Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Weird email

28 replies

nolovelost · 09/10/2020 22:34

Posting for traffic.

I had an email in my 'primary' folder which I archived by mistake. It was something about a subscription that I knew nothing about. When I went to view the email in 'all mail' (apparently this is where archived messages go) it was nowhere to be seen.

What do you make of this?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
PossiblyPattio · 09/10/2020 22:37

Somebody probably used your email by accident, there was a thread about it a few days ago on here!! Smile

Yqui · 09/10/2020 22:40

If you're worried someone's in your email, change your password on your email and sign out all active sessions.

JetBlackSteed · 09/10/2020 22:42

Need more info. What email provider? Gmail?
What device are you reading email on?

How do you know you archived it?
Is it in deleted items instead?

Original poster
nolovelost · 09/10/2020 22:52

Could you link that thread please?

Yes Gmail on Android Samsung phone.

It's not in the bin and if you swipe left it goes into archive.

OP posts:
ILovesPeanuts · 09/10/2020 22:59

I can never find anything I accidentally archive on gmail.

Original poster
nolovelost · 09/10/2020 23:08

@ILovesPeanuts really? I checked other messages that I'd archived and they're all there in 'all messages'

OP posts:
Original poster
nolovelost · 09/10/2020 23:09

Sorry... 'all mail'

OP posts:
Original poster
nolovelost · 09/10/2020 23:10

I'm absolutely clueless as to how someone can use my email? So they can use it as if it was theirs and then delete a message?

OP posts:
Original poster
nolovelost · 09/10/2020 23:24

@Yqui I've changed my Google password is that the correct thing to do?

When you say sign out of active sessions, what do you mean?

OP posts:
NutNutmum · 09/10/2020 23:31

@nolovelost

You need to go into your Google account settings, not just email settings.
Go into Security and set up 2-tep Verification (Everyone should always! have this enabled).
Set this up for your phone, or even better buy a "Yubico Security Key NFC" or similar.

What will happen then is the first time you log into your email on a new device, it will either ask for the key or text you a code. With out these even with your password no-one can access your email.

if you need further advice message me :)

Original poster
nolovelost · 09/10/2020 23:37

@NutNutmum thank you. I've changed it through Google, do I still have to do the 2-tep verification?

OP posts:
NutNutmum · 09/10/2020 23:45

2-Step Verification you should always use, with email. It prevents people getting access to your account even if they get your password.

So basically when you have set it up, you log into your email as usual. enter email address and then password. Then on any new device it will ask for an extra code, which is either supplied by sending your phone number a text with the code or having a small device that gives you a code.

If a hacker gets your email address and password, with out 2-step verification they can get into your account. but with it on they either need your phone or device also.

I hope this is a bit more clear.

Original poster
nolovelost · 09/10/2020 23:48

Thank you very much. I'll try and find that now.

OP posts:
NutNutmum · 09/10/2020 23:49

Google video explains it for you on youtube Smile

NRatched · 09/10/2020 23:59

Not used my gmail in a while, but there used to be a feature that let you see IP and computer details of the last logins on your account, so if aything dodgy had been going on with someone else being on it, it would show there.

Mind, I do remember archiving stuff accidentally and never finding it again when I used to use it a lot.

Original poster
nolovelost · 10/10/2020 00:00

Thank you, I've done it. It says the 2-step verification is on.

It then gives me the options as shown in my pics. Do I need to do anything with that? @NutNutmum

Weird email
Weird email
OP posts:
Original poster
nolovelost · 10/10/2020 00:04

Sorry, screenshots.

It's just dawned on me, the subscription in the email is a certain subscription that my ex would use. He's as dodgy as...

I'm worried now as to what else could he have done.

Can someone also track your phone without having to handle it?

Weird email
Weird email
OP posts:
NutNutmum · 10/10/2020 00:06

Print off the backup codes and keep them safe or write them down and put them some where safe.
These back up codes are a one time use that you can enter to get access to your email if for some reason you cant get a 2-Step code text to you.

If you buy a security key like the "Yubico - YubiKey 5 NFC" I use you can add it to your account using add a Security key.
Its just a small usb type stick that, i hold against the back of my phone with "NFC" enabled on my phone and it unlocks the 2 step if I need (this is just optional to getting a code text to me).

NutNutmum · 10/10/2020 00:09

Yes is you have location activated, you can see history of your phones location and track your phone.

See my attached image from my pc.

Weird email
NutNutmum · 10/10/2020 00:11

Here also to find your phone if its lost will show location.

Weird email
Original poster
nolovelost · 10/10/2020 00:22

@NRatched thanks, yes I found that but it said that there was no activity found. I don't know what's going on!

@NutNutmum thanks again. So the code it sent me to set it up, you mean copy that? Do I still need to sign out of Google? I can't find how to do that! Sorry for all the questions.

OP posts:
Rapunzathepenguin · 10/10/2020 00:29

This used to happen to me regularly - have you checked the bin to see if the email is there?

And while it's a pain in the backside, the 2-step verification is a very good idea on Gmail.

I do wonder sometimes what's next, though, to keep us safe online. A retina scan?? A drop of blood or two?? An actual cell?? (I'm old enough to remember 1995, when it burst into the lives of even ordinary people in a display of light and joy....) Quite terrifying to think that's 25 years ago now...it's a generation....

NutNutmum · 10/10/2020 00:29

Go into this part of the 2-Step authentication screen shot you sent me, where it says setup backup codes. Write these down or print them and keep them safe (but not the ones in the screen shot of mine as they were generated for my account).

And you can generate one time codes to use as a backup to get into your account as shown in my screen shot for my account. (I created new codes after I took the screenshot as you should never share them after you generate them.)

You don't need to sign out of google no.

Weird email
Weird email
Oncemorewithfeelin · 10/10/2020 00:34

Could it have been a phishing type email? I get loads of these about general subscriptions, but quite often they come into my inbox and then are identified as spam and automatically removed.

NRatched · 10/10/2020 00:37

I do wonder sometimes what's next, though, to keep us safe online. A retina scan?? A drop of blood or two?? An actual cell??

A friend 'protected' her phone a while back by using a fingerprint scanner thing, so if anyone ever nicked it, it would be useless to them. They managed to get around that, whoever nicked it and sold it to the local cex. She knew it was hers because of the small scratches and a little crack in exactly the same place. CEX wouldn;t have bought it when it was locked. So theres a way around fingerprints already it seems!

Had never even heard of that until that situation, but I would have thought that was about the safest you could get without going down blood testing and such! Seemingly not.

Swipe left for the next trending thread