Apparently put there by her ex boyfriend. They broke up quite a while ago so it has been there a while, uploading files to some ftp site. Other than setting new passwords everywhere and cleaning up the PC, is there anything else she should concern herself with? Maybe checking with Equifax and Experian? Is this activity illegal when carried out against individuals? I just want to give her good advice.

TIA
Mike

Absolutely illegal.

---

It is what it is.

Serious crime anyway you stretch it.
Be sure to disconnect the PC and do not touch it-- it's going to need to be stored securely as evidence until sentencing.
Do not contact the individual until law enforcement is involved.
She'll need to use a different computer for the time being.
Don't even worry about how to "clean it up right" now.

Otherwise, yeah, get to work changing passwords for all communication accounts, banking sites; contact credit cards and have new cards/account numbers issued. I'm sure others can add to that list.

What will she get from all the trouble it is going to take to get a lawyer, press charges, etc.? Is this something she is going to want to do?

Unless she is invested in getting this lowlife in trouble, she might save herself some aggravation and just worry about making sure all of her information is currently secure and erasing and reformatting said PC.

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volcs0
What will she get from all the trouble it is going to take to get a lawyer, press charges, etc.? Is this something she is going to want to do?

Unless she is invested in getting this lowlife in trouble, she might save herself some aggravation and just worry about making sure all of her information is currently secure and erasing and reformatting said PC.

Aggravation? Do you realize that beyond the potential for financial exploitation and identity ruination, this person probably has every private communication she's sent for however long it's been since she broke up? And he's probably doing it to others?
Ultimately it's hers to decide if she wants to pursue legal action, but I think it would be selfish not to. I'm in for the first $50 if she needs to buy a temp replacement and doesn't have the funds.

Thanks, Black, and also for the advice. I passed it on in a text to her phone. I have a spare mini she can borrow if she needs it. She may also have a work laptop (new job-boyfriend had no access). I hadn't thought about new credit cards.

Mike

Oh yeah.. DEFINITELY involve the police. NOW. Ex creeper needs to go down .

Anybody remember the guy who got caught putting a cellphone under his ex-girlfriend's car (changing the battery for it actually)? This was so he could locate her via GPS.

I think he got three years in jail, deservedly so.

---

I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

The hard part may be proving that he put the keylogger on the PC. I guess it would take some detective work in following the data trail and seeing who was downloading it.

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RAMd®d
Anybody remember the guy who got caught putting a cellphone under his ex-girlfriend's car (changing the battery for it actually)? This was so he could locate her via GPS.

I think he got three years in jail, deservedly so.

I recall this one, but it can't be what you're referring to:
[chicago.cbslocal.com]

Quote
flareslow
The hard part may be proving that he put the keylogger on the PC. I guess it would take some detective work in following the data trail and seeing who was downloading it.

It's going to depend on her local PD to a large extent.
They may know what to do, or they may be useless.

but it can't be what you're referring to

I tried to find it but didn't. There are some examples of using software to monitor cell phone conversations.

Still trying to find the one I read about.

---

I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

Wow - this is really disruptive. Basically ALL of her financial record access could be compromised. If the Ex is really sharp, might not have done anything with the idea of waiting to pounce years later (after she's achieved a larger bank account).

Everything will need to be checked and maybe a new password for security added.

I remember when someone got into our First USA visa account - twice. The first for $5k, the second for another $5k BEFORE the new credit card came to our house! Clearly an inside job. That person used the account access for everything, even tried to use us as references for an account application at a local credit union! We realized all of our accounts with my wife's SSN were compromised - if they had wanted to, they could have cleaned out our kids' college funds. Because they had SSN, we could not just close and reopen accounts. In the end, we had to add a new password to access all of our accounts. Pretty scary.

Quote
sekker
Wow - this is really disruptive. Basically ALL of her financial record access could be compromised. If the Ex is really sharp, might not have done anything with the idea of waiting to pounce years later (after she's achieved a larger bank account).

Everything will need to be checked and maybe a new password for security added.

I remember when someone got into our First USA visa account - twice. The first for $5k, the second for another $5k BEFORE the new credit card came to our house! Clearly an inside job. That person used the account access for everything, even tried to use us as references for an account application at a local credit union! We realized all of our accounts with my wife's SSN were compromised - if they had wanted to, they could have cleaned out our kids' college funds. Because they had SSN, we could not just close and reopen accounts. In the end, we had to add a new password to access all of our accounts. Pretty scary.

A good friend worked for FirstUSA. He had stories. You don't want to know.

How do you know the identity of the culprit?

FBI?

Could be interstate.

/Mr Lynn

---

"Hillbilly at Harvard"
Honky-tonk Country and Bluegrass
Founded in 1948 by Pappy Ben Minnich
Saturdays 9am - 11am Eastern
WHRB-FM, Cambridge, MA
Streaming at [www.WHRB.org]
Be there!
The HAH weblog: [hillbillyatharvard.wordpress.com]

Topical weblog: [walkingcreekworld.wordpress.com]

On the river in Saxonville.

Quote
silvarios
How do you know the identity of the culprit?

I don't. That's who she suspects.

Quote
mrlynn
FBI?

Could be interstate.

/Mr Lynn

Found out they are now on the case.

Mike

was this a hardware keylogger, or a software keylogger? what computer, Windows, OS X, linux?

If I were her, I would CLOSE all my bank accounts and open new ones with new numbers and new information.

Credit card accounts - contact companies, and request new cards, change all passwords.

Anything that she has accessed from that computer, change passwords.

And, go after the lowlife.

Quote
flareslow

Quote
silvarios
How do you know the identity of the culprit?

I don't. That's who she suspects.

Quote
mrlynn
FBI?

Could be interstate.

/Mr Lynn

Found out they are now on the case.

Mike

Keep us informed; I've heard of such things before but rarely the outcome.

---

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space-time
was this a hardware keylogger, or a software keylogger? what computer, Windows, OS X, linux?

From what she told us it was a software keylogger. She found it doing a software update. She uses Windows computers.

Quote
Zoidberg

Keep us informed; I've heard of such things before but rarely the outcome.

Will do.

Mike

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flareslow

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silvarios
How do you know the identity of the culprit?

I don't. That's who she suspects.

Windows computer?

She doesn't use the Mac OS. Her computer is a PC (not Apple) running some version of Windows.

Quote
vicrock
If I were her, I would CLOSE all my bank accounts and open new ones with new numbers and new information.

Credit card accounts - contact companies, and request new cards, change all passwords.

Anything that she has accessed from that computer, change passwords.

And, go after the lowlife.

I'd get the guy first. Closing and changing everything would only alert the criminal and he already has all of the info.

Quote
flareslow
She doesn't use the Mac OS. Her computer is a PC (not Apple) running some version of Windows.

I only asked because it is not uncommon for Windows machines to be compromised. Obviously, I am unsure of your niece's technical level, she could very well be a security virtuoso, but I would not rule out the key logger as originating from an unknown source. Certainly, it does not hurt to give suggestions of an obvious lead to the proper authorities, especially if your niece's parting with her ex was less than amicable.

Quote
silvarios

Quote
flareslow
She doesn't use the Mac OS. Her computer is a PC (not Apple) running some version of Windows.

I only asked because it is not uncommon for Windows machines to be compromised. Obviously, I am unsure of your niece's technical level, she could very well be a security virtuoso, but I would not rule out the key logger as originating from an unknown source. Certainly, it does not hurt to give suggestions of an obvious lead to the proper authorities, especially if your niece's parting with her ex was less than amicable.

Point taken. I certainly do not have enough information to know the source of the software, but I feel she will know if it was the ex very soon.