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Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Update on the Scammed Nun's Email

Yesterday, Sr. Cora received in her other email address a message stating something to this effect: "Hey there, (sister) someone has tried to enter your email account in yahoo. If you want to keep it secure, go to the yahoo service area, and follow the instructions."

Sr. Cora immediately went to that site and gave the answers only she knew to the security questions, e.g., who is your favorite hero?, etc. and soon enough she was asked to change password, and PRESTO: she got her email back! Hence she immediately texted me about having recovered her lost and mangled email account. Reminded me of the joy in heaven over the finding of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the Prodigal Son.

She read the SENT emails and saw all of her contacts were sent that "busted-style-of-duping-people-email. And soon enough she got calls asking about her, how much she needed to which she replied "As much as you can because the congregation needs it hahaha" (but of course she did not send those emails just to attract donations for her group), and words such as "I really thought this is not true because this is not your style of writing." I got those same comments in my experience last year. There was even one who replied in Tagalog, sige nga tawagan mo nga ako ngayon kung ikaw nga yan! But of course the guy who stole my email and sent solicitation duping emails knew not one Tagalog. One of my confreres even commented to me as soon as I came back from that American break: the letter did not give me a "feel" of you. That gave me a sense of security that there are people who know me well and would not be easily duped into believing when someone poses as me.

I am really happy sharing about this experience because who knows - other Registered Guidance Counselors may get the same scare of their life with this style of scam. At least, here we have a model we can follow. There is a solution to a problem such as this. So let's not be so downhearted.

What is really heartwarming is the security arrangements yahoo has set for its system. Congratulations, yahoo. Your vigilance in your service is really great! Hope you're getting more for what you're giving.

This makes me realize that the email is really a personal thing. The answers we give to the security questions are really our individual property (at least the Religious with vows of poverty are given this right here hehe) and no one knows these answers better than ourselves. Hence, already in the internet, for yahoo to be sensitive to these subtle cues is really commendable. Yahoo helped solve the problem within the day. Gmail took me about a week before I could recover my account. This may have been so because from the time I reported abuse to the time I got my account back, 6 days to be exact, from Dec. 18-24, 2007 passed by. Anyway, I may have not been able to check my account on a daily basis since I was in Texas and my high school batchmate host kept on touring me around with no time to check my yahoo account. The only time I was able to do that was on the night of the 24th in my cousin's place.

So there you are. At least here we get some direction in times like these - being burglarized in the internet. Hope these burglars will STOP this! There are better ways of living which will be more blessed than the few cents we can get via duping people but whose punishment cries out to the heavens.

God bless and take care.

I just got her email for everyone to know. Kadami ng mga napadalhan nitong kalokohan. She also did that over the email she got which we really need to be wary of. The subject of that yahoo email she got was: Yahoo Warning...Update Your Account Now To Avoid Blockage!!! Kalokohan talaga!!!!!

Anyway, happy reading:

Dear sisters and friends,

I remembered that i filled this message from yahoo last week, and the consequence of it, my yahoo email account was hacked last November 10. The hacker/s sent a letter to all my contacts telling that i was in London, was robbed and i needed money so as to leave the hotel..

so i am sending you this message to warn you not to fill up the data being requested.. This is very deceiving.. thank you


This is the burglarzing email she naively replied to:

Yahoo! Customer Service!!! wrote:

Date: Fri, 07 Nov 2008 04:06:01 -0600 (CST)
From: Yahoo! Customer Service!!!
Subject: Yahoo Warning...Update Your Account Now To Avoid Blockage!!!
To: Undisclosed recipients: ;

Yahoo! Mail
Yahoo!
Let your email come to you.
With Yahoo! Mail Alerts, you’ll know the instant you get one.

Account Alert Yahoo!

Dear Valued Member,

Due to the congestion in all Yahoo users and removal of all unused Yahoo Accounts,Yahoo would be shutting down all unused accounts,You will have to confirm your E-mail by filling out your Login Info below after clicking the reply botton, or your account will be suspended within 24 hours for security reasons.


UserName:.......................................................... Yahoo!Password: .............................................................
Date Of Birth: ........................................................
Country Or Territory: ...............................................

After Following the instructions in the sheet,your account will not be interrupted and will continue as normal.Thanks for your attention to this request.We apologize for any inconvinience.


See the lies and the wrong spelling? The wrong spelling indicates the lack of education these guys really have. Is this what raw poverty will give us in the future? Or is this what lazy people will do even if poverty is not at their doorsteps?

Haah! God be with us!

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