Have You Been Hacked? Can You Recognize a Scam

by Wendy Lyons

There is a hacker attack in the United States every 39 seconds, according to Security Magazine. In 2018, cybercriminals earned a total of around $400 billion from people who succumbed to hacker scams, Cybersecurity Ventures reported.

On May 24, AAUW member Judy Murphy began receiving phone calls from friends asking her what favor she needed. A hacker had gotten into her email and sent messages to hundreds of her friends asking, “Would you do me a favor?”. The message had a return address very similar to Judy’s email address, but slightly different.

Fifty-six friends phoned asking how they could help. Others sent emails. However, their emails went to the hacker, who went on to say Judy needed to get a gift for her niece and couldn’t get out to purchase it. The email asked recipients to purchase $300 in Google Game Cards, scrape off the numbers and send the numbers to Judy–but of course the return email was not Judy’s and went to the hacker.

Unfortunately, two people on her list purchased the gift cards and sent the numbers to the hacker–all along thinking they were doing Judy a favor. They each lost $300.

When Judy asked me to help. I immediately changed her email password and as a precaution, since she banks using the internet, also changed her bank password. In the meantime, Judy could neither send or receive emails.

Next I spent two hours on the phone with her host, Comcast. They were unable to solve the problem after trying many routes and going into Advanced Settings. They ended up claiming it was a problem with the MacBook or the Apple phone.

I tried Comcast again in the morning. This time a more knowledgeable consultant was able to determine that the hacker had put a filter on the backside of Judy’s email account that forwarded all of her emails to himself/herself. He was able to remove the filter.

Lessons Learned

  • Once you realize you have been hacked, immediately change your email password.
  • Change your passwords for banking and credit every 60 to 90 days, to keep your information safe.
  • Call your email server to report the incident and ask for help.
  • If you think it is a scam or are suspicious, phone the person you know–do not email because chances are you will be emailing the hacker and not your friend.
  • If it seems unusual, or unlikely to you–hit DELETE.

You can learn how to spot a scam and keep yourself safe from hackers on this website:
Protect Seniors Online, which is an online publication for Home Instead Senior Care. The site includes information about IRS scams,,  a quiz to see if you can spot a scam, ways to find out why you might be vulnerable to computer hacks, and many other important tips for keeping your identity and personal information out of the hands of hackers.