Scam Alert - I believe Derrick Unger's account was hacked

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Three fishy-looking ads under Derrick's name have appeared today. The latest was clearly taken from an active reverb ad from a store distant from Derrick's listed address, and at about 60% of the price.

I've suspended Derrick's account. Derrick, if you want to get back into the forum, you need to email admin@steelguitarforum.com. We will need to fully verify your identity, you will not be automatically renewed.

Forum members - you should ignore any communications by anyone purporting to be Derrick Unger unless and until we can re-verify his identity.

I think it's clear that we have one or more determined adversaries who are finding ways to hack into member accounts. I strongly suspect that this is due to weak passwords. Until we upgrade the forum and have a means to strictly enforce strong passwords, you should take the following precautions immediately:

1. Replace your password with a STRONG password. By strong, I mean something like at least 16 characters that include at least some lower and uppercase characters and numbers. And is not a dictionary word. A reasonably strong password can be made by concatenating (stringing together without spaces) three or four dictionary words - i.e., ExAmPleword1eXamplewOrD2exAMplEword3 - but make up your own example password with at least 16 characters, don't use this one. Or you can use a random password generator like this one - https://www.avast.com/en-us/random-password-generator - and there are many others. I like this one because it generates the password on your own computer, thus eliminating the potential for an attacker to intercept a password generated on the generator's server and sent to you. And be sure you securely store your password somewhere.

2. If you reply to a For Sale thread, make ABSOLUTELY SURE you know with whom you are dealing. I STRONGLY recommend you insist on a telephone conversation. And unless it's someone you know well enough to recongnize them on the phone, get an address, and then use a search engine to confirm that there is someone with that name at that address and with that telephone number.

The problem here is that a hacker may be stealing the identity of someone you know here. Gives new meaning to the phrase, caveat emptor. Be aware!

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

I've had the same password for over 20 yrs. I just upgraded to a stronger one. Now, I just have to stop entering the old one I have memorized!

I thought the forum was more secure than to allow hackers to obtain info, but I guess crooks are getting more sophisticated every day so we must keep our guard up.

I would encourage all of you to follow Dave's suggestions.

Also, years ago I suggested everybody clean out their email address book so if your email account is hacked, it doesn't spread to everyone else in there. Some of us have a habit of saving everything but it's really just not necessary. JMO.

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

Timely advice. The holiday season seems to bring out the real Nerd cream of the crop.

My Apple ID got hacked just a couple days ago. I shut everything down, including the router, for a nerve-wracking 24 hours (Drug-dealing gambling-addicted digital terrorists are going to steal my life savings!). Then went back on, connected, and immediately changed the ID. All better now, but I’m going through my password list and making changes over the next few days.

K Maul · From: Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL

I was given a password when I first joined and I don’t even know how to change it.
Guess I should dig into this problem.
I did it! Now I have to copy onto my phone, my laptop, my other iPad…..
_________________
KEVIN MAUL: Airline, Beard, Clinesmith, Donner, Evans, Excel, Fender, Fluger, GFI, Gibson, Hilton, Ibanez, Justice, K+K, Live Strings, MOYO, National, Oahu, Peterson, Quilter, Rickenbacher, Sho~Bud, Supro, TC, Ultimate, VHT, Williams, X-otic, Yamaha, ZKing.

Shoshanah Marohn · From: Wisconsin, USA

Your password should include at least one capital letter and one number (not your birthday). We recommend using a password generator like this one: https://www.avast.com/en-us/random-password-generator#mac.

To change your Steel Guitar Forum password, first log in to your account. Then, at the top of the page, in the center, right above your name, you should see “Settings”. Click on that.

This will take you to “update your personal settings.” Yours will look a little bit different from mine, but it should still have “password,” click on “password.”

Write or copy and paste your password twice in the space provided. Write it down for yourself to remember it, or save it in a secure file for yourself. Click on “Update.”

You’re done! Click “done return to forum Index.”

So, in summary:
1. Log in
2. Settings
3. Password
4. Get a new password that is hard.
5. Write it down or save it in a secure file.
6. Update
7. Done!

Thank you for changing your password. And also, before you buy something from a forum advertisement, please call them on the phone and verify their identity.
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Carrying on the Steel Guitar Forum for my dad, b0b, R.I.P.

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