they changed my password or maybe I just can’t remember. Either way it’s all the same, I can’t use my mail nor the messenger. And I know that the easy way out would be to make a new account but I have some emails that I really don’t want to lose. And about what you were saying that you can’t be sure if I am who I say I am, if you would and will recover my password I think I can give you enough proofs that the account is really mine. My Yahoo id is oana_mailro. Thanks.
Posted by: Oana at July 4, 2007 3:01 PM

I got an email supposedly from the Hotmail staff stating they needed a verification check. Without thinking I filled in the form and sent it.
Now my hotmail acount will not recognize my password thus no access to my email account. I have been hijacked right? My fault. Is there anyway to get a new password from Hotmail?
Oh and all my friends are getting emails saying I am stranded in Africa and send money to bail me out.
Posted by: Willard Van De Bogart at March 3, 2008 3:18 AM

Dave,
Dude I need you're help getting a gmail password. I'm sure you get this a lot. It's important to me and would really appreciate the assistance.

Jeff
Posted by: Jeff at May 26, 2008 7:15 AM

my email address and yahoo messenger password are deleted, can you find the new email address and yahoo messenger pasword?
Posted by: Hilda Badalian at July 12, 2008 1:38 PM

my email address and yahoo messenger password are deleted, can you find the new email address and yahoo messenger pasword?
Posted by: Hilda Badalian at July 12, 2008 1:40 PM

i need my password
Posted by: Dominique at August 13, 2008 10:16 PM

These comments are hilarious. Did any of you dimwits actually bother to read his post?
Posted by: Jorge at August 17, 2008 6:03 PM

how do u comfrim a password to get a facebook and my myspace unblocked from doing atractive things like getting friends and sending messages to others how can you guys help me cause my password isnt comfrimed yet and i need it to stop blocking me from getting .
Posted by: breah at November 6, 2008 2:38 PM

hi dave my accounts have been hijacked both on facebook and hotmail.can u please help me with this . if anyone can send me an email at c.rat11@yahoo.ca thanks a ton
Posted by: sirat at February 16, 2009 7:08 PM

If the username is correct and password is incorrect . I have to send a mail to the correct username stating that from this IP address someone is trying. How to get the IP address or ISP IP address . can u help how to write source code to get IP address
Posted by: ven at February 19, 2009 3:42 AM

hi dave.......please help me.....someone has highjecked my id and password....his id is "fatima_rani**". please help me....i have so many contacts in that id. Please mail me at smile100rabh@yahoo.co.in.
It will be very thankful to u.....please help me out

Posted by: saurabh at March 15, 2009 1:21 AM

hi dave.......please help me.....today someone has highjecked my id and password....his id is "fatima_rani" or "fatima_rani77" something like that. i donot remember it exactly. Please help me....i have so many contacts in that id. Please mail me at smile100rabh@yahoo.in with possible solution.
I will be very thankful to u.....please help me out.

Posted by: saurabh at March 15, 2009 1:42 AM

hello dave

my name is James and you probably heard this but my aim account has been hacked by a virus...lately I've been getting im's from ppl on my bl about photocube
I clicked the link and my password got changed so now i cant log in and I dont remember my security question but if you need proof who i am jus ask

plzz help me
Posted by: James at March 26, 2009 10:01 AM

Dear friends, i had an account in yahoo with id shahaibpki@yahoo.com. i used it till the night of 10 th may, 2009. and then it stopped working. Ihave used this id to promote my blogs through yahoo answers. and i had reached at the level 2. Now i could answer more 20 answers. Can any one suggest right?
Posted by: shahzaib at May 11, 2009 11:42 AM

send mp3 on my account

Posted by: naveen at June 24, 2009 7:31 AM

How do I export my address book from Hotmail?
Posted by: michellekuruma@Hotmail.com at June 29, 2009 6:33 PM

hi.dave..its souvik..my gmail address was souvikmondal863@gmail.com,which was hacked...but secoundary email is the same as itis.can u pls tell me the password for my gmail account...its necessary.....pls...
Posted by: souvik at November 4, 2009 1:56 AM

plaese tell me sir my password one who hijacked my password....
Posted by: bilal at November 10, 2009 6:38 AM

i want to recover my password because i was hacked
Posted by: Peggy James at December 26, 2009 4:54 AM

hi dave.......please help me.....someone has highjecked my password....my id is "bagadigiridhar1976@yahoo.co.in**". please help me....i have so many contacts in that id. Please mail me at yoursgiri_1976@hotmail.com.
It will be very thankful to u.....please help me out

Posted by: B.Giridhar at January 3, 2010 8:44 PM

i need to get my password back so i could log back on yahoo messenger can u help me pls
Posted by: Hassan at March 16, 2010 11:22 PM

my friend gmail is has been lost
Posted by: tmth at April 29, 2010 4:32 AM

i need to get his password
Posted by: tmth at April 29, 2010 4:34 AM

sm 1 hack my id and am using this id from last 10 yrs,the problem i forgot my security answers.really i am very dissoppoint after happenenig this..coz my all sweet memories is there in that account my all messages all pics,and today i lost everything ....... am empty ....even i dont have a single pic of my love ........
Posted by: sadiq khan at June 6, 2010 6:50 AM

dear dave
i hv forgotten my password plzz help mee andd send my password
Posted by: Easha Mal at June 21, 2010 6:09 PM

my id rupanci@yahoo.com does not work .plz help me out
Posted by: rupanci at August 23, 2010 7:23 PM

Dave,
Email HiJacking ... Ideas to stop it:
Somehow the hijacker has gotten the password for the email account, and now they can log in from anywhere. Once in they will do 2 things: Use the contact list to send advertising out, or take advantage of the ownners email address to fool people known by the email account owner.
Neither of which should be a reason for email account closing, and the hassel of notifications.
If the email account password is changed, and the email account is logged off **EVERYWHERE** then the next log on with the old password should be prevented. The question here is how do we log off and close the email account if the highjacker is keeping it open? Can't the email host provider perform a forced logoff at the server? They would not need a private password for this. In fact there should be a hosting providers email address that would trigger this action, similiar to the PayPal address: spoof@PayPal.com, where spoof emails can be forwarded to PayPal if received.
How is the email password that is stored on the computer captured? I understand how a "key tracker" installed could get it, but is the stored password that easily available on the home computer? If so, why can't this password be made bullet proof with encryption so even Trojans could not decipher it if found? Or should people never have the computer remember the password?
Greg Fiore
Posted by: Greg Fiore at August 25, 2010 8:05 AM

my freiends gmail id has been hacked and all information has been changed security answer , password all.
i want u to help me .
my friends gmail id is ayushigupta777@gmail.com

Posted by: yash at September 28, 2010 3:40 AM

I am pharaon zosar amin - i want you to send my password , or open my tagged site please, or send me what can i do .
Posted by: pharaon zosar at October 8, 2010 11:20 PM

My wife’s hotmail account was hijacked several days ago. If you expect Microsoft to help get your hijacked hotmail account back via their Recovery Center, you are wasting your time. My advice is to dump your hotmail account. I gave M$ everything piece of information I have that might help recover the account to no avail. I even offered to use my credit card to purchase the paid version of hotmail for MY hotmail account to prove who I am. I told them that I am an MSDN subscriber and even sent them an email from my work email address, and much more, but M$ would not help me. I bet if I was Bill Gates, I would get the account back. In summary, M$ service sucks.
Posted by: CiaoVista at October 24, 2010 11:09 AM

Please send me my password at (Shazi_12000@yahoo.com) i have been forget my secret question and password.
Posted by: stephen P Robbins at November 16, 2010 10:08 AM

can you text me that my yahoo messebger that has been hackjack to someone knows my password can you help me

Posted by: dennis at January 23, 2011 9:22 PM

thanks a lot i you return my password
Posted by: oscar layug at June 3, 2011 3:25 PM

Hi.
Just like another situation mentioned above, someone is using my hot mail acount to email my contacts to ask for money.
I really need to recover my account and i have being trying for two days with the server and they have not helped at all.
Thanks.
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I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a cup of coffee!

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