Archive for August 24, 2011

Hacked

Posted: August 24, 2011 in Uncategorized

Sometime this morning I got an e-mail from ME informing me that I had been mugged in Madrid and needed money and help.

The “from” said:  Sam Barrington

The “to” said: [undisclosed recipients]

Oh crap.  I think I may have been hacked.

Sure enough, within moments, the outpouring of concern that I had either a) been hacked; or b) was actually in Madrid getting mugged started to pour in.  (Side note:  really mom.  Don’t you think if I were going to Madrid I would have told YOU?)  Calls from friends around the country – Texas, Colorado, etc.  Texts, emails.  People contacted the church, they called my parents.

In the meantime, I try to log onto my Facebook account and it tells me that I am entering in the wrong password.  I know it is the right password.  It then tells me that my password was changed at 5:32 a.m. (I wasn’t on Facebook at 5:32 a.m.).  Facebook was even able to tell me the location of the person who changed it.  They showed me a map of a place off of Kenya, Africa.  It asked if I recognized it.  NO!!  HOW COULD I?  I’M IN MADRID!!!  Oh…sorry.  I’m not in Madrid.

Some of you actually tried to respond to my e-mail.  And you got further correspondence telling you it really was me that I was in trouble, I was in a police station, I needed you to send money, etc.  Sorry.

This morning has been a mess.  I’ve called AOL.  I’ve reset passwords.  I’ve lost all of my old e-mails (so if you sent me an e-mail and awaiting a reply…I no longer have record of it) and contacts.  I’m hoping this is the end of it.

Madrid does sound nice though.