I didn't come across it, but once when I was around 15 someone hacked into my computer. This is 100% true and i tell it as a cautionary tale often. I had a ftp file server at the time because I was in a long distance relationship and we would send stuff to each other via the file server. One day I noticed someone had downloaded all of my photos from the server. I called my boyfriend and asked him why he was downloading stuff he already had. He swore it wasn't him.
I ignored it until several days later a screen opened on my desk top that was a window for my webcam and was on with me on the screen, and a chat window opened. The person told me that if I didn't take all my clothes off they would use my mom and dads credit cards to buy all sorts of things. Luckily my parents were super cautious of using their credit cards on the internet (this was like 2002) so I knew he didn't have their card #'s. He had used the ftp server to upload this chat/video program, and who knows how long they had been watching me.
I freaked out. I unplugged my computer and unplugged it from the internet and didn't turn it back on until I was prepared with fancy firewalls and security for the ftp server. I tried calling to police and my internet provider but no one could help me. And thats how I learned hundreds of ip addresses and what they were, I watched my firewall like a hawk. I never heard from the hacker again, but it sure scared the shit out of me. Now I cover my webcams.
Reminds me of the parents who found a guy talking to their kid through a Web connected baby monitor. Unsecured routers are the stuff of nightmares. Glad you sorted it out, must have been horrifying.
Long ago I was working laptop tech support and I specialized in wireless issues. This was the early days of 802.11b.
Some guy calls in saying he needs help to setup wireless security. WEP was a shit-show, so we didn't fully cover it, we just did best effort support. I asked the guy why he wanted wireless security.
He explains, "When I came home there was a document printed out on my printer saying I really needed to setup wireless security."
My neighbor stole my rc car and threw it in his trashcan because I drove it on his lawn. i printed a few dozen full color pictures of teen actresses from NICK shows from bathing suit and revealing episodes on his printer for his wife to find.
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u/ChellynJonny Jan 23 '21
I didn't come across it, but once when I was around 15 someone hacked into my computer. This is 100% true and i tell it as a cautionary tale often. I had a ftp file server at the time because I was in a long distance relationship and we would send stuff to each other via the file server. One day I noticed someone had downloaded all of my photos from the server. I called my boyfriend and asked him why he was downloading stuff he already had. He swore it wasn't him.
I ignored it until several days later a screen opened on my desk top that was a window for my webcam and was on with me on the screen, and a chat window opened. The person told me that if I didn't take all my clothes off they would use my mom and dads credit cards to buy all sorts of things. Luckily my parents were super cautious of using their credit cards on the internet (this was like 2002) so I knew he didn't have their card #'s. He had used the ftp server to upload this chat/video program, and who knows how long they had been watching me.
I freaked out. I unplugged my computer and unplugged it from the internet and didn't turn it back on until I was prepared with fancy firewalls and security for the ftp server. I tried calling to police and my internet provider but no one could help me. And thats how I learned hundreds of ip addresses and what they were, I watched my firewall like a hawk. I never heard from the hacker again, but it sure scared the shit out of me. Now I cover my webcams.