Jump to content

Menu

Feeling violated-- think I've been hacked...


Jann in TX
 Share

Recommended Posts

DH and I work from home and we have boatloads of (internet) security in place-- but something very weird just happened and I'm trying not to freak out!

 

I was just texting my hairdresser (too many silver highlights that need to go!) and I left my phone messaging app open because she usually replies very quickly.

 

I left the room and returned just a few (maybe 5) minutes later--- and there was a message in the text being typed in BY ME!  but no one was touching my phone!

 

The message was very long-- The first sentence said "you are a w#ore' (spelled without the hashtag but no h) and the second said you have a dog named Tosha.  I DO Have a dog named Tasha.  That is when I got creeped out.

 

I did not what the hacker to send this to my pregnant hairdresser (to freak her out too) so I immediately deleted (back spaced) it before it could be sent.  I'm kicking myself for not showing it to DH first.

 

The rest of the message was pretty garbled--but parts made sense enough to NOT be random.

 

DH said they were probably hacked and that and someone was listening in (YUCK!)...(or maybe they wanted to learn Algebra...)

 

So far nothing else is out of order-- but still YUCK!

 

Now we get the fun of changing our security info on all of our internet devices.  GRRRR

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

DH votes that the cat did it (our cat does have super powers doesn't yours?) -- but he will still rework our security just to be safe.

 

Feels almost as bad as someone stealing credit card number and running up a tab.

 

Lucky for us DH is a tech guy.

 

 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jann, that's alarming. Is it possibly someone you know? Or did someone pick up personal info (like your dog's name) via other texts?

 

How does something like this happen. Is it random, or targeted?

 

Mind boggling. I would be really creeped out. Sorry you have to deal with this.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DH votes that the cat did it (our cat does have super powers doesn't yours?) -- but he will still rework our security just to be safe.

 

Feels almost as bad as someone stealing credit card number and running up a tab.

 

Lucky for us DH is a tech guy.

That actually makes sense.  If the cat was pawing at the keyboard and the auto correct has custom words in it like your dogs name, then it could change the random letters to what looks like common words.  

 

I vote cat too!  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is bizarre.  I'm fairly tech savvy, but I've never heard of that happening to someone before.  I mean, there are viruses that send texts, but seeing it typing itself out in front of me would freak me out.

 

However, the virus was probably texting your friends in order to send the virus to them, so you might want to check your sent texts for other mystery texts, as well as alert your contact list to delete any weird texts they get from you because your phone might have a virus.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

were you using fb messenger and DH was at the computer? Any way your DH was playing a prank on you? Because, if using a 3rd party app, like messenger or google chat, etc. If someone can log in on another device, they can also type and see your current message being typed..

 

DH has messed with me plenty of times when messaging friends doing that very thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Something similar has happened to me several times. I figured out that it was that my device was picking up what someone else was typing on a Bluetooth keyboard. It has happened when the other keyboard is in a complete other room with the door closed and it sometimes happens when the keyboard is in the drawer and someone puts something else away on top of it. Kind of like "butt-dialing" but it's drawer texting. :) 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Except I'm pretty sure neither her dh, her dc, nor her cat would call her a w#ore.  ;)

 

Wait, maybe the disappearing mom and daughter from shinyhappypeople's thread have something to do with it?

 

Let's see how this could work: Disappearing mom's phone got hacked with a virus, she had to take it to the police (which is why she couldn't call about the playdate), and the hacker figured out a way "jump" the virus and land into Jann in TX's cell phone.

 

Seems likely to me!  :lol:

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dunno. I'm sure there's a rational explanation but my first thought would have been, "Poltergeist!!"

 

OOOH  Poltergeist-- that would be cool but only if Sam and Dean could come and rid me of it!

 

DH seems to think that it must be voice to text-- but the 'grey area with the wave' was NOT showing as the text was being input... (I have an Iphone).

 

DH did change around our security and he thinks it was just a fluke (or at least he HOPES it was!) but wanted to err on the safe side.

 

Hopefully it was an isolate incident or one that cannot be repeated.

 

When I left the phone on the kitchen bar only the dogs and the cat were in that area-- I refused my cat extra cat treats today so he had been glaring at me....

 

Honestly, though I'm still a bit spooked.  If this had happended tomorrow then I would have thought it a prank.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My techie vote goes for (in most likely order) Bluetooth hack if you left blue tooth turned on. IMessage hack if you have an iPhone (they get your Apple ID and can send texts as you and you see the text just appear on your screen). Or a different message app hack that works similar to the iPhone one (don't know which text app you use)

 

Change your passwords, unpair all your blue tooth. Do a hard power reset of the phone. Check into something like Kapersky for mobile devices in case you picked up a virus.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Someone can remote onto your computer and basically control it. IT guys do this all of the time. I don't know if it would allow them to text, but to be sure you should change all of your passwords while on another device.

 

 

THIS.    I do not permit anyone to login remotely to my computers.   On our Windows 7 boxes we have IObits "Advanced SystemCare Ultimate 8" installed. I have almost everything in it activated.   Anything that can connect wirelessly (WiFi, BlueTooth, etc.) is also suspect.  

 

We have 2 kittens and one of them is crawling around my laptop as I type this, but if he typed real words, I would wake up my wife and my DD...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's my explanation as to what is happening.

 

(1) You are using iMessage on your apple device, connected to your Apple ID.

(2) Some time in the past, you either sold or gave away (or had stolen) a different device (phone, iPad, computer) that was ALSO connected to the same apple ID, and you forgot to/didn't sign out before selling it/having it stolen.

 

iMessage works by sending messages to all devices associated with your Apple ID.  The other person typed that message on THEIR phone/ipad/whatever, and it showed up on yours.

 

Here's how to solve it.

 

(1) Go to http://appleid.apple.com

(2) Select "manage your Apple ID".

(3) Sign in.

(4) Go to the "password and security" tab.

 

You want to start setting up "two-step verification".  This will prevent anyone who doesn't have your iPhone from logging in on your iCloud account - when you sign in with your password, Apple will send a numeric code to your phone, and then you type that numeric code back in.  In practice this is a little less convenient, but the extra security is essential for everyone, in my opinion.

 

This page is also helpful.  You might want to look at the "Find my iPhone" page to see if there are devices associated with your account that you don't recognize - and remove them, if so.  https://support.apple.com/kb/PH2702?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

 

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...