: Minnesota Discussion : 5 million Gmail accounts leaked

2136184 41 Reviews 1205 reads

posted 12 years ago

1 / 6

For those of you who insist on gmail, more bad news.
The attached link to an article also offers a site that allows you to verify if your email name is leaked.

A better idea is
open a new account on one of the other accounts discussed on this board.
change your ads and profiles
as the correspondence dies out on gmail, CANCEL that account (do not simply stop using it)

minnesotajohn 533 Reviews 531 reads

posted 12 years ago

2 / 6

That's good information, thanks for posting -e-

END OF MESSAGE

GaviaImmer 811 reads

posted 12 years ago

3 / 6

Let us go over this again.

There was no security breach of Google infrastructure! Many of these emails were stolen through years of phishing and hacking directly of individual accounts. Google has farther stated that many of the accounts are old and closed (suspended) or passwords have since been changed. There is a big difference between a security breach and a leak. Before paranoia spreads, everyone needs to understand the difference.

Now about this website that you can input your email or partial email to see if it was leaked. How stupid can people get?

Why would anyone input their email into a website they have never heard about, that was only registered and created two (I repeat two) days ago using a French registrar (not a problem) by some guy with a Russian name (big red flag). This website is also collecting donations through PayPal.

How stupid can people get, the "news" media included to link to that website?

Did it occur to anyone that:

1. Putting your email into that website is a good way for them to quickly collect a huge database of new active email accounts that can be used for phishing and hacking attempts. The database can be also sold on the black market to criminal enterprises. Databases of recent, current and active accounts are much more valuable on the black market.

2. It can be used to identify active accounts within their current database for them to sell on the black market or for phishing and hacking attempts.

3. After all the security breaches we have had at Target, Home Depot and other stores, these guys might already have your credit card, name and address. Now if they can match an email, they are one step closer to taking over your identity.

4. If you use their PayPal link to donate. PayPal might forward your name, address, email and phone number to them. Think about the damage that can be done once these guys have all that personal info of yours.

I am laughing my ass off at everyone who rushed to enter their email addresses into that website to see if they have been leaked. Five thousand people just shared a link to that website on Facebook. Seriously? I think that is NUTS!

The same with the K A thread requesting an email for the "real story" below. She has entered a space reserved for BSC behavior after a thread, now on page two and some of her threads this past summer that linked to research and surveys which implied she was entitled to a higher rate that the market will not support.

Why would anyone just enter their email into a website without thinking? Did anyone think she was using that website to collect a database of emails to solicit clients considering her business now belongs in the damaged goods category? Did anyone consider she could use those emails collected to match to handles that responded in the page two thread and harass guys, blacklist, blackmail or even out guys to their families and employers?

We are humans, not animals and were born with a brain. Don't be afraid to use it. Don't follow or listen to anyone blindly just because they say so like a sheep would.

vorlon 119 Reviews 645 reads

posted 12 years ago

4 / 6

Agreed

I wouldn't be surprised if the truth behind all this is an attempt to collect newer, valid email addresses. You should no more enter your email into that website than click on an attachment or link from a piece of spam email.

2136184 41 Reviews 633 reads

posted 12 years ago

5 / 6

Agreed.,,

I did not suggest using that account to enter your name.
I suggested not using gmail and steps to roll over.
I did not say there was a security breach at google.(There is an additional leak of google account data with the publication of this list.)

The fact that some of the accounts are old is irrelevant (many addresses on this board have remained the same for years.
The fact that some of the accounts are closed is irrelevant (others are open).

I did say that we have many better alternatives to gmail.
The only action I suggested was switching to one of those other services.

Get a fan with a water spritzer--you will feel more comfortable

TalonTed 92 Reviews 710 reads

posted 12 years ago

6 / 6

Re: Let us go over this again.

My thoughts were pretty similar, but I just don't feel like typing all this crap down. There are a lot of stupid people and if this is another way to collect email then so be it. Not that I can prove it, but it's very possible.

Posted By: GaviaImmer

There was no security breach of Google infrastructure! Many of these emails were stolen through years of phishing and hacking directly of individual accounts. Google has farther stated that many of the accounts are old and closed (suspended) or passwords have since been changed. There is a big difference between a security breach and a leak. Before paranoia spreads, everyone needs to understand the difference.

Now about this website that you can input your email or partial email to see if it was leaked. How stupid can people get?

Why would anyone input their email into a website they have never heard about, that was only registered and created two (I repeat two) days ago using a French registrar (not a problem) by some guy with a Russian name (big red flag). This website is also collecting donations through PayPal.

How stupid can people get, the "news" media included to link to that website?

Did it occur to anyone that:

1. Putting your email into that website is a good way for them to quickly collect a huge database of new active email accounts that can be used for phishing and hacking attempts. The database can be also sold on the black market to criminal enterprises. Databases of recent, current and active accounts are much more valuable on the black market.

2. It can be used to identify active accounts within their current database for them to sell on the black market or for phishing and hacking attempts.

3. After all the security breaches we have had at Target, Home Depot and other stores, these guys might already have your credit card, name and address. Now if they can match an email, they are one step closer to taking over your identity.

4. If you use their PayPal link to donate. PayPal might forward your name, address, email and phone number to them. Think about the damage that can be done once these guys have all that personal info of yours.

I am laughing my ass off at everyone who rushed to enter their email addresses into that website to see if they have been leaked. Five thousand people just shared a link to that website on Facebook. Seriously? I think that is NUTS!

The same with the K A thread requesting an email for the "real story" below. She has entered a space reserved for BSC behavior after a thread, now on page two and some of her threads this past summer that linked to research and surveys which implied she was entitled to a higher rate that the market will not support.

Why would anyone just enter their email into a website without thinking? Did anyone think she was using that website to collect a database of emails to solicit clients considering her business now belongs in the damaged goods category? Did anyone consider she could use those emails collected to match to handles that responded in the page two thread and harass guys, blacklist, blackmail or even out guys to their families and employers?

We are humans, not animals and were born with a brain. Don't be afraid to use it. Don't follow or listen to anyone blindly just because they say so like a sheep would.