This happened to former Bernama editor-in-chief Rejal Arbee. People could do that? Wonder who did it and why? A prank?
Here's the story.
KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 (Bernama) -- A former editor-in-chief of Bernama, Datuk Ahmad Rejal Arbee, today expressed regret that an e-mail using his account had been sent to certain individuals or institutions asking for financial assistance.
Following the incident, he said he had terminated the account with a popular search engine.
"I fear my name will be tarnished as though I'm seeking assistance and so on whereas I had never done so and it is a lie. Today, I tried to open my e-mail account but it was in vain as the operator said my account was invalid," he told Bernama, here.
As such, Ahmad Rejal asked anyone who had received such an appeal or request from the e-mail to ignore them, adding that his account had been closed immediately.
When contacted at his home in Shah Alam, he said the request was an absolute lie, including the one on winning a lottery, the death of a close relative, which was due to a spam.
He was commenting on an e-mail using his name which was sent to Bernama which, among others, stated that he was facing difficulty after being stranded, and had financial problems as he had lost his baggage in a taxi while attending a seminar on Aids and Poverty in Nigeria.
In the false e-mail, he had purportedly asked for financial assistance to pay for his hotel bills and that he was almost starving as he had not eaten for almost one whole day.
Hope it doesn't happen to me!
Unfortunately, its not really difficult to send e-mail pretending to be someone else's username, if you know how. Even if your account password is safe and your actual account has not be penetrated.
ReplyDeleteTo avoid trouble, you may want to keep two separate e-mails. One for general use, which lots of people would know the address (including crooks ?). For any official purposes, use a separate address, which you only reveal to people you trust or have official dealings with.
Sdri Nuraina,
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this Bernama story over my yahoo e-mail hacked by some irresponsible person trying to solicit money.
The person may not be a Malaysian as among the first he sent his e-mail to solicit for funds (based on the contacts in my yahoo e-mail) was to Bernama, not knowing that Bernama is a news agency not a person.
My neighbour who also received the e-mail was about to sent the money thingking I was reallystranded in Nigeria. Fortunately she called me to verify.
Among others who received the e-mail were my wife and children. One of my daughters suspected something amiss when she called me to say that I would not have sent such a message written in atrocious English.
The e-mail was hacked yesterday when I could not sign into my yahoo e-mail which kept rejecting my password. My particulars in my account were also changed thus denying me access.
i just deleted mine on my blog after reading this but dont think anyone would use mine like this...tak der harta n nama maa....but just dont want problem ....thank u for reminding me he he....
ReplyDeleteRejal,
ReplyDeleteYou told me yesterday that things are "still not alright" when I asked you if they were.
Of course.. how could things be alright when your email has been broken into, and your privacy violated.
this is the sort of story that confirms our worst fears. not that we are not aware of the possibility of such breach. it's always happens to people you don't know so it does not quite affect you.
even so, what can we really do.
thanks for your response.
sorry,
ReplyDeletebad english: my second last line (in my response to rejal) should not read: it's always. instead shpuld read: it always.
crap happens when you're typing so fast.
Dear Pn Nuraina,
ReplyDeleteOn behalf of BERNAMA and Mr Tawfik, i would like to invite you to attend the Tun Dr. Ismail's book (Malay version)-Bukan Kerana Pangkat: Tun Dr. Ismail & Masanya" on 3/8/2007 at 9.45am at Dewan Kuliah Utama, Akademi Pengajian Islam, UM.
Thank you.
Regards,
Zurainah Rahman
03-2050 4425