Hackers and computers

[utilitarian]

hi you better read this well and here what i have to say.
i was recently hacked by someone who really knows how to do it how they got in initially is the big question but they sat back and watched everyone written to or were i went then they waited for avg anti virus to auto update and when they did they road in i am told this cannot be done but have the programs the call out went to FRANCE on a global fast ethernet connection and came in they then removed tech stuff from my computer and everything else they wanted but i don't keep stuff on this computer then they went to my e-mail and locked me out and asked all my contacts for money saving i was in nigeria in jail then they went on to threaten others that would still contact me i am sure this is over science things i was working with these people over due to what was gone through on my computer.
they went after my credtit cards and bank accounts but i do not have anything so they were out of luck there they installed a program to watch error codes and correct any error codes to null return this left microsoft with a no problem scan of my computer but it had read flags due to encrypted files on my computer and i have no encryption program.
there were empty files that werwe running in the task mannager and files that could not be removed or transfered as well as files used to add program lines to files and alter and watch dates to override backup to previous restore points.
microsofts answer to this is it can't be done.
I AM POSTING THIS TO YOU ALL FOR A WARNING BECAUSE THEY WERE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WITH IDEAS AND WHAT THEY KNOW AND BECAUSE I WANT YOU ALL TO BE AWARE THAT YOU MAY BE HACKED WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING IT.
MARTIN

I am sorry to say this, but I do not think you generally know what you are talking about when it comes to computers, and you are just assuming the very worst of what happened.  The way you relate it, it makes you sound like a paranoid crazy person.

It sounds like your email account got hacked, and this is very common.  The scammers email the people in your address book, pretending to be you, and asking for money for you to get out of jail or whatever.  They make the situation sound dire in order to get your friends to pay up, but this is not a death threat and it has nothing to do with your research.  This is like the old Nigerian scam.  This isn't about your overunity secrets.

As far as your PC, it sounds like maybe you do have some rogue agent or whatever running, and that needs to be cleaned up.  With something like this, you need to reinstall the OS to make sure nothing is left of the original system.

And finally, I am in the IT profession, and I can tell you that nearly 100% of the time, the reason you are in this situation is because of something you did.  You went to some website and clicked "scan my registry" or some other lame bullshit come on that you fell for, and that got you in the mess you are in now.  I am sure you are not stupid, but it sounds like you are Internet-gullible, and the sooner you wise up the better, as you can prevent this from happening again.

Also, you can get a Mac, probably easier learning curve than Linux.

[kooler]

@kooler
have you ever heard of open source?

yes.. why you ask..

[onthecuttingedge2005]

if you are Trojaned, disconnect the hard line to the computer which meets the internet then follow suit. step one. a Trojan is only as good as its internet connection.

[the_big_m_in_ok]

LinuxMint is Ubuntu based btw, Debian with Gnome.
I don't understand why people keep on using Windows.

I only have access to a borrowed, public computer.  I can't download a lot of things like freeware, etc.  I can, however, download .PDF's to a 1 gigabyte SanDisk and I take it with me.

I do occasionally have problems with the computers I use.  This is because viruses are so common and it takes a good, professional antiviral suite and preferably Firefox as your 'Web browser.

--Lee

[X00013]

@ nuview, wake up, use snail mail. it works.