My Rogers/Yahoo Email Account HACKED yesterday....Rogers Tech NO HELP!!!!!!!

[TigerBear]

Don't know if I'm doing this right BUT....yesterday my Rogers email account was hacked....the scammers cleaned out my Contacts...about 25, my Sent file...about 35,000 over past 7 years, and my Archive...about 135 files.........Now emails are being sent out in my name asking for gift cards for sick/cancer/cover friend/niece, etc.  I've gotten phone calls from people asking if I'm alright because of the weird requests, etc.  I feel NAKED.....can't get a tech guy here.  Everyone on vacation.  I have changed the password on my account.   NO emails are being received in the Inbox, but some have gone into my Archive file.  Don't know what to do.  Called Rogers yesterday....was on hold, waiting for someone for over an hour and hung up in disgust.  How/where do I get help.

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[Pauly]

Hello TigerBear.

So were you able to change your email password successfully via self serve?

If this is correct, then the very second you changed the password, the scammers were kicked out of your email and can not send any more scam emails.

What other help do you require rogers for since you got back access to your account?

[TigerBear]

Thank you for reply.  I still am missing ALL of my Contacts (who have been receiving scam/phising emails), the 35,000 files/emails in my Sent file...and those people also have been receiving emails with my name on them, some of those emails go back to 2017;  and my Archive file..with 135 emails...is also cleared out.  Can I retrieve them.  I just put in a report to the section at Rogers that 'retrieves' lost emails, but I have to wait 8 hours.

I did change my password yesterday, but NO emails are coming into my Inbox...those that come through go to Archive.  The scammers had also set up an alternative account with my name as I have it, but rather than @rogers.com...they made it  @Gmail.com....which I guess is where any emails I am being sent are going.  My chiropractor had received the scamming emails yesterday, to his personal account and business account.  And when they emailed me confirmation of my appts. for January, that email did not get received by me....either in Inbox or  Archive.  My system/email is messed up, and at 77 there isn't hope of me being able to fix.  And not having any kind of response by Rogers when I called yesterday is VERY upsetting. 

[TigerBear]

Part 2:  changing my password did not restore all of my missing files....the scammers still have those, plus they had set up an alternative email address in order to receive all of my incoming emails.  That is not fixed...they have hundreds/thousands of people's emails on their system that they are using to scam/phis for gift cards, etc.  Is there a way to stop that?  Don't think so.  They have the emails so they can use them forever going forward, with MY name on them.  Isn't that how it works?  Perhaps I'm not understanding, more than likely.  Thanks for your kindness and patience in answering.  I am old and do the best I can to keep up.

[57]

Here are my suggestions:

1. Send an e-mail to everyone you know stating that you have been hacked, what that (hacked) e-mail address was and ask them to use your "new" e-mail address going forward.  They can then ignore or blacklist those (hacked) e-mails and e-mail address.

2. Make sure you use a strong password for your new e-mail address.  Weak passwords are one of the reasons people get hacked.

3. It's always a good idea to have a backup of anything electronic that you have of value.  Using an app like Mail or any other e-mail "client" software is always advised and in that way you will have a backup on your device, be it a phone, tablet or computer.  Then make a backup of that device to the cloud or another device or to a hard drive, and/or USB drive that you can keep outside the home in case of catastrophe like fire or theft.

4. You should never keep 35,000 e-mails in a single folder (like your sent folder). These should have been moved to several folders shortly after sending, with say less than 1000 e-mails in each folder or sub-folder.  35,000 e-mails must be very difficult to search or keep track of.

[TigerBear]

Thank you for all of your suggestions.  I am not able to email anyone on my Contact list because it is empty...taken by the scammers.  I have phoned people I had numbers for to warn them....that's the best I can do.

So changing the password  to my email account is not enough....I also need to start totally over and create a new email account?  Guess that makes sense, though that hasn't been suggested to me....only told to change the password.  And yes, a backup is definitely a good idea.  But too late now.  All has gone well for me, for over 20 years....so got lulled into a sense of security...I also have Norton 360 and Malwarebytes on my system, which didn't protect me.  And yes, 35000 is a BIG file....I didn't think it mattered.  Just didn't know any better.

So...thanks.  Very much appreciated.

P.S.  Do you know how I can go into my settings to get incoming emails to go into my Inbox rather than the Archive file?  Strange thing.  I've looked around the Setting files, but can't see where/how I can do that.  Thanks.

[57]

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@TigerBear wrote:

1. I am not able to email anyone on my Contact list because it is empty...taken by the scammers.  I have 

2. So changing the password  to my email account is not enough....I also need to start totally over and create a new email account? 

3. P.S.  Do you know how I can go into my settings to get incoming emails to go into my Inbox rather than the Archive file?  

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1. Once they e-mail you, you should be able to send a reply.  Having only one source of contact or e-mail information was unfortunately your downfall.  Backups of anything electronic are required by everyone.  I backup my phone and tablet to my computer every few months.  I backup my computer to a hard drive every week and to a USB drive that I keep off-site every few months.

2. No, that's not enough or recommended. I suggest you get yourself a new e-mail address and not one that's connected to a provider like Rogers or Bell.  Get one from Gmail or Yahoo (not Rogers/Yahoo), or get yourself a domain name, which may cost a few $/mo.

3. Sorry, can't help with that.   There may be a "Filter" that can be set up in the settings.  (Settings "gear" top right - More Settings bottom right - Filters - Add New Filters.)

[TigerBear]

THANK YOU SO MUCH.  I found the 'filter' sending emails to Archive...and deleted it.  So you DO know how to fix that one problem.  Much appreciated!!!  🙂

I will get myself a new email address...either gmail or Yahoo.....but....in the meantime I am working at changing my passwords, which are all VERY similar on about 20 sites....important ones, like CRA, etc.  I want that old password whipped (wiped?)  out with any association with me and my current email address.  Perhaps a waste of time???  I have SO many places to inform of a new email address....OR...is there some 'easy' way to do it????

[Datalink]

I don't think there is any easy way to inform your contacts of the new email address.  You're going to have to email, and in some cases call your contacts to pass on the email address.

One other suggestion is to go thru every tab in the email account, including all of the sub-tabs to look for a forwarding email address to the gmail.com account.  I'd bet that it's sitting in the settings tab, under some type of forwarding or email handling rules tab.  I haven't looked at the Rogers email account settings for a while, so I don't remember what it looks like.  

If you can't find it on the first go, go thru them again, tab by tab, or page by page.  What you can also do is use the find function in the web browser.  Go to one of the pages, and then select the browsers find function and look for the term "gmail", without the quotes.  Do that for every tab in the email site / pages.  Sooner or later, the find function should detect it and take you to the "gmail" location so that you can delete the mail forwarding rule.  That will prevent any more incoming email from forwarding to the miscreants gmail account. 

If you can manage to find the specific tab / page with the email forwarding rules, that might make the search go much faster.  

You can also report the gmail account as a hackers account.  Try using this page to report the account:

Report abuse from a Gmail account - Gmail Help (google.com)

In the Additional Information section, include the details, in general,  of your hacked Rogers email account, the email forwarding to that gmail account and the requests for money, made in your name.  Request the account and any accounts forwarded from that account be deleted, if in fact there are any follow on gmail accounts that the hacker is using.   

Just to point out, if you're running an android cell phone, you would or should have a gmail account as well.  That might be useful in the short term if you have the login details for your account on hand. 

[57]

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@Datalink wrote:

1. One other suggestion is to go thru every tab in the email account, including all of the sub-tabs to look for a forwarding email address to the gmail.com account.  I'd bet that it's sitting in the settings tab, under some type of forwarding or email handling rules tab.  I haven't looked at the Rogers email account settings for a while, so I don't remember what it looks like.  

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1. E-mail forwarding on Rogers/Yahoo to another e-mail address (like Gmail) has not been available since January 1, 2021, 3 years ago.. See the following link:

https://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/Internet/Can-t-create-App-password/m-p/506209/highlight/true#M...

Although I have not tried this myself, I have read that you can "fetch/import" your existing e-mails from Rogers/Yahoo to Gmail (using Gmail import function), however, that's no help if there's nothing left to import.

2. As @Datalink mentioned, there's no "easy" way to advise all your institutions, etc.  You need to go to each individually. You need to do this anyway to change your password on each to something secure and don't use the same password for all or several places.  You can either use a password assistant or devise an easy-to-remember method to have a different PW on each site.

[TigerBear]

"go thru every tab in the email account, including all of the sub-tabs to look for a forwarding email"

I have NO idea what 'tab' or 'sub-tabs' are or look like.  Don't know where to look, or what I'm looking for.  Quite honestly, I'm exhausted sitting in front of this darn screen trying to change 20 passwords, each one unique; still have 10 to go!  Another day I'll change my email address, except that I won't be able to change some, if they require a mobile number, since I do NOT have a cellphone.  Not everyone has a cellphone...that is a TRUE statement of fact.  And especially OLD people, like me, do not need or WANT one.  SO...I am going to leave this keyboard for awhile, and regroup.  Need dinner also.  Hate the nightmare I've been in since yesterday.  And I THANK YOU and everyone who has taken the time to answer my pathetic questions.  Oh well...I always tell people when they get impatient with this old lady.....'your day will come'....either old age or death, pick your choice.  🙂   Again thanks.  I might be back with more questions.

[TigerBear]

Thank you for the info.  I have used your link above for gmail and sent in a report.  Not sure what good it will do, but no harm in trying.  Overall, I now just don't feel safe online, no matter what email address I start using.  It's very hard to start over, after 20+ years with the same email address.  Lots of history and memories are now gone.  And at 77, I don't feel much motivation, though I did enjoy the contact with family and friends and receiving pictures, especially of pets.  Again my thanks.  Guess I can't accomplish much more.  Thank you. 

[Datalink]

@TigerBear don't abandon ship just yet.  Take this one step at a time, at your own pace.  

[Datalink]

@TigerBear please have a look at the following post which details recovering lost emails:

Re: Rogers Yahoo email: - Rogers Community

The embedded link leads to the following Yahoo page to recover lost email:

Recover lost or deleted emails | Yahoo Help - SLN2552

That leads to a Yahoo account login.  I don't know what happens after that.  It looks like you use your Rogers email address, and somewhere in the user interface after the login, there is a request to restore email that has been deleted.  Take your time and have a look to see what's possible.  If this is straightforward, you might be able to recover all of the deleted email.  

[57]

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@TigerBear wrote:

1. "go thru every tab in the email account, including all of the sub-tabs to look for a forwarding email"

I have NO idea what 'tab' or 'sub-tabs' are or look like. 

2. I won't be able to change some, if they require a mobile number, since I do NOT have a cellphone. 

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1. As I explained in my previous post, that option (forwarding) doesn't exist any more, so you don't need to look for it.

2. Most websites provide for MFA (multi-factor authentication) in various ways. For example, CRA allows for a phone call and you enter that number provided on the screen.  Most banks and institutions may ask for a mobile number, however, they usually also offer e-mail as an option. 

I have about 70 websites requiring e-mails and passwords that I use regularly and not one of them requires MFA via a cell phone - three banks, websites like Rogers, shopping websites like ebay or Amazon, hotels, insurance of various types, CRA, restaurants, 3 credit/debit cards, hospitals, doctor, library, "newspapers" online, airlines, etc. etc.  I have another 30 or so that I don't use that often, but again, none of them require MFA via a mobile.

P.S. I'll be 72 soon, so age doesn't have to be a factor and learning new things helps keep your brain active and young.

[Pauly]

A long long time ago (+20 years) when I was first with Rogers Yahoo! for my internet, my email was hacked, and all my inbox was cleaned out.  I filled in that support info on yahoos website and it took 24 to 48 hours but I eventually logged back and my folders and contacts reappeared.  so that should work for not just yahoo emails but also rogers yahoo emails

[TigerBear]

Again, sincere thanks for your replies....I have made a report to Yahoo Customer Care re lost/stolen emails, and yesterday I opened my account to find 4,800 emails in my Inbox.  They actually recovered emails from December 28, the day of the hack attack....and then sent me ALL of 2006 to 2008 emails...which were from the day I signed up with Rogers (May 2006) forward to 2008....bearing in mind that in those years, I had a different computer!  Of course, NONE of those thousands of emails were of any use or interest to me.  I would have wanted the emails from 2023.  That would have been helpful.  I put in another request for recovery of emails, but they send me back the same incident report number, so I guess they are done with me.   What I did get back was an ACTUAL email the scammer/hacker sent out, specifically the email they sent to my cousin, after she responded to their original email....so I can see me being impersonated.  Awful feeling.  With the story of the sick friend with stage 3 metastasized cancer, who had lost both her parents to covid, and I could not find/buy a gift card in my area, and could they help, and on and on.  I also go back about 200 returns from Mailer-Daemon@yahoo.com, and what is interesting about that is that inside those returned emails they seem to show the whole story of the digital footprint of where the email originated, and where it went, etc.  I don't understand any of it, but that's what I'm guessing.  Seems this hacker/scammer might be able to be traced, but to what end?    I am slowly getting back to life.  Spent yesterday going onto 20 sites and changing all of my passwords, each unique!  I also tried to open up a new Yahoo account but CANNOT because I do not have a local mobile phone number (or any cellphone number) to give them....and please don't tell me that YES, you can...using another email address....that I tried also, but they would not accept my Rogers account.  Without a cellphone, there are many things I cannot do.  Being old sucks, and I have NO intention of getting a cellphone.  Anyways........I now do not feel safe online and am basically just taking my chances, I guess.........also...went back to see what Norton 360 Standard antivirus is supposed to protect against, and they claim in BIG bold letters that they STOP HACKERS.  Well...they sure did not...so why am I paying $100/yr to renew yearly for nada??  Is Norton responsible for this hack?  Of course not.  They aren't responsible for anything.  Take your money and carry on, business as usual.   So that's the update.

[TigerBear]

Hi...yes...most sites allow for use of a phone call to authenticate when you sign in, but NOT ALL.  Also...I tried signing up for a new Yahoo account and they demanded a local mobile phone number, and if I didn't have one too bad, basically.  Then I read somewhere that I could set up an account is I clicked onto 'Myemail' at the bottom of the register form...and that demands another email....well, I give them my Rogers email, and they decline it.  It just messed up what I already had.  Too complicated for this old lady.  I donot use MFA because they all demand a MOBILE phone number, landline doesn't work because it doesn't do text.  Thanks for info.

[TigerBear]

I did go to Yahoo Customer Care and yesterday they sent me 4800 emails into my Inbox.  Lovely, except that they chose to send me 2006 to 2008 emails, and Dec 28, 2023, the day of the hack.  Sent in another request to recover emails, and got a reply with the same incident report as the first one, so nothing further will be coming from them.  Thanks for your info and feedback.  Much appreciated.  Happy New Year....hopefully won't be as bad as 2023 ended.

[57]

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@TigerBear wrote:

1. ...  sent me ALL of 2006 to 2008 emails...

2.  I have NO intention of getting a cellphone. 

3. Norton 360 Standard antivirus is supposed to protect against, and they claim in BIG bold letters that they STOP HACKERS.  

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1. Perhaps they have just started recovery.  With  35,000 e-mails, it may take a while.  Another reason not to keep so many e-mails, especially in one folder.

2. You may wish to consider one for emergencies.  You may have a friend or relative with an older phone they will give you.  Pre-paid plans are available for about $10/mo.

3. Norton is installed on your computer and may stop hacks there.  Webmail is in the cloud (Yahoo/Rogers servers) and Norton has no impact there.

[TigerBear]

Hi...thanks.  I don't think I'll be getting any more 'recovered' emails.  Think they are done with me; probably feel they've done their job.  Don't know why they started at the bottom, rather than at the top...ie. newer emails, rather than ancient.  Oh well.

Re getting a cellphone, it isn't about the cost.  I can afford a regular cellphone without freebies.  I just don't want one.  I was a real estate agent in the 80s, and had the FIRST 'brick' cellphone ever made...then the newer slightly smaller brick, then the next and the next.  I went through them all, with their limited range, etc. etc.  I'm retired and done with that.  When I'm out of range for my landline, I just enjoy the surroundings and people of where I am at the moment.  And regarding any 'emergencies', when is the last time you would have died IF you hadn't had a cellphone.  Last year, my car went off the road into a water-filled ditch...as I tried to swat a wasp out of my car and I got distracted....so I calmly climbed out of the car and waited on the side of the road until a nice person came along...and of course, they had a cellphone.  🙂  Life goes on.  One of my biggest worries is on the impact on others of these scammers....people getting emails FROM ME (but not really from me) asking for gift cards, etc.  But I guess people have to be smart enough to figure out it is a scam.  Nothing I can do about it now.  Again, thanks.  I really DO appreciate your information, comments, etc.