@Cookie2006test wrote:
so must have been obtained from virgin.
If only it were that simple.
Sadly there are many ways that scammers can obtain passwords without Virgin Media being involved including among others :
Malicious software, (Malware) which can steal your passwords and other data. Malware can be installed on your device without you realising it. If you visit a genuine website that has been infected or if you download apparently genuine files or software that has been infected. It would be a good idea to make sure your Antivirus is up to date and then run a full Antivirus scan on all your devices.
Examples of ways Malware can obtain your passwords:
- If the password field is prefilled when you log into VM or any other websites then it means your password is stored in your browser in an encrypted form. However, many of the most popular browsers have flaws in their security which allows Malware to decrypt and extract those passwords.
- Even if you don't allow your browser to store your passwords they are still not safe from malware. Some forms of malware, called "key loggers" can capture your passwords as you type.
Phishing websites. Some of these are very convincing as are the techniques used to get you to access the phishing website.
There are other ways but you get the idea. It's by no means a done deal that VM are at fault.
The first thing to do is check if your email address has appeared on the so called "dark web" where hacked email addresses and passwords are bought and sold. Here are a couple of totally legitimate sites that check that for you with complete safety - just enter your email address:
https://haveibeenpwned.com/ That checks against 13 billion email addresses that have been stolen in data breaches in recent years and if it has it tells you where the breach occurred. Also, the haveibeenpwned site lets you enter just your password to check whether that has appeared as part of any data breach.
Alternatively you can check using the Norton (AV security) website https://uk.norton.com/breach-detection# That checks against email credentials that are for sale on the dark web. It tells you how many data breaches the address has been affected by but does not name them.
" i will report to the ombudsman"
Not sure who you mean by "ombudsman" in this context. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) deals with all data protection issues including data breaches. See here for details: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/data-protection-complaints/data-protection-complaints/ of how to make a complaint.
Coenoby
I'm a Very Insightful Person, I'm here to share knowledge, I don't work for Virgin Media.
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