HOW SCAMMERS HACKED MY PROFILE
Iuliana Mihai
My old account was hacked
Two days ago, I was contacted by a profile on Twitter that appeared to be Japanese. At first glance, it seemed legitimate, even professional. The user, who claimed to be associated with an intriguing project, contacted me with a job proposal. I was curious, not because I needed a job, but because I wanted to hear what they had to say. They mentioned having several positions available and needed to discuss them with their team.
They then asked me to install software on my computer called GATHERUN.NET. This is where things started to feel off. My friends in the project space warned me about a Japanese profile scamming people on Twitter. Despite their warnings, I initially dismissed their concerns. But as the conversation progressed, my suspicions grew.
I began to download the software but stopped midway and shut down my PC. We had scheduled a meeting for August 16th at 7 PM, but I didn’t feel comfortable and decided to decline. However, they insisted we could speak immediately, provided I downloaded the software again, which allegedly had AI to help them understand better. I started the download again, but halfway through, I shut down my PC, thinking I had avoided a scam.
To my horror, the software continued installing even after I closed my computer. As a student studying artificial intelligence at Harvard, this was both ironic and deeply unsettling. My primary concern is the potential harm they could cause to my followers by using my hacked profile to scam others.
I’ve since created a new account and have been reaching out to everyone, making pinned posts on Twitter to inform people that I no longer control my old account. While I was spreading the word, I received a DM proving they were trying to scam others under my name.
This article is a plea to everyone to stay safe and be vigilant. I’ve opened a ticket with Twitter support, but the response came in Russian, so I didn’t provide any additional information. I hope to regain control of my old profile, but in the meantime, please be cautious. Much love and thank you for understanding.Two days ago, I was contacted by a profile on Twitter that appeared to be Japanese. At first glance, it seemed legitimate, even professional. The user, who claimed to be associated with an intriguing project, contacted me with a job proposal. I was curious, not because I needed a job, but because I wanted to hear what they had to say. They mentioned having several positions available and needed to discuss them with their team.
They then asked me to install software on my computer called GATHERUN.NET. This is where things started to feel off. My friends in the project space warned me about a Japanese profile scamming people on Twitter. Despite their warnings, I initially dismissed their concerns. But as the conversation progressed, my suspicions grew.
I began to download the software but stopped midway and shut down my PC. We had scheduled a meeting for August 16th at 7 PM, but I didn’t feel comfortable and decided to decline. However, they insisted we could speak immediately, provided I downloaded the software again, which allegedly had AI to help them understand better. I started the download again, but halfway through, I shut down my PC, thinking I had avoided a scam.
To my horror, the software continued installing even after I closed my computer. As a student studying artificial intelligence at Harvard, this was both ironic and deeply unsettling. My primary concern is the potential harm they could cause to my followers by using my hacked profile to scam others.
I’ve since created a new account and have been reaching out to everyone, making pinned posts on Twitter to inform people that I no longer control my old account. While I was spreading the word, I received a DM proving they were trying to scam others under my name.
This article is a plea to everyone to stay safe and be vigilant. I’ve opened a ticket with Twitter support, but the response came in Russian, so I didn’t provide any additional information. I hope to regain control of my old profile, but in the meantime, please be cautious. Much love and thank you for understanding.