Personal info stolen TWICE IN ONE WEEK

blondebear · September 1, 2007, 3:36pm

Last Saturday, I got a snail mail from my employer telling me that my personal information had been stolen.

Yesterday, I got an email from monster.com, saying my account information had been stolen.

So, a TRIPLEPIT(is that a new word?): companies with shitty data security, asshole hackers, and mouth-breathing identity thieves. Fuck ya all.

TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW · September 1, 2007, 4:17pm

I guarantee #2 is phishing. Which is how that stuff gets stolen for real.

Johnny_L.A · September 1, 2007, 4:23pm

The Trojan horse, Infostealer.Monstres initially got into Monster.com by using legitimate log-ins, probably stolen from personnel who have access to the “Monster for employers” areas of the site. Once on Monster’s servers, the Trojan horse ran amok collecting personal user data. The personal information downloaded from Monster.com includes names, e-mail addresses, home address, phone numbers and resume identification numbers.

With this stolen information, scammers can then make a credible phishing email. Not only can the phishing email provide them with critical user information, but it also also comes with 2 other pieces of malware. One is a common information-stealing Trojan horse, Banker.c, that monitors the infected PC for log-ons to online banking accounts and then transmits the data back to the hackers.

Anaamika · September 1, 2007, 5:42pm

I got that stupid e-mail from Monster.com. It really annoyed me because they kept saying how not to follow any links in e-mails, and to actually go to the website, and then they had links in the e-mail! How am I supposed to trust that that’s a legitimate e-mail? Ugh!

Tim_T-Bonham.net · September 1, 2007, 8:21pm

You are NOT supposed to trust that! Or any such email.

I get such emails all the time, supposedly from Banks (ones I have never had any accounts at) and supposedly from Ebay (here I’ve never been a seller), etc. I just assume any such email is a fraud.

Leaper · September 1, 2007, 9:03pm

OK, let me get one thing straight: I have never fallen for a phish. I have DEFINITELY never fallen for a phish involving Monster. Did the folks who did somehow allow access to MY info too, even though I didn’t participate? Some news stories implied that they did, but not even the snail mail I too got from Monster made it clear.

blondebear · September 1, 2007, 9:16pm

I had heard the story on the radio and read it about it online BEFORE I got the email from monster.com. (one of my coworkers got the email, too) I was reasonably certain it was legit.

I didn’t have to click on any link, though. After all, I had already been through the drill thanks to the screwup at AT&T earlier in the week. Besides, I’ve got my free year of Credit Watch Gold now, so I have nothing to worry about. :rolleyes: :dubious:

Patty_O_Furniture · September 1, 2007, 11:16pm

That’s good. I’m stealing that.

Canadjun · September 1, 2007, 11:31pm

I got a similar warning earlier today from monster.ca. Yes, one has to be EXTREMELY careful of such e-mails, but I firmly believe it is legit.
[ul]
[li]It does not demand that you click a link or run a program to keep your account active.[/li][li]None of the links immediately get you to a “login” page or a page requesting personal information. I have my doubts that a phisher would go to the trouble of forging at least two consecutive web pages.[/li][li]If they’re phishers they have gone to a GREAT deal of trouble with the detail of their forgeries.[/li][li]They know how to spell and use proper grammar! [/li][/ul]

I do grant that Monster did commit a MAJOR faux pas - the introduction was “Dear Valued Monster Customer” rather than “Dear Canadjun”. Although that does ring alarm bells, I think it’s a false alarm and someone at Monster just needs another smack upside the head.

pepperlandgirl · September 2, 2007, 12:22am

The monster one is legit. We didn’t get an email about it—we got a freaking letter in the actual mail from Monster detailing what information was stolen and how it was taken. The details in the letter match the details posted by Johnny L.A..