Many of you have already been contacted already from yourself believe it or not, that is how it looks at least, when some of these email scams come into your email. A slew of personal and business customers alike have been hard pressed when confronted with these emails. I have gotten questions like, “How did they get into my email then”? Or, “How did they get my password, it is in the email”?
Just to start off, they have not hacked your email in 99.9% of these situations. More than likely they have purchased hacked information that is years old from the black market. How did they obtain this information you ask. Well major companies like Marriott, Sony, Facebook and more have been compromised in the past and the people that gain this information sell it via the Dark Web or the “Black Market” of the internet.
So how do I protect myself, you ask. It is very simple change your passwords and block any further emails from the sender. Some emails as stated above look like they are sent directly from your own email address, well there is a part of the message you typically cannot see unless you know how to look. There is header information sent with the email that shows where it originated from, this is where you can get the email address of the person trying to fool you into giving them money.
Don’t get trapped into believing this con, take proper precautions, change your passwords and wipe your hands clean of the thoughts of your personal information getting out. If you feel that you want to be extra sure that you have not been hacked, take your machine into a local IT support center that you trust and have them look at it.
