I dunno if this is legit or not, but I recently bumped into a note from someone claiming that there’s a secret email address at Yahoo.com that lets you sneak into a backdoor and recover any account password for any account on Yahoo. The address was “[[ omitted ]] @yahoo.com” and it sounds too good to be true. Is it?
Oh yeah, it’s far too good to be true and is actually a smart, sneaky social engineering hack where what they actually are going to obtain is your account and your password, which they’ll promptly change.
Here’s a typical message from one of these phishers:
“I got my Yahoo Id hacked and I am not able to use it anymore. I called up yahoo customer care and they r asking me the answer to my secret question which I dont remember now as it was 5 or 6 years ago. I tried one of the tricks on my account just for fun..”
Seems legit, doesn’t it? I’ve also seen these from Gmail and Hotmail too, by the way, so just about any service with a password and lots of potentially naive, trusting users can be a target for these sneaky tricks.
Here are the steps recommended by the phisher:
- Log in to your own yahoo account. Note: Your account must be at least 30 days old for this to work.
- Once you have logged into your own account, compose an e-mail to:
[[ omitted ]]@yahoo.com
This is a mailing address to the Yahoo Staff. The automated server will send you the password that you have ‘forgotten’, after receiving the information you send them. - In the subject line type exactly: password retrieve.
- On the first line of your mail write the email address of the person you want to hacking.
- On the second line type in the e-mail address you are using.
- On the third line type in the password to YOUR email address (your OWN password). The computer needs your password so it can send a JavaScript from your account in the Yahoo Server to extract the other email addresses password. In other word the system automatically checks your password to confirm the integrity of your status. Remember you are sending your password to a machine not a man. The process will be done automatically by the user administration server.
There are sometimes additional steps requested, but that’s the gist of the message, and as you can see, it really boils down to send us your account name and password which is clearly not a good idea!
Let me be clear in case you’re still unsure what I’m saying here: this is a scam, there are no secret email addresses at any of these services that can recover your password, and you should never, ever email your account password to anyone, even if they assure you that they are a part of the corporation!
Follow up note: Some people have told me that they saw this article, skimmed it, saw the email address shown above, and followed the procedures without actually reading that it’s a scam. Please do not do that!! The reason I show a real address is so if people Google that address they’ll find this article that warns them about the scam, not because I am at all involved in this nefarious social engineering scheme.
my password is not working> i have a lot of my information there. please help me. my yahoo id is as
hotboy789usa
I stumbled upon this site while trying to figure out how someone in Portugal sent email from my yahoo account via yahoo mobile without knowing my password. After reading all the responses to Dave’s warnings not to fall for stupid password scams I have a response for everyone looking to crack a yahoo password – the email address listed is wrong – you should send your username and password to “IamTooStupid@EveryLevelOfExistence.com” and I’m SURE you’ll get what you need.
i read through this article now and i think u can help out. Pls help me recorver password to this email of mine falayebabatunde@yahoo.com. Thanks
zach, dude, the point of this article is that you SHOULDN’T TRUST any of these sort of email messages that claim they can recover your account access or recover your password. No-one at Yahoo is going to be answering email queries with account credentials, and if it’s not them, how is some third party going to gain access to the account database inside the corporate data center?
dude, the email address that you have to use to send it to doesnt work, wow.
hi plz recover my this email password prity.tamu@yahoo.com
hy i can not enter my yahoo mail its showing wrong yahoo id or password but i didnt chang it help to me plz -plz -plz contact-rafik.behlim@yahoo.com
Hi please help me find my password of my yahoo account ” billy_newkdis@yahoo.com ”
please recover my this E mail pasword salmo343@yahoo.com i need it please
dear plz plz plz help me
fida_da@yahoo.com
plz contact me
Kindly retrieve my password for kvvnrao1@yahoo.com
please help i forgot my password for my yahoo account …and I need it to log into some of my other programs . Please Help
my id-krniran@yahoo.com
Someone hacked my yahoo id password. Now how i can reactivate my yahoo id password.
This is my id and old password
elshamandy_2010@yahoo.com
and also change the secret questions
so please help me
hey i want the password of this email id urgently….the id is flirtyface01@yahoo.com…….
i have worked cis for 10 years after 30 years in the Marines ,, again this is BS
Gunner
are you sure that this trick works??? i’ve waited for around 20 minutes and still i havent received the message with the password.
i want my password
Dear Dave,
My web designer went and change my information in my yahoo in other to get money from me. my password no longer give assess to my email. I try to use yahoo password recovery, instead, of them asking of my security question they were asking me to provide alternative email address of which I never set. Please is there any way I can assess my email? (jawomhq@yahoo.com
i forget my password…and i cant to acces this.thanks very much
Dear Dave,
Someone hacked my yahoo id password. Now how i can reactivate my yahoo id password.
This is my id and old password
mehhhsh@yahoo.com
Old password:9262zah
LMAO!! I cant believe yall are still falling for this trick!! HE IS HACKING YOUR ACCOUNTS WHEN YOU SEND THIS EMAIL!!!!
pls let me know my old email password, tnx
jie_dano@yahoo.com
I forgot the answer to my secret question” part. Now what is my mother’s maiden name? Hmmmmmm
please let me know my email password that has been stolen.
kasmariza_kassim@yahoo.co.uk
thanks
please help me to get my yahoo password. i know only one answer among two security question. so i am unable to open my yahoo account. please help me.I have no associated mail account.my yahoo id is azree_kedah@yahoo.com
Hi Dave I ask for your help, please let me know my email password that has been stolen.
lilly_pii@yahoo.com
thanks
This is in amazing! Here is an article WARNING people about e-mail phishing scams and people think it`s a instruction in e-mail password retrieval. They actually do what the article tells you NOT TO DO! People are UNBELIEVABLE STUPID!!!
hey there, my yahoo got hacked and i cant get into it. i need help please. the yahoo id is swatibabber@yahoo.com thank you
Hi Dave. I cannot access my account. All yahoo recovery efforts have failed. I deprpately need your help by providing me the email password to this i.d: samjambra1@yahoo.com
hi need to recover my pass from yahoo i can remember the last question… i need to get inside my email so i can recover some really important information that i need for my family back in peru, please i need help asap. thank you
please help me to get my yahoo password. i know only one answer among two security question. so i am unable to open my yahoo account. please help me.I have no associated mail account
hi there, before 5 days i came to know that my sister’s yahoo account was hacked. her mail id is heenatinani@yahoo.com, and the user changed her all security information. now what can she do????? plz help me
hiii
some hacked my account…. soo plzz any one tel how to get my password back…. plzzzzzz guys help me
Hi,
My friend yahoo password is not working and he
forgot 2 secret question but first Question is know no alternet email address set it. plz help me urgent. my id is zubair.mehmood@yahoo.com
I need to know a someone’s yahoo password.
please help me.
Forgive me but…. what is a scam??? I just want to help my friend that her account was hacked! and the worst….she forgot her security questions??
hey man…m sara…my boyfriend is chatting with sum girl n he never admit dat i want to find out we have been in a relationshp since 4 years….i want to retrieve his password…plz help me…n contct me ..plz plz plz..
I forgot yahoo pw.Would you mind getting my password retrieved?
THe username is : Kayla_n_love_with_cody
I have forget my yahoo password how can I get my password please tell me. id: cyn5877@yahoo.com
Hello sir, i forget my password on my yahoo id, “ums_dangerous_2005@yahoo.co.in”, i tried to retrive my id, but i can’t, please if you have to possible for this, please send me this ids password on my mail, Thank You very much
i lost my password. can u help me. pls.
THIS IS FAKE YOU CAN BE HACK IF YOU USE THIES METHOAD
Pls how can i retrieve my password?i gat a lot of informations on it pls help me out
i lost my possword i need it
Pls how can i retrieve my password?i gat a lot of informations on it pls help me out
I have 2 yahoo ID but its my id but use another person thay will be hacked my yahoo id
rehan.ali4050@yahoo.com
decent_boy221114@yahoo.com
plz solve my problem give me back my ID
please help me to get my yahoo password. i know only one answer among two security question. so i am unable to open my yahoo account. please help me.
Sir,
i can able to access my a/c and i also forget secand secret question answer. plzz help me to require it..
hi,sir plz do you hack my old id password “somal_bajwa@yahoo.com”
i always thankful to you…
i waiting your e-mail with pasword..
i want hack yahoo password of my boyfriend plz help me