Account hacked

So, I went to log in this morning only to be greeted by this incredibly awkward message stating I'd entered the wrong password five times and had been locked out. Thank God they didn't actually manage to get in. I mean, really—who would even want my account? Am I actually that interesting? As if!
Here’s the email I got:

Dear Jane Doe,

Your account on Reddit has been locked because someone attempted to log in using an incorrect password more than 5 times. You will be able to attempt to log in again in 15 minutes.

The individual attempting to access your account used the following Intel address: 75.126.76.6

Please remember that passwords are case-sensitive. Forgot your password? Use the link below:
http://www.reddit.com/login.php?do=lostpw

All The Best,

Reddit

I've already set a new password, but I'm asking the admins to please look into this Intel address. Thanks!

Same thing happened to me...
Changing my password fixed that part, but now the site is acting super glitchy whenever I try to load pages 😠

Sarah Barrett90 said:I just updated my password, so I'm asking the admins to please take a look at this Intel address. Thanks!

Hehe, you should probably go ahead and check your own stuff for that day
just to make sure there isn't any chance it actually came from your own house 😉 😁

Alright, I tracked down every user on Reddit who’s ever used that Intel address and left a post. What's the plan now? 😬

How many would you say when you're using the plural form?

😕

Roughly over 100.

That day? More than 100?
In that case, I’ve been living in a complete delusion because I honestly have no idea how that's even possible. 😕

P.S. I am actually really curious to see what she has to say about this. 🙂

That day, ever. 😁

We really ought to run a check on the Intel addresses from those hundred or so users' recent posts. Time to channel my inner Sherlock Holmes...

😁

So now... what about... Sophia Castillo35? She should probably check back then to see what she might ever 🤷

I am genuinely curious if she checks her Intel from that day 😁
Man, there is just everything to be found 😉

I can't check on a specific date. The Intel search covers any timeframe. 😢

Look, I’m not an idiot—I’m perfectly aware that Intel addresses can rotate, and I know some people use static ones too. And no, I haven’t been "forgetful" enough to mess this up five times myself, nor has anyone else in my household. So, let me be clear: that wasn't my address. At least, not yesterday or today. You don't need to go playing the "know-it-all" right out of the gate by mocking my post with those condescending little comments! You don't have to do anything at all; I was simply venting my frustration this morning for the reasons I already laid out. Thanks for the hospitality, really!

Sarah Barrett90 said:Besides, I'm certainly not an idiot who would have gotten wasted five times over, nor would anyone else living in my house.

I wasn't talking about you... I meant the other thing, and it was honestly coming from a good place.
Take it however you want, but just because it isn't a good idea for you doesn't mean it wouldn't be a great idea for someone else.

Unfortunately, there’s no magic cure for this. On a platform like Reddit with such a massive user base, you’re always going to run into a certain percentage of bad actors looking to cause trouble. The silver lining here is that you had a strong enough password to prevent them from actually breaking into your account. That’s why I always tell people: please, use complex strings of characters. Don't just use your own name, or the names of your pets—whether they're walking on two legs, four legs, or even rolling on 😉—and definitely stay away from birthdays or predictable sequences like 12345. It’s also a really good habit to rotate your passwords every once in a while to stay safe.

One time I logged in and saw my last login date was from when I wasn't even in the country 🤷
Changed my password immediately.

Thomas Martin6 said:Unfortunately, there isn't a cure for this because on any platform with such a massive user base, there will always be a certain percentage of malicious actors lurking around.

Sure, but it doesn't necessarily have to happen on a forum, right?

Thomas Martin6 said:That is why it is absolutely vital that you always utilize complex strings of characters for your passwords instead of using your own name, the names of your pets (whether they walk on two legs, four legs, or run on wheels 😉), significant dates, or simple sequences like 12345. It is also a very good idea to change your password every once in a while.

Plus, if you don't have the option to save your password in your browser... well, anyone with half a brain can figure that out.😉

Thanks to everyone for the advice, and please accept my apologies if I came off a bit high-strung or lashed out at you all prematurely 😁 To be honest, I was just incredibly frustrated this morning. It’s not like I’m one of those people who goes around blathering on every forum or picking fights with everyone—I’ve always just been here on Vogue, minding my own business and staying out of people's way. So, naturally, I was blindsided when someone actually tried to hijack my account 🤷😂
I've gone ahead and changed my password to something significantly more complex. But honestly? If they weren't even capable of cracking my previous, painfully simple one, I'm not losing any sleep over what happens next... 🤣
Thanks! 😍

Angela Hayes36 said:Okay, but it doesn't necessarily have to be someone from the forum, right?

No, it certainly doesn't have to be. And honestly, an IP address isn't going to do much for the admins anyway, considering how many people can share the exact same one...

Angela Hayes36 said:plus if you don't have the option to save your password in Microsoft Outlook... etc., then common sense should prevail 😉

That’s exactly right. 👍

Angela Hayes36 said:...plus the fact that there’s no "remember password" option in the mobile app... honestly, enough with the "smart" features if they aren't actually helpful 😉

Thomas Martin6 said:...Exactly 👍

Could someone break this down for me in plain English—why is it like this?
I know people who use Opera (not me personally, just a heads-up so nobody thinks I'm a target for hackers
), and they have the misfortune of being terrible at remembering passwords, so they just save everything in the browser's built-in manager to avoid the mental clutter. 😁
Is there any way to save them while still keeping things secure?
🙏

If you’re the only person who ever touches your computer, then I suppose you could technically record your password. However, if anyone else has access to your machine, I wouldn't dream of doing it. It's just too risky...