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MoneyBookers account hacked and emptied...

KK, use the Security Token?
xxhttp://www.moneybookers.com/vip/token/
In theory Token> no Hacked

OT Thanks Tonino for the info ;)
I'm not a VIP at MB - only at Neteller.
But I will ask about this "token" system if/when I get my €880 back...

KK
 
Hi KK,

Sounds like you may have gotten a keylogger or a rootkit.

Backup your important personal data to an external Hard Drive if you have one and reload your operating system to be sure. There are even some rootkits that are still present on the system even after a reformat. It is sometimes necessary to format the master boot record as well to completely clean it as they can hide there too.

You may also want to try Microsoft Security Essentials (free) as your antivirus if you don't want to go through a reformat. It works quite well.

A small bit of info from wiki on rootkits:

Rootkit detection is difficult because a rootkit may be able to subvert the software that is intended to find it. Detection methods include using an alternate, trusted operating system; behavioral-based methods; signature scanning; difference scanning; and memory dump analysis. Removal can be complicated or practically impossible, especially in cases where the rootkit resides in the kernel; reinstallation of the operating system may be the only alternative.
 
Hi KK,

Sounds like you may have gotten a keylogger or a rootkit.

Backup your important personal data to an external Hard Drive if you have one and reload your operating system to be sure. There are even some rootkits that are still present on the system even after a reformat. It is sometimes necessary to format the master boot record as well to completely clean it as they can hide there too.

You may also want to try Microsoft Security Essentials (free) as your antivirus if you don't want to go through a reformat. It works quite well.

A small bit of info from wiki on rootkits:

Rootkit detection is difficult because a rootkit may be able to subvert the software that is intended to find it. Detection methods include using an alternate, trusted operating system; behavioral-based methods; signature scanning; difference scanning; and memory dump analysis. Removal can be complicated or practically impossible, especially in cases where the rootkit resides in the kernel; reinstallation of the operating system may be the only alternative.

Great info. Whether you think you have a problem or not everyone who uses a Windows computer for anything important should set aside an afternoon and go to
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. You might be surprised at what lurks.
 
Minor update:
I got a "questionnaire" from MB asking me to formally identify the transactions I didn't make, confirm other security details and declare that I wasn't careless with my password... :eek2:
Anyway - sent it back today. Now I guess I just have to wait & see what happens...

KK
 
Minor update:
I got a "questionnaire" from MB asking me to formally identify the transactions I didn't make, confirm other security details and declare that I wasn't careless with my password... :eek2:
Anyway - sent it back today. Now I guess I just have to wait & see what happens...

KK

Well, that's nice of them... a WEEK after it happened... **sigh**

Thanks for the update. Keep us posted.

And good luck!
 
I finally got an answer from MoneyBookers... FOUR MONTHS after my €880 was stolen.
(Remember, I reported the theft to them within 2-3 hours of it happening)

Dear Mr. Worthless Customer,

We apologize for the delay.

We have received confirmation from our business partner that the funds have been withdrawn and they have left the system. A refund would not be posible.

We thank you for your patience regarding this matter and apologize one more time.

Kind regards,
Moneybookers Security


And they are SERIOUS!!! :lolup:

KK
 
Wow KK,that is certainly a shocker!! Do they not realize that theft on a Money Booker acc't. is their problem, not just yours? I am continually amazed at situations such as this. Totally unacceptable. I am so sorry that you can't seem to be able to get this fixed and your money returned to you.
 
Well... could they not confirm that someone with a different IP or something logged into your account????

My gawd... do the hackers always win??

I'm so sorry KK. Can you push them for further info to find out how it left your account? Did the hacker use your computer? Have you found any sign of trojans/malware/keyloggers, etc.?

This must be so frustrating!!

I fear these online wallets for just this reason. There should be more responsibility for the safety of their customers' monies.

P.S. ... and where did that money GO?? They must have records? They should be able to tell you exactly where it went. And if it went to casinos, how did they make a deposit with an account that wasn't theirs?
 
I finally got an answer from MoneyBookers... FOUR MONTHS after my €880 was stolen.
(Remember, I reported the theft to them within 2-3 hours of it happening)

Dear Mr. Worthless Customer,

We apologize for the delay.

We have received confirmation from our business partner that the funds have been withdrawn and they have left the system. A refund would not be posible.

We thank you for your patience regarding this matter and apologize one more time.

Kind regards,
Moneybookers Security


And they are SERIOUS!!! :lolup:

KK
If I may ask, why didn't you call or contact them via live chat? ..and I'm not saying it's your fault for them being slow with the email.

The live chat is well hidden but it is there: Link Removed ( Old/Invalid)
 
If I may ask, why didn't you call or contact them via live chat? ..and I'm not saying it's your fault for them being slow with the email.

The live chat is well hidden but it is there: Link Removed ( Old/Invalid)

Are you serious?

I suggest you actually read the thread before you make ill-considered comments like that again.

The fact that you think it would have been better handled via live chat shows that you have failed to grasp the gravity of the situation.
 
So, it took them FOUR MONTHS to figure out the money had "left the system". It wouldn't even need an investigation to figure out it would barely take four DAYS for a determined fraudster to launder money through, and out the other end.

It seems that the hackers get away with such things because they act far more quickly than Moneybookers. Had the acted within the hour of it being reported, the money would still be IN the system, and easily recoverable.

Maybe they spent too much time working out how it was your fault, so when they realised it wasn't it was far too late to recover anything.

This simply teaches thieves that Moneybookers is an "easy target" to attack, and highly likely to be successful. This in turn leads to more attacks on the Moneybookers system, and even more victims. The lack of legal responsibilty these eWallets have for such incidents means they don't have to put too much effort into guarding against it, since it is the victim that ends up liable for the loss.

If Moneybookers were legally liable to cover losses down to hacks of their systems, they would make a much greater effort to make them secure, and would act quickly if a breach DID ocurr.

It's something the regulators need to address, since they must know by now that any business will look to get away with what it can, and allowing them to dodge legal responsibilty for something because they will cover it anyway for "good will" and/or "self regulation" is extremely naive, as NUMEROUS regulators and government bodies have discovered in the past.
 
Are you serious?

I suggest you actually read the thread before you make ill-considered comments like that again.

The fact that you think it would have been better handled via live chat shows that you have failed to grasp the gravity of the situation.
I didn't say it would've been handled any better, probably just faster especially if he had called them.
 
Well... could they not confirm that someone with a different IP or something logged into your account????

My gawd... do the hackers always win??

I'm so sorry KK. Can you push them for further info to find out how it left your account? Did the hacker use your computer? Have you found any sign of trojans/malware/keyloggers, etc.?

This must be so frustrating!!

I fear these online wallets for just this reason. There should be more responsibility for the safety of their customers' monies.

P.S. ... and where did that money GO?? They must have records? They should be able to tell you exactly where it went. And if it went to casinos, how did they make a deposit with an account that wasn't theirs?
As per post #17 of this thread:
I've no idea how it happened.
I don't know anything about "password crackers" - how do they work? :confused:
My password was definitely not obvious - no-one could ever guess it.
And no, definitely no dodgy casinos for me! ;)

I spoke to them on the phone straight away and I had to change my password & e-mails on the account - closing the door after the horse has bolted... :(
I guess it might be a day or two before I hear the final outcome. I don't know - this hasn't happened to me before.

It didn't go to a bank account - it's either gone direct to another MB member, or to a dodgy looking Russian casino; the e-mail it went to was rushplaynv @ googlemail.com.
There is a casino at rushplay.com - but because it's a Google e-mail it might not be anything to do with them. Who knows?
KK
I'm afraid my knowledge has not improved since then - i.e. I still don't know the answers to any of those questions. :(


The only thing you need to use someones basic MB account is to hack the email used and use the PW retrieval option. Same goes for Neteller.
If you use "Password retrieval" don't they give you a new temporary password?
And wouldn't I have got that password to my own e-mail in-box?
I have no idea how hackers work, all I can say is that after the theft I was still able to log-in with my original e-mail & password - so I do know that they didn't change those details on my account.

I have obviously written back to MB asking for this to be escalated higher, and also to the FSA to see if they can offer any help.
All I can do now is cross my fingers.

KK
 
As per post #17 of this thread:

I'm afraid my knowledge has not improved since then - i.e. I still don't know the answers to any of those questions. :(



If you use "Password retrieval" don't they give you a new temporary password?
And wouldn't I have got that password to my own e-mail in-box?
I have no idea how hackers work, all I can say is that after the theft I was still able to log-in with my original e-mail & password - so I do know that they didn't change those details on my account.

I have obviously written back to MB asking for this to be escalated higher, and also to the FSA to see if they can offer any help.
All I can do now is cross my fingers.

KK

Totally missed that point. Usually its just emails that are hacked.

Its years since I used MB and just checked the PW retrieval process.
 
kk when u send money to another email via mb dont you need your date of birth also , so they got your email , password and date of birth ?

@asghan you would probably be safer but nothing is 100 % these days , i wouldnt leave big amounts of funds that you couldnt afford to lose sitting anywhere
 
As per post #17 of this thread:

I'm afraid my knowledge has not improved since then - i.e. I still don't know the answers to any of those questions. :(



If you use "Password retrieval" don't they give you a new temporary password?
And wouldn't I have got that password to my own e-mail in-box?
I have no idea how hackers work, all I can say is that after the theft I was still able to log-in with my original e-mail & password - so I do know that they didn't change those details on my account.

I have obviously written back to MB asking for this to be escalated higher, and also to the FSA to see if they can offer any help.
All I can do now is cross my fingers.

KK

I'm sorry KK, I didn't mean to interrogate you. It's just that most of those questions should and could be answered by MB. They know (or should know) if the activity initiated from your computer (usually from a botnet via malware installed on your computer), or from a different IP location. Same with the other stuff... *sigh* I'm just so sorry they're not helping, and it horrifies me that these type hacks seem to be escalating.

And ewallets want us to leave money in our accounts??

I wish you luck with this. Plese let us know if you hear anything further.
 
The information needed differs depending on how the hackers work.

To log in to the eWallet and "push" the money out requires all the login information. This can be taken by using a keylogger or similar piece of spyware on the account holder's computer. Hacking the email address can be done by compromising the security of the ISP hosting the email server. It does not necessarily require the user to have been careless. The third way is by setting up an account at a merchant (casino), and "pulling" the money in via a deposit. It seems that casinos tend to check for irregularities upon withdrawal of winnings, so this gives an opportunity for a fraudster to bring the money in and find another way of moving it through the merchant's system other than withdrawing it. With poker, this is often done using a "chipdump" to a receiving account, and hoping it is not obvious enough for the poker operator to spot it before the money leaves the receiving account. It can also be done with a casino, but it is harder and can only move smaller amounts of money. The Microgaming MPV "sit & go" tournaments are the simplest way to approach this, but this would quickly get spotted if larger amounts were involved because these events get relatively little action, and a sudden increase (especially from the same 5 players) would be quickly noticed.
It's possible that the hacker removed the money before figuring out how to get it out, and ended up playing it away instead of benefiting from it.

It seems rather odd, given the close level of cooperation seen between Moneybookers and casinos when it comes to confiscating winnings already paid out, but subsequently recalled due to "bonus abuse", and the sharing of quite detailed inter player transaction history between Moneybookers and casinos, that it took them four MONTHS to track this money through these same merchants and discover that it was too late to retrieve it.

The only option now would be to take Moneybookers to court and show that the loss was due to their negligence in some way, and that they could reasonably have prevented the fraudsters getting away with the money. I am not sure the FSA will be any better than the LGA in this respect, although a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman might carry more weight as a prelude to any court action.

Moneybookers would be forced to turn up and show the court proof that it did all it reasonably could to prevent the fraud, and they may decide to cough up the €880 rather than have their actions examined under the spotlight of a court case. Losing such a case would also set a precedent that could trigger further claims from others who have had their accounts hacked.
 
As per post #17 of this thread:

I'm afraid my knowledge has not improved since then - i.e. I still don't know the answers to any of those questions. :(



If you use "Password retrieval" don't they give you a new temporary password?
And wouldn't I have got that password to my own e-mail in-box?
I have no idea how hackers work, all I can say is that after the theft I was still able to log-in with my original e-mail & password - so I do know that they didn't change those details on my account.

I have obviously written back to MB asking for this to be escalated higher, and also to the FSA to see if they can offer any help.
All I can do now is cross my fingers.

KK
The FSA don't deal with individual complaints. Check with the Financial Ombudsman Service if they deal with Moneybookers (it is a FSA authorised e-money issuer). If you file a complaint with the FOS, it won't cost you a penny, but it will cost Moneybookers almost as much as if it had just reimbursed you.
 
I use MB for the convenience but I have to say that they have the worse customer service on the planet. They lost some funds of mine when I was withdrawing to my bank, I sent an email and got a 'we're looking into it, you'll hear from us in a couple days' mail, then I never heard anything else. I finally called them (on my dime) and after keeping me on hold for 15 minutes they said they couldn't help me and that I'd just have to wait. Eventually the money just showed up in my bank but never did receive a mail back from them or any response at all after that first one. :mad:

Their response to you totally sucks KK, there has to be someone you can turn to.
 
I bought security token for my account. Are my funds fully safe now or these hackers or other crackers still could get to my account?


Don't worry as the security tokens generate a unique code for each transaction.

Unlucky KK :(.

If you deposit like €5k a month they will make you a VIP and send the security token for nothing. Otherwise it is £15. I actually bought one for £15 and am very pleased with it as it makes the system foolproof afaik.
 
@geezer sometimes even security tokens dont give you confidence when the place that makes them get hacked
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As a result, said RSA Executive Chairman Arthur W. Coviello, Jr., in an open letter, the company would offer to replace tens of millions of SecureID tokens assigned to most of its 25,000 client organizations.

"On Thursday, June 2, 2011, we were able to confirm that information taken from RSA in March had been used as an element of an attempted broader attack on Lockheed Martin, a major U.S. government defense contractor," Coviello said.

The letter does not mention the alleged network intrusions at two other defense contractors, Northrop Grumman and L-3 Communications. Neither company has confirmed the break-ins.
 
Just another very minor update:

I got a letter late last week from the Financial Ombudsman confirming they received my complaint but that they are very busy so it might be a few more weeks yet before I hear anything.

Still have my fingers crossed...
KK
 
Next minor update:
The Ombudsman phoned me on Friday to say they had started looking at my case!
They then asked me some more questions by e-mail, which I replied too ASAP.

Still hoping this might reach it's final conclusion before a year after the theft took place...
(8 months gone - 4 months to go!)

KK
 
Next minor update:
The Ombudsman phoned me on Friday to say they had started looking at my case!
They then asked me some more questions by e-mail, which I replied too ASAP.

Still hoping this might reach it's final conclusion before a year after the theft took place...
(8 months gone - 4 months to go!)

KK

Was shocked when I first heard about this KK. As I have been using moneybookers for around 9 years now. And never had problems.
I though they were more secure than my own bank :eek: Nah thats maybe taking it a bit far :D

But what I did last year was getting the nice Mastercard which is connected with moneybookers account. (Skrill account)
So I take out money or use them for other things. I actually don't like to have to big amounts on there. Then better to take them out :)

We don't want to call them moneybookers anymore. Lets get into todays world and call them Skrill (a joke of name if its up to me)

But reason for me to actually post here instead of all my nonsense. Was actually to say I hope the best for you KK. Hope it all works out.
And that you get your money back ;) fingers crossed, and thanks for keeping us updated :thumbsup:
 
Don't know what is worse Moneybookers lack of respect for Data Protection Act, or Neteller and their ineptocracy system...

If moneybookers really wants to become a verb (they made references to verbs 'to google sth' and others after making a change) I hope it will be something along the lines:

- So how was your day?
- Man, I just got skrilled for 10 quid by some dude in a bus ...

P.S KK I feel for you altought this is an old case now
 
Forgot to add my latest minor update!

About a week ago I got an e-mail from the person at the Ombudsman service saying they have written to MoneyBookers with their findings, but that MB did not agree with them. That makes it SOUND like the Ombudsman person agrees with me - though they didn't actually tell me that.

The matter has now been passed up to the Ombudsman himself.
Hopefully this case is now in the finishing straight!

KK
 
Forgot to add my latest minor update!

About a week ago I got an e-mail from the person at the Ombudsman service saying they have written to MoneyBookers with their findings, but that MB did not agree with them. That makes it SOUND like the Ombudsman person agrees with me - though they didn't actually tell me that.

The matter has now been passed up to the Ombudsman himself.
Hopefully this case is now in the finishing straight!

KK

Change your name to Bet. Fair. (Betty Fair), this will resolve it I bet ;).

Anyway`s hope you get it sorted m8ty :thumbsup:.
 
Well it's now one whole YEAR since MoneyBookers allowed a hacker to empty my account and just turn round & say "Oooops - sorry!" (May-12th)

My case with the Ombudsman is still live though - got this latest update just a couple of days ago:
Just a further note to say that your complaint is waiting for an ombudsman to review it and we will let you know the outcome as soon as we are able.

KK
 
Well it's now one whole YEAR since MoneyBookers allowed a hacker to empty my account and just turn round & say "Oooops - sorry!" (May-12th)

My case with the Ombudsman is still live though - got this latest update just a couple of days ago:


KK

Wow this is really bad, I hope you get your money back soon. I had my NETeller hacked and emptied once, they refunded me within two weeks.
 
several months later.

Hello,
I have read this thread today, and I am very interested by the end of this story.
KK, did you recover your funds?
I dont use Moneybookers, but Neteller, and I the question of security sometimes worry me,
in fact I dont leave much money a long time there,
and less from now since I read this...
 
KK, did you recover your funds?
Nope - I am STILL waiting for the Financial Ombudsman to make his final ruling!

I got a letter from him a month or so back, and thought "at last - something has happened!"
But when I read it, it was just a "standard" letter apologising for the delay and saying cases can take 3 or 4 months to get looked at. That's a good joke - it's been with the Ombudsman for over a year now... :mad:

KK
 
KK,

GL with your case with the Ombudsman. I had a complaint lodged with the Ombudsman in my territory too. They simply shrugged their shoulders several months after I raised the complaint and said 'sorry the person you complained about did not admit to what you alleged he said. This is outrageous as I had sent a confirmation to that person on our conversation and the opposite did not deny it. Paper tiger.
 
Tick-tock, tick-tock...

Just got another letter from them - same old...
This is just totally ridiculous; we are rapidly approaching TWO YEARS since the theft took place and 18 MONTHS in the "hands" of the Ombudsman :eek2:

Does anyone know - is there an Ombudsman where we can complain about other Ombudsmen?
:mad:
 

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Tick-tock, tick-tock...

Just got another letter from them - same old...
This is just totally ridiculous; we are rapidly approaching TWO YEARS since the theft took place and 18 MONTHS in the "hands" of the Ombudsman :eek2:

Does anyone know - is there an Ombudsman where we can complain about other Ombudsmen?
:mad:

wow there statement says it all there even sorry so the question is do they have any power or are they just buffering
 
In Australia the Banking Ombudsman's office like the telecommunication Ombudsman has direct ties back to the companies its supposed to be monitoring to do the right thing for consumers. This can create a conflict of interest, especially in the case of the telecommunication ombudsman when these companies are paying yearly fees to this Department.

It's the reason these places are not issued with a .gov.au instead the TIO (telecommunication Ombudsman - .com.au) and the FOS (Financial Ombudsman - org.au). Maybe a similar set of operations exist in the UK.

We do however have a safe guard and this is to escalate issues to the Federal (Commonwealth) Ombudsman which is operated as a Government Department and has a gov.au web site. And has the power to force these places to act!

Maybe this course of action is also available to you KasinoKing, given Australia and the UK have similar structures in place.

If it was me, I'd be marching down to my local federal parliament representative with a formal letter of complaint in hand and demanding action ;)
 
In Australia the Banking Ombudsman's office like the telecommunication Ombudsman has direct ties back to the companies its supposed to be monitoring to do the right thing for consumers. This can create a conflict of interest, especially in the case of the telecommunication ombudsman when these companies are paying yearly fees to this Department.

It's the reason these places are not issued with a .gov.au instead the TIO (telecommunication Ombudsman - .com.au) and the FOS (Financial Ombudsman - org.au). Maybe a similar set of operations exist in the UK.

We do however have a safe guard and this is to escalate issues to the Federal (Commonwealth) Ombudsman which is operated as a Government Department and has a gov.au web site. And has the power to force these places to act!

Maybe this course of action is also available to you KasinoKing, given Australia and the UK have similar structures in place.

If it was me, I'd be marching down to my local federal parliament representative with a formal letter of complaint in hand and demanding action ;)

In the UK, it would be a case of writing to the local MP for help. This could even get the matter escalated to the ministry involved. Getting the issue some coverage in the press can also work wonders. For the press, it would have to be a complaint about the Financial Ombudsman taking 2 years to get nowhere, as normally a financial institution has to refund victims of fraud and THEN chase after the money. I doubt "Moneybookers" would get any coverage, as hardly anyone has heard of it outside the gambling community.
 
FINALLY!

After that letter I posted above, I sent the Ombudsman Service an e-mail asking where I could go to submit a complain about THEM.
Next day I got a phone call and an apology from them, and a promise to try to look at my case soon.
Then at the end of last week I finally got a letter saying that the Ombudsman had found in my favour!

I will mail off my agreement with their decision today, then all I have to do is wait to see how long MB take to reimburse my stolen funds... as long as they don't contest the decision and start another 18-month cycle... :eek:

KK
 
After that letter I posted above, I sent the Ombudsman Service an e-mail asking where I could go to submit a complain about THEM.
Next day I got a phone call and an apology from them, and a promise to try to look at my case soon.
Then at the end of last week I finally got a letter saying that the Ombudsman had found in my favour!

I will mail off my agreement with their decision today, then all I have to do is wait to see how long MB take to reimburse my stolen funds... as long as they don't contest the decision and start another 18-month cycle... :eek:

KK

This could be a landmark victory for all those that have suffered at the hands of Moneybookers and appear to have no redress. It took forever, but it shows that these eWallets are not out of reach of the regulator because of the field they are in (eMoney issuer, rather than bank). It did seem like they had a similar standing to the gift cards one buys for shopping, where the company can confiscate unspent money merely under terms and conditions, and money vanishes if the company does. Moneybookers seem to have used terms and conditions to avoid reimbursing funds stolen through fraud.

Now, the next "landmark" could be from a player who suffered a "chargeback" from a casino changing it's mind after paying a withdrawal (Betfair).
 

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