Photo Hack
Written by Sara TrulaA note from Aaron Schuman (shared via Facebook’s Flak Photo Network)
“Hi All, Just a warning – someone is apparently trying to infiltrate and defraud the photography community…firstly someone started posing as me (poorly), advertised a ‘PA’ job on Craigslist, and is now asking the applicants to send money via Western Union to a ‘orphanage in the Phillipines’. SCAM. Then, in the last week I received a fraudulent email (the exact same one, both times) – ‘Subject: Sad News!!!’ – first claiming to be from Amy Stein, and then Larissa Laclair, again asking for ‘help’…PLEASE BEWARE. All the best…”
I’m guessing the “Sad News” email infected Larissa through Amy.
Discussion (4 Comments)
These attacks target webmail users, gmail/yahoo/hotmail etc. Hackers can get into your account if you did not log out of your account when you used it last. My understanding is there is a URL they can construct using your username which is usually part of your email address with webmail providers. They try thousands of accounts until they find one still logged in. Shutting down your browser after using your email is not good enough, you MUST log out.
Great, I should hack into Amy Stein’s account so she asks people to donate for Sara’s haircut
I got one of the “Amy Stein” send $1,950 and save me and my entire family from a cruel and dismal foreign fate (for which i will immed pay you back) emails. I notified her, received no reply- would have been nice if she at least warned others on her blog. One would think that worthy of a post…
Larissa has been pretty proactive on twitter and the like to let people know about it. I don’t know Amy Stein well enough to know if she’s even aware of what’s happened to her acc.