• Resources
  • Thanks!
  • About
SadInTheCity
  • Main
  • About
  • Resources
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook

My email account was hacked

By
SadintheCity
– April 25, 2011

Someone recently hacked into a hotmail account of mine, that I barely knew still existed,  and sent an email to my entire address book, which included some judges of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.  The email went something like this:

“Hi, How you doing? I made a trip to Glasgow (Scotland) unannounced some days back. Unfortunately i got mugged at gun point last night! All cash, credit card and phone were stolen. Wondering if you could loan me some money to sort out the hotel bills and also take a cab to the airport, about $1,550. I have been to the police and embassy here, but they aren’t helping issues, I have limited means of getting out of here. Get back to me with details, would def refund it to you once i get back you can count on that!”

The email then goes on to provide a Glasgow address where money should be immediately wired.

Didn’t my Scottish perpetrator see the sign?

I felt violated having an email sent out by a stranger in my name. I then felt frustrated that Microsoft’s refusal to shut down the account because I couldn’t provide them with a password or answer to the security question, both of which had been changed by the hacker already, landed me squarely in a Jospeh Heller novel. What’s worse though than knowing someone has carte blanche access to my account indefinitely, is knowing that no one sent any money to pay my hotel bills or get me home!  Not one person! For all they know, I’m still in Glasgow!

It’s not that I want my dear friends and family to fall victim to a phishing scam on my behalf.  But, if one should take place, it would be nice to know that maybe some of them did. I would feel a lot more comfortable traveling now if I knew that at least one person who received this message was so vexed with worry she had no presence of mind to think, “Wendy’s never been to Glasgow. And she never uses lower case i’s for a pronoun.” I was apparently held at gun point after all! Capital letters may not have been a priority while writing.

I thought fake Wendy was really polite too. Despite having been the victim of a violent crime she still took the time to first ask after the recipient. She even promised to pay the money back. Surely that’s got to earn her a couple of dollars?

I’m embarrassed by this poor response in front of the hacker too, who must now think I’m a total loser. He probably has spread sheets and such, keeping a tally of all funds coming in from each scheme perpetrated on an unsuspecting account owner and the Wendy column has a big, fat zero. I really want to know how much he made off of other people. Am I the only one who attracted no money to secure my safe passage from a foreign country?

Well, since none of you wired any funds to help fake Wendy sort out her bills or get to the airport, she doesn’t feel so bad now for not bringing back any Scottish souvenirs for the lot of you! Don’t even ask for shortbread.

Have any of you had a similar experience? (having had your account hacked, not having been held up in Glasgow!)

 

 

 

11 Comments

  1. Reply
    PP
    Posted April 25, 2011 at 5:10 PM

    Never mind the shortbread, did you bring back any kippers?

    • Reply
      SadintheCity
      Posted April 26, 2011 at 12:01 PM

      Nope. No shortbread, no kippers, no kilts, no haggis or any other Scottish cliche!

  2. Reply
    Maya Shapiro
    Posted April 25, 2011 at 6:08 PM

    this is hilarious! but you shouldn’t feel bad, wendy. If anyone had sent any money, you would have wondered why they weren’t suspicious about the fact that fake Wendy has a terrible writing style. There isn’t a single witty remark or funny reference in her entire paragraph!! (“you can count on that”?!!) That jerk can keep her shortbread and her dirty money, i’m just glad that real wendy is the one with the blog.

    • Reply
      SadintheCity
      Posted May 4, 2011 at 11:01 PM

      I’ve been trying so hard to think of a reply that somehow incorporates “you can count on that!” but I give up. It’s too lame.

  3. Reply
    Melissa Paul
    Posted April 25, 2011 at 8:19 PM

    Oh my goodness, I am totally lol’ing right now! I did receive the email from fake Wendy, however, I knew that Ninian Melamphy taught you much better in writing 101 🙂

    • Reply
      SadintheCity
      Posted May 4, 2011 at 11:03 PM

      That name is just as funny now as it was 10 years ago. I’m so happy you didn’t use it for your first born so it’s still available.

  4. Reply
    UncleDan
    Posted April 29, 2011 at 1:08 PM

    I’m upset I wasn’t even in your Hotmail address book. Talk about feeling rejected, ignored and unvalued. But I have the last laugh. Now you’ll never know if I would have sent you the money.

    • Reply
      SadintheCity
      Posted May 4, 2011 at 11:03 PM

      I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you would have!

  5. Reply
    Elyssa
    Posted April 30, 2011 at 8:06 AM

    Yup! I was apparently peddling penis enlargement to my friends and family last year after a hacker got into my hotmail account. Good news though, the product was not from Scotland!

  6. Reply
    SadintheCity
    Posted May 4, 2011 at 11:05 PM

    Oy, that’s terrible Elyssa! And much worse even. You work so hard already, you really shouldn’t have to peddle penis enlargements too!

  7. Reply
    here
    Posted October 1, 2013 at 5:38 PM

    Hi there, just become aware of your weblog thru Google, and located that it is truly informative. I am going to watch out for brussels. I will appreciate when you continue this in future. Lots of other folks will be benefited out of your writing. Cheers!

Leave a Reply to Elyssa Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

*

  • Are you sad? Get it off your chest here.
    • Because misery loves company.
      Vent with us!
      01 January 2011 4:56 PM | 21 Comments

      Because misery loves company.

      Read More
  • Let's stay in touch
    No junk, no spam - we just want to let you know when to come back to read something new.


    • Tags
    • Comments
    • Featured
    • Latest
    allergy ambition anxiety books carbs chocolate cold confidence depression dog eReader exercise famous fetish future happiness high school humping It's a Shore Thing Jersey Shore library light loneliness love marriage motherless daughters optimism out of shape park prozac romance seasonal self-esteem Snooki snow stigma technology travel trip Valentine's Day weight weight gain winter winter blues work
    • HaroldOmish
      I May Not Get to Be a Mother
    • Jackson
      Sometimes, I Just Want to Punch Someone in the Face
    • CharlesAbime
      I May Not Get to Be a Mother
    • BestKandy
      Sometimes, I Just Want to Punch Someone in the Face
    • BestJack
      I May Not Get to Be a Mother
    • This month for fertilty matters, I wonder if I’ve done everything right to become a mother or if I drank too much coffee. You can check out my post here: […] Am I Doing Everything Right to Become a Mother
      12 July 2016 1:48 PM | No Comments
    • I am honoured to be contributing to Fertility Matters, a national organization that empowers Canadians to help reach their reproductive health goals by providing support, awareness, information and education; and […] Writing for Fertility Matters – Smile Though You’re Infertile
      10 June 2016 1:09 PM | No Comments
    •   Honoured to share my story on pursuing other paths to parenthood with Today’s Parent! http://www.todaysparent.com/trying-to-conceive/infertility/wendys-story-taking-an-alternate-path-to-parenthood/ Wendy’s story: Taking an alternate path to parenthood Pursing Other Paths to Parenthood for Today’s Parent
      10 May 2016 5:38 PM | No Comments
    • I take my dog, Diego, for a walk over my lunch break hoping some fresh air will do me good. I’m in my new uniform: torn Joe Fresh sweatpants shoved […] Letting Go of Biological Motherhood
      28 March 2016 3:35 PM | 21 Comments
    • I am so excited to share with you that I’m expecting…. a web series! Here is the trailer for How To Buy A Baby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLqSlmok9KA My  team and I are […] I’m Expecting….A Web Series!
      03 March 2016 7:38 PM | 2 Comments
    • Check out my latest piece on xoJane: http://www.xojane.com/fun/facebook-makes-you-happier   I Posted Every Facebook Cliché For A Week to See if Engaging Would Make Me Happier on xoJane
      07 December 2015 5:25 PM | No Comments
    • Here is my latest piece on Huffington Post! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-litner/i-dont-know-how-to-make-peace-with-my-infertility_b_8525700.html I Don’t Know How to Make Peace With My Infertility on HuffPo
      13 November 2015 1:51 PM | 16 Comments
    • I begin to suspect my nieces, 12 and 9, don’t quite see me as a grown-up when I get a text from one while she is playing at the park […] I am a Grown-Up! Even if my Nieces Don’t Think So…
      27 October 2015 12:49 PM | 10 Comments
    • I am honoured to have contributed a piece to the Dialogue Project, a social mission dedicated to raising funds and awareness about mental illness. You can check out my post […] The Dialogue Project
      13 October 2015 1:12 PM | No Comments
    • So thrilled to have been published on Today’s Parent about the Ontario government’s latest announcement to fund IVF! You can check out my article, here: http://www.todaysparent.com/blogs/on-our-minds/ontarios-decision-to-fund-ivf-gives-me-the-most-important-thing-hope/   I’m the Woman Whose IVF the Government is Funding
      05 October 2015 1:25 PM | No Comments
    • This month for fertilty matters, I wonder if I’ve done everything right to become a mother or if I drank too much coffee. You can check out my post here: […] Am I Doing Everything Right to Become a Mother
      12 July 2016 1:48 PM | No Comments
    • I am honoured to be contributing to Fertility Matters, a national organization that empowers Canadians to help reach their reproductive health goals by providing support, awareness, information and education; and […] Writing for Fertility Matters – Smile Though You’re Infertile
      10 June 2016 1:09 PM | No Comments
    •   Honoured to share my story on pursuing other paths to parenthood with Today’s Parent! http://www.todaysparent.com/trying-to-conceive/infertility/wendys-story-taking-an-alternate-path-to-parenthood/ Wendy’s story: Taking an alternate path to parenthood Pursing Other Paths to Parenthood for Today’s Parent
      10 May 2016 5:38 PM | No Comments
    • I take my dog, Diego, for a walk over my lunch break hoping some fresh air will do me good. I’m in my new uniform: torn Joe Fresh sweatpants shoved […] Letting Go of Biological Motherhood
      28 March 2016 3:35 PM | 21 Comments
    • I am so excited to share with you that I’m expecting…. a web series! Here is the trailer for How To Buy A Baby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLqSlmok9KA My  team and I are […] I’m Expecting….A Web Series!
      03 March 2016 7:38 PM | 2 Comments
    • Check out my latest piece on xoJane: http://www.xojane.com/fun/facebook-makes-you-happier   I Posted Every Facebook Cliché For A Week to See if Engaging Would Make Me Happier on xoJane
      07 December 2015 5:25 PM | No Comments
    • Here is my latest piece on Huffington Post! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-litner/i-dont-know-how-to-make-peace-with-my-infertility_b_8525700.html I Don’t Know How to Make Peace With My Infertility on HuffPo
      13 November 2015 1:51 PM | 16 Comments
    • I begin to suspect my nieces, 12 and 9, don’t quite see me as a grown-up when I get a text from one while she is playing at the park […] I am a Grown-Up! Even if my Nieces Don’t Think So…
      27 October 2015 12:49 PM | 10 Comments
    • I am honoured to have contributed a piece to the Dialogue Project, a social mission dedicated to raising funds and awareness about mental illness. You can check out my post […] The Dialogue Project
      13 October 2015 1:12 PM | No Comments
    • So thrilled to have been published on Today’s Parent about the Ontario government’s latest announcement to fund IVF! You can check out my article, here: http://www.todaysparent.com/blogs/on-our-minds/ontarios-decision-to-fund-ivf-gives-me-the-most-important-thing-hope/   I’m the Woman Whose IVF the Government is Funding
      05 October 2015 1:25 PM | No Comments
  • RSS Latest news on depression
  • Archives
  • Health Blogs
    Health

About Arras WordPress Theme

Copyright SadInTheCity. All Rights Reserved.