My Paypal Account Has Been Hacked - Ggggrrrrr

[thecatspjs]

Dear oh dear, I was quite bored tonight and procrastinating about listing .....  now my night just got interesting

Two failed attempts at credit card transfers this morning.

One for around $100 the other closer to $200

Lucky I keep no dosh in Paypal ever

Lucky I link Paypal to a Visa Debit Card that I use ONLY to draw from straight after I buy something

Lucky I have a bank stop on any funds being drawn from my linked bank account

I will ring Paypal in the morning and see what the go is . 

Running computer scans now.

The details appear as charge from credit card - only details are This transaction will appear on your statement as "PAYPAL *DENDYFAJARN".

[cmcoins2000]

Should have read 3 connected by wireless.

[peri-landlubber]

I have been told U need extra security protection for wireless internet.  It was when I was thinking of using wireless internet instead of my modem being plugged into the landline & that came from a bloke at Telstra.

Probably like using a public computer, U have to be very careful.

[cmcoins2000]

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@peri-landlubber wrote:

I have been told U need extra security protection for wireless internet.  It was when I was thinking of using wireless internet instead of my modem being plugged into the landline & that came from a bloke at Telstra.

Probably like using a public computer, U have to be very careful.

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Mine has the security code to be entered prior to being able to connect to that particular source.

Hope that is all that is needed - no-one else can connect to our internet without the code.

[cq_tech]

I was also a bit concerned about my wi-fi security at first, particularly when I noticed that there were at least 5 or 6 others within range of my router but then I figured it would be awfully difficult to crack a security code which is 25 characters & numerals in length. Unless somebody actually knows the code, it would be virtually impossible to hack.

[cmcoins2000]

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@cq_tech wrote:
I was also a bit concerned about my wi-fi security at first, particularly when I noticed that there were at least 5 or 6 others within range of my router but then I figured it would be awfully difficult to crack a security code which is 25 characters & numerals in length. Unless somebody actually knows the code, it would be virtually impossible to hack.

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OH Goody.

Had me a tad worried there.

Wonder though - with visitors etc who use the connection when visiting - if it should be changed occasionally.

If located in their computers - perhaps vulnerable.

Never thought of this previously.

[cq_tech]

Nobody else uses my PC so that's not an issue for me, but even if they did, the password is not easily accessible and even then it's masked with asterisks. I'd normally have been far more concerned with someone accessing the code while watching either my Smart TV or PVR, but the same thing applies there as well; the codes are masked in both devices.

I just need to make sure that the hard copy is very well hidden where nobody is likely to find it, and I most definitely need a hard copy because there's no way on earth I'm likely to remember a 25-character alphanumeric security code, especially when I have trouble remembering my own phone number half the time. 🙂

[bigbrickshop]

Cats, lucky you are vigilant with your account.

For anyone who wants to add an extra level of security you can add an SMS Security Key to your PayPal account.

Login to your PayPal Account and click on Profile

Click My Settings > Security Key

Once activated everytime you login to PayPal you need to click Send SMS and you'll receive a 6 digit code to enter to gain access to your account.

[2106greencat]

wi fi is actually one of the easiest to crack,....

Sorry, not trying to be a PIA, but the fact is that WiFi has no 'base' so to speak, it is as easy to crack as a password for a mobile phone, email account, facebook etc, all of which can be accessed from any number of 'off base' computers, hence making access so much much easier to access.

[cq_tech]

You're not being a pain at all greencat, and I understand exactly what you mean, but surely a random password cracking program would have to very lucky to hit upon the right combination of 25 different alphanumeric characters when it doesn't know how many characters are necessary, and even if it did, the odds of doing so are essentially 36 to the 25th power if using just letters and numbers, or more than 64 to the 25th power if using the extended character set.

I'm no mathematician, but the amount of different security code combinations possible is so unimaginably vast that the resulting number would be several thousand digits in length, if not more. I suppose it might eventually be done, but I imagine it could take years on a supercomputer, and I doubt it would even be possible on a home PC.

[cmcoins2000]

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@2106greencat wrote:

wi fi is actually one of the easiest to crack,....

Sorry, not trying to be a PIA, but the fact is that WiFi has no 'base' so to speak, it is as easy to crack as a password for a mobile phone, email account, facebook etc, all of which can be accessed from any number of 'off base' computers, hence making access so much much easier to access.

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Given that -  Gcat - Computer linked to modem - mine - banking etc all scans possible etc.

Computer 2 : Daughter doing Phd - totally useless at running her own life - Ma does it.

Computer 3 : OH gewtting over total knee replacement is checking his email - playing 3 something games to amuse himself.

Computer 4 : Laptop used to Skype OS friends.

Am I OK.