mikeperetz Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 It is no secret that there has been an outbreak of accounts being compromised in the last few months. To see why this is, one can think of it like the neopian purge. They delete all these usernames and passwords from the database making them creatable again. Well the same thing happens with certain email providers. After a certain amount of inactivity, the email associated with your account can be deleted, thus allowing it to be created again. They can then send your information to their email, taking your account. Here are the exact times: Hotmail: 180 days Yahoo: 270 days Gmail: 360 days Other providers don't need to worry. As you may know, TNT has re-implemented the birthday lock, securing many old accounts. But if you are an active player, you can still be at risk. To prevent this: -Frequently log in to your email -Change your info frequently, both your account and email Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tank Girl Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 My old e-mail address had been deleted by my provider so I couldn't get into my really old account, but then I realised this exact thing and I managed to get back in by creating the same e-mail. I was incredibly shocked at how easy it was! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeperetz Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 My old e-mail address had been deleted by my provider so I couldn't get into my really old account, but then I realised this exact thing and I managed to get back in by creating the same e-mail. I was incredibly shocked at how easy it was! And with programs, etc. out there, it makes it even easier for them to find the accounts loaded with millions and millions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tank Girl Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 And with programs, etc. out there, it makes it even easier for them to find the accounts loaded with millions and millions. That's a very scary thought :| Perhaps it's time for me to make some new e-mail addresses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornflakes Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 :O Good post, man! I never thought about inactive email addresses getting purged! Do you know what being "inactive" entails? Because I check other email accounts through my main gmail. :S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queensorchadragon Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 So do I... but I think that as long as it's being checked it will be okay. I amnot an expert on these things though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeperetz Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 :O Good post, man! I never thought about inactive email addresses getting purged! Do you know what being "inactive" entails? Because I check other email accounts through my main gmail. :S Every time you log into it, the timer resets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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