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Original poster

Brother being stalked/hacked online

14 replies

fahlalalalah · 08/12/2013 19:10

Hi All

I'm trying to make sense of all the info online but am struggling to get my head around it all and what to do. right now i need to get my facts straight.

My brother is in a really difficult relationship and has just discovered his partner has been hacking into his email, Facebook etc. He's actually seen the emails popping up on his partners laptop. How is this happening? He changed his passwords as this happened once before and thought it had stopped. Is she getting info via their router or has she put some piece of software on the router or his computer?

Is it illegal? Is is it a breach of data protection law? She doesn't have her own pc only a work one so i guess she is doing all this and monitoring all his data from the work laptop which i guess they would not be happy about it it is breaking some law?

Thanks

OP posts:
CruelAndUnusualParenting · 08/12/2013 20:42

Answering how with any certainty would require a lot more information. I'm guessing she's got hold of his password(s) somehow. Maybe they are easily guessed by someone who knows him. Maybe she has installed keystroke loggers or other software on his PC to spy on him. I'm not an expert on such matters, so I would not presume to advise beyond a thorough scan of his PC with reputable software and a change of password.

I couldn't recommend any specific software to find a key logger. This guide offers some other things to try.

Is it illegal? I believe it probably is. Certainly if it's done from a work PC, it would put her employers in breach of the data protection act and use of a work PC in this way could constitute serious misconduct. Proving it would be another matter.

Original poster
fahlalalalah · 08/12/2013 20:48

Thanks cruel. All passwords changed to really obscure ones and she still got in again.

Think we are going to contact Citizens Advise - i guess they have things like this all the time and apparently can write letters to person concerned on your belaf. Someone also suggested what is happening could also be harassment and they could help in dealing with it.

OP posts:
IThoughtThat · 08/12/2013 23:49

Check the email setting 'rules' she may have set it up so that a copy of all emails are sent to her.

What type of email account does your brother have!

antimatter · 09/12/2013 00:13

I work in IT and I didn't realise until just now how easy it is possible to "sniff" someone's FB and email passwords!!!!:
geeksincorporated.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/how-to-hack-any-fb-account-using-cookie-stealing/

I will try to find out more about it as I am personally shocked at it!

I think it is possible if he and his partner are using the same network.

For now I think he should not use his email or FB whilst they are on the same network i.e. wifi at home.

Has he got separate mobile wifi access he can use for now?
Important point is that his partner has no access to that phone's internet?

antimatter · 09/12/2013 00:14

obviously he should change those passwords outside of his home network asap!
library, work, friends house perhaps?

Quoteunquote · 09/12/2013 00:22

He should get someone who knows about computers to see if there is any spy stuff installed on his computer.

antimatter · 09/12/2013 00:29

Quoteunquote - link I've added above explains that you don't need any changes to someone's computer to steal their passowrds

it is enough to be on the same wifi or cabled network i.e. both of them being under the same roof using the same internet connection

HereIsMee · 09/12/2013 00:45

I think you'd be best checking with someone who understands IT before you go to the citizens advice bureau because even though it's 2013 some people don't understand what you are talking about. I remember describing harassment on twitter to a man at my local CAB when I described the fact that's emails had been hacked and messages were sent to me via twitter he asked if my TV spoke to me. I tried to explain that twitter was a kind of messaging service and eventually gave up.

Hacking into his emails is illegal but it can be complicated if it's not clear how she's doing it as she could do so many things after accessing his email that she might not need passwords. Here's the legal guidance www.cps.gov.uk/legal/a_to_c/communications_offences/

HereIsMee · 09/12/2013 00:46

Oops that link is www.cps.gov.uk/legal/a_to_c/communications_offences/

HereIsMee · 09/12/2013 00:58

Sorry I think I sent the wrong link www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/stalking_and_harassment/#a05a very sleepy, hope he gets it sorted out soon

Original poster
fahlalalalah · 09/12/2013 09:28

Thanks all. Going to pass on all the advise to him, especially about the wifi home network. I really appreciate the support.

OP posts:
IThoughtThat · 09/12/2013 09:38

Get him to check the email 'rules, I would think its the most likely reason his emails are going to her laptop. Check his router/accounts/iCloud etc 'home sharing' options.

Key logging can and does happen but I would guess its less likely in this case. I doubt she has broken into his accounts but rather is just recieving emails as a recipient. IYSWIM It's probably something quite simple.

It would have helped to know more details.

Hope he sorts it out.

Naoko · 09/12/2013 17:08

Does she have physical access to the laptop? That's the easiest way, to be honest. Keylogging can and does happen, it's not that hard, but if they live together or she ever has access to the laptop while he's not looking, she's probably either set up an email rule to forward everything to her account, as suggested above, or she's looked at the saved passwords in the browser settings and written them down so she can log in to whatever she likes. The only way to avoid that is to keep the laptop away from her, change all passwords, and don't let the browser remember any for you.

chateauferret · 28/12/2013 21:51

I'd report her to the plod, quite frankly. It's an offence under the Computer Misuse Act, if she's accessing money it's theft, and if she's stalking him it's harassment. Who knows what personal information she may have stolen and what she might do with it? Insist they come down on her like a metric tonne of top-quality housing bricks.

And if she's defamed him instruct a solicitor. That on its own isn't a criminal offence but it still needs taking seriously.

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