Happy Birthday Dr JohnD

[thebrookster]

@JohnD - I have posted on your Facebook "wall" a message stating that the account is hacked, and asking your Facebook friends to ignore requests to send £200 gift cards on your behalf! Hopefully this prevents anyone from falling for the scam.

[JohnD]

Thank you, Phil! 

Fb are spectacularly unhelpful for anyone in this bind, unlike BT (see above).  
Distressingly, there is evidence that I'm not rid of these excuses for humans.  They tried to attack my BT account again this morning!    They managed to change my mobile number again, but not the password.   This time, as it had been so recently attacked, BT fought them off by closing the account down (!) but again with the help of the BT Team I am back in my own emails.
It's a mad world, my masters.
John

[DeTRacted]

How did they manage to get in again to change the phone number if the password had been changed John?   It may mean they have a key-logger working on one of your devices so they can read what you are typing.  

https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/how-to-detect-keylogger-on-phone

[JohnD]

Thank you, DeTR, but I have an Android phone!  That was for iPhones.

John

[DeTRacted]

Read a little further down the page John. Android is there too. 

[RedRooster]

Ever thought about going back to carbon copy notebooks, you seem to have endless IT problems. 

[JohnD]

If I had a native bearer with a cleft stick to hold my message, who could run  to Australia and back in  a night, yes, I would!

Edited April 8 by JohnD

[JohnD]

Given the expertise here, I need to ask for more help!
Not only did the scammers hack my email account, they hacked my Facebook account too.      Fb is largely a waste of bandwidth, but I learn that it is also ending out those pathetic scamming messages, and I feel I must stop it.    Phil has placed a warning on my FB page (Thank you!) but that hasn't helped various family members who get the messages without the warning.

And  they did the same to FB as they did to BT, change my password, change the email address (to Hotmail) and change the recorded mobile number.  Thus, I can't get into FB to reset them, let alone my password.      BT have their Email Team who could get in and guide me to make those changes, but FB is less helpful.

If I tell it that my account has been compromised, it asks me to log in!  I wish I could!  Then it asks me to "Find My Account" by entering my real email address or my real mobile number, which gets the message "   You’re Temporarily Blocked. It looks like you were misusing this feature by going too fast. You’ve been temporarily blocked from using it.  If you think that this doesn't go against our Community Standards, let us know."
The last three words are a link, that sends me back to the "Find My Account" page.   &^%*&^(*^&)(*     USELESS!

And as  they tell me that my password was changed on Sunday, that was by the scammers.    As it's now Tuesday, how long is "temporarily"?     If the FB page is still sending out scamming messages that could be forever!     Elsewhere on Fb they say that if your account is disabled for some reason, they will inform you by email so that you can appeal - that email will have gone to the scammers at Hotmail!!!

Anyone know of a way to get to talk to someone at FB?

John

 

Edited April 9 by JohnD

[thebrookster]

I'm not sure what the process is John. There's been no activity for last 6 hours, although they did delete the warning message I posted. I'll stick it up again anyway, though I have replied to one gentleman who'd received the message and asked what it was about.

Fingers crossed you get it sorted, but it may well be easier to make a new account, I'm afraid. The big tech companies are notoriously bad at dealing with this kind of thing.

[thebrookster]

Have you tried following this page?

https://m.facebook.com/help/1306725409382822/#

This is the other link Facebook help section says to try:

https://m.facebook.com/hacked

 

From what I can tell, you want to find the section that allows you to roll back the email address change, and Facebook should send a mail to your original email address they have.

Edited April 9 by thebrookster
Updated info

[JohnD]

Thank you, Phil, but those are the pages I've tried before.  They lead me to the point where I'm told I'm blocked for excess use (by the scammers, of course)  b jt although it offers the "let us know" link that just circles back to the same message.

Thank you for guarding my back on my FB page!  What was FB thinking if they removed your post - unless that was the scammers!!

I've seen an FB page where one may report that a friend's FB page is being abused: Hacked and fake accounts | Facebook Help Centre
Would you see what you can do on my behalf via that route, please?
 

JOhn

[JohnD]

I should transfer this to the Today, I... bollocks thread, but yesterday going through the clean up, Norton informed me that they had a special "Safe Email" program that was available as an  addition to their firewall, so, dear readers, I bought it.     Would it install?  No.    So I battled  through the idiot robot support from Norton and mananged to speak to a human.  Who after some investigation told me that the program doesn't cover btinternet.com!     Bollocks, indeed.

If you are tempted, it only covers:

Gmail.com

Outlook.com (Hotmail, MSN, etc.)

Comcast.net

Sky.com

Virgin.net

Virginmedia.com

Cox.net

Comcast.net

Blueyonder.co.uk

So, Boo! to Norton.  They have arranged a refund, but I shall consider renewing when  my subscription comes around!

JOhn

[Nick Jones]

I’m guessing that this “safe email” is primarily an addition layer of spam and phishing protection. IIRC BT claim to have this anyway……

Not a Norton fan myself.

[JohnD]

Sideways is such a good site, with such good people!   I'd like to record in  particular Phil The Brookster, who offered in a PM to go into Facebook on my behalf and try to get my blocking removed.   He had to do so as the "friend of a deceased person or one who was severely disabled"!    Which I was, by being deprived of Facebook (Editor says:   Mmmm! Not sure about that!)    

Whatever, he has succeeded! I'm back on FB, and I hope that has stopped the hackers sending out any more of their drivel by Messenger.  I'm still fielding emails from people who have received them and replied in concern!

Thank you, Phil! Take a bow!  Applause, applause, please!
John

[Escadrille Ecosse]

[Nick Jones]

Well done Phil

 

[socalspitfireguru]

On 4/9/2024 at 10:39 AM, JohnD said:

Anyone know of a way to get to talk to someone at FB?

 

Try calling them on +1-888-713-5160

[JohnD]

2 minutes ago, socalspitfireguru said:

Try calling them on +1-888-713-5160

That's in the US!   Unless you can do so by Voice Over Internet, it could cost a bomb!

[PaulAA]

On 4/9/2024 at 1:34 PM, JohnD said:

I should transfer this to the Today, I... bollocks thread, but yesterday going through the clean up, Norton informed me that they had a special "Safe Email" program that was available as an  addition to their firewall, so, dear readers, I bought it.     Would it install?  No.    So I battled  through the idiot robot support from Norton and mananged to speak to a human.  Who after some investigation told me that the program doesn't cover btinternet.com!     Bollocks, indeed.

If you are tempted, it only covers:

Gmail.com

Outlook.com (Hotmail, MSN, etc.)

Comcast.net

Sky.com

Virgin.net

Virginmedia.com

Cox.net

Comcast.net

Blueyonder.co.uk

So, Boo! to Norton.  They have arranged a refund, but I shall consider renewing when  my subscription comes around!

JOhn

John

I too am growing tired of Norton. Their pricing is becoming ambitious (and they don't reward loyalty), the UI seems to be progressively reducing user control, the upselling for ever more bolt-ons is now tiresome (yesterday's reminder was "you have 20,400 errors - upgrade to Norton Ultimate Extreme Hardcore Bonkers to solve this"), and I'm not sure how good they are at weeding out the really bad stuff. I have nine devices covered on one subscription, but, rather than use malwarebytes for free when I feel something has gone awry, I'm assessing whether to drop Norton at next renewal and subscribe just to malwarebytes.

Paul

[JohnD]

All,

Is it me, or is rge whole world of computing out to get me?   My PC is now partially inaccessible and I'm posting from my mobile.

To explain, forgive if I state the obvious.   In Windows, the 'desktop' page shows a picture of your choice, with the thumbnails of all the programmes you have installed over that.

Then across the lower margin is a band where are, from left go right, the Windows symbol, that accesses Settings, Shut down, Restart etc, then "Type here to search"  with a string of smaller thumbnails for frequently used programmes.   Further to the right is the current weather(!) A video symbol, an internet/wireless strength symbol, the time and date, etc.etc.

NONE of these work! And those small squares only appear as narrow bars.

I would do a reset, in the hope that some minor glitch would be corrected, but the Windows button doesn't work, nor can I get to Settings.  I've tried tuning it all off and then on again, to no avail.

Nor can I consult the Task Manager, as CTRL/ALT/DEL leads only to the next choice page.   

Is there a way of starting the PC in 'Safe Mode' from the key board? 

Most grateful for any advice!

John

PS surprise, surprise, Microsoft are absolutely ##%&_#&*>^£ useless.  Worse than that.  They publish a "Support line" phone number that tells you to login into.the online advice page on the Ms website! Gŕrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Edited April 28 by JohnD

[Nick Jones]

Yes, you can halt the booting process and go into the BIOS/UEFI by holding down a key (often delete or escape, but varies by motherboard manufacturer) just as the first manufacturers splash screen flashes up.  
 

Be careful in there….. there are things you don’t want to change! However, you should be able to start windows in safe mode from there. Not sure where that gets you to though.

Some worry that this could be linked to your previous issues?

[Escadrille Ecosse]

36 minutes ago, Nick Jones said:

Yes, you can halt the booting process and go into the BIOS/UEFI by holding down a key (often delete or escape, but varies by motherboard manufacturer) just as the first manufacturers splash screen flashes up.  
 

Be careful in there….. there are things you don’t want to change! However, you should be able to start windows in safe mode from there. Not sure where that gets you to though.

Some worry that this could be linked to your previous issues?

John. These are all linked and I strongly suggest that you do a fresh install before everything gets locked out.

Look up reinstalling Windows from disc or USB stick. You can do this from another PC, laptop, etc. Doesn't have to be yours either. Windows will recognise that it is 'you' on the reinstallation.

This will solve your problems but does mean that your data will probably be lost unless you have/take a backup of your files. This may not be possible or even desirable from the existing hard drive. However what you can do is disconnect the old hard drive and do the re-install on a new drive (easy to swap, instructions on line).

THEN once you have the machine up an running you can re-connect the old drive as a secondary drive, buy a recovery tool like EaseUS data recovery to identify and recover your files from the old disc.

If you don't feel confident trying this yourself then get someone to do it for you. But the important thing is to get is fixed before you lose everything.

[Hamish]

John

you have had a night mare with this for a while now I think it’s time to bite the bullet and take it to a local specialist. 
 

there will be a little one man (person)band place who will be a wizard ( or a Craig if you will)

my dad had one in Torbay and it was simple and reliable.

forget the curry’s pc worlds of this world. 
 

are your grandkid local ? As you could ask the school head of IT for help or recommendations.  If you have a uni 3rd age they often have an IT expert or small specialist recommendation 

I think it’s time for a proper spring clean and reset of the system. 
 

shouldn’t be too much money either. 

[JohnD]

Thank you to all, especially Paul, who has helped me before, and this time, but to no avail.

Task Manager, is not available, and trying to start in Safe Mode (F8 and turnn on) doesn't work either.  I'm off to computer A&E tomorrow!

I can watch you-all on my lap top, but not post from.there as it doesn't have my PWs or from the mobile as now,  which is a pain.

Bests

John

[Escadrille Ecosse]

27 minutes ago, JohnD said:

Thank you to all, especially Paul, who has helped me before, and this time, but to no avail.

Task Manager, is not available, and trying to start in Safe Mode (F8 and turnn on) doesn't work either.  I'm off to computer A&E tomorrow!

Good. It needs a complete rinse.

27 minutes ago, JohnD said:

I can watch you-all on my lap top, but not post from.there as it doesn't have my PWs or from the mobile as now,  which is a pain.

You need to set up linked accounts. Any of the common browsers, Firefox, Edge, etc will allow password access across devices. They will also auto-generate and save strong passwords for you so you can avoid duplicating any.