“Just because you are paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.” Kurt Cobain
Am I paranoid? You be the judge.
The Facts
Almost ten years ago, I answered a Craigslist Ad for a standard poodle.
I ended up not getting the dog.
Just before Thanksgiving, I accidentally shared a spreadsheet with the web. It listed my assets, income and debts. I was identified only by my email address. Of course, accomplished hackers can use any opening to mine for data about a person.
Kudos to Google as they notified me immediately that web users had looked at my spreadsheet as well as the intended recipient. I took steps to protect myself.
A Strange Email
A few days ago, I received an email about the standard poodle I did not buy. It struck me as weird because I have had no contact in almost ten years with the people. I did not buy the dog. The owners would know that.
Why were “they” emailing me?
The email sounded innocent. They wanted to know how the dog was doing. They wanted me to send a photo.
After my recent accidental sharing of a spreadsheet to the web I felt uneasy.
I decided not to respond. Hackers have compromised the data of Equifax, Home Depot, Uber…and many others. We live in a time when our identities online are subject to theft and exploitation.
Maybe I was being paranoid but I wanted to be safe.
I think it was someone phishing for information. I decided not to take the bait.
Maybe I am paranoid but I don’t care.
Lori Greer in Portland 
Definitely Not paranoid. Will share my hacking story with you sometime 🙄
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Always a good idea to err on the side of caution.
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If I don’t personally know them, to the bin…no exceptions Lori. I’ve been bitten twice and had to change my email. If it is important enough they will contact me another way 😀
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Kurt Cobain was right. 🙂
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Preach. Kurt cobain👏🏻❤️
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Definite yikes factor! Glad you decided to err on the side of self-preservation.
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I would say phishing for sure
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That does not seem like something normal!
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Thank you for this informative sharing. Yes, I believe absolutely you did the right thing. Into the delete bin instantly. Phishing has become a sophisticated business. Only this past week I have had to deal with two fraudulent attempts to gain personal information about me from overseas bookstores themselves being hacked by unknown sources. Although we have Norton Security and my personal website is covered by security………anything ‘odd’ it pays to be a bit paranoid. (interesting picture by the way…very graphic!). Again thanks.
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Oh yes – I’m with you. I get a steady stream of phishing emails and after having accidentally opened an email with a Trojan that not only ended up destroying my beloved computer, but also attacked my son’s networked one – I very much err on the side of caution.
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Smart move on your part.
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