Urgent/scary situation-BBM help needed. (I'm not familiar with it)

I'm sorry for intruding the forum this way, but I can't find solid info anywhere regarding BBM security issues.

I am a Blackberry Curve user, but have never used BBM & therefore don't know much about it.
I have a security issue going on and am trying to find out where I need to begin on changing my info & pws and how far to go on it.

Can someone help me understand these things about BBM? (I assure you I'm intelligent -just not when it comes to tech)

*How can someone find you on BBM & know your name? I thought it was all done by pin# (I have no BBM profile)

*This person added me to contacts & started talking about things that I had been searching/reading via my laptop. Possibly coincidence, but would be a weird one.

Is it possible that they have access to my IP & everything?


It's no one I know, I am positive. In fact, my Nancy Drew skills have found out who it is. They don't even live on my continent.

There is much more detailed info regarding this, but in all honesty, I'm afraid of posting much because I don't know if/what this person has access to of mine.

If someone could help me understand how I could be found on BBM, etc. I can start from there and figure out what to do.


Any help would be appreciated so much. Pretty desperate

The PIN isn't on ANY list...pretty strange stuff....unless it's a prank....

Could be some dudes having a list of PINs....but linking this to what you were searching on the internet means that it is either a chance ( ... ) or it's a very well organize fraud/scam.

You should change all your password from ANOTHER computer than your laptop, could be remoted right now as ur reading this...Don't take the chance....if possible switch ur BlackBerry, major carriers have 30 days satisfaction, you could send it for repair as well and request a motherboard swap, would change the pin but you would be left with a "repaired" "altered" phone...

Anyway.....REALLLLYY strange stuff.......post more details, would help !


See ya

Matt

Originally Posted by York_qc

The PIN isn't on ANY list...pretty strange stuff....unless it's a prank....

Could be some dudes having a list of PINs....but linking this to what you were searching on the internet means that it is either a chance ( ... ) or it's a very well organize fraud/scam.

You should change all your password from ANOTHER computer than your laptop, could be remoted right now as ur reading this...Don't take the chance....if possible switch ur BlackBerry, major carriers have 30 days satisfaction, you could send it for repair as well and request a motherboard swap, would change the pin but you would be left with a "repaired" "altered" phone...

Anyway.....REALLLLYY strange stuff.......post more details, would help !


See ya

Matt

Thank you so much! It's actually past time for an upgrade so it looks like I need to quit procrastinating and get a new phone.

Someone told me (in "real life") I need to change my BBM password, but how am I supposed to know a password to something I don't "log in" to, ya know?


Ok let me ask you this....
It started with a BBM msg that at first seemed like a bot. (It's not, though). I did reply to it. It wasn't until I replied that they called me by name.
By default, if I reply to a msg does that person then see my first name?

They did mention my last name later which assuredly is nowhere to be found on the net publicly*. However, my last name is also a commonly used word, and this person's English is very broken, so that might be a coincidence.


*I say this because I grew up in a "tech household" (dad & brother). 1st kid around to have a PC/1st teen to have internet. So I've never used my real last name for anything public on net (including email) since 1995.

You can be added via email address, PIN, name, phone number, by scanning a PIN barcode, possible via NFC, or from within a BBM Group (which doesn't apply to you).

Maybe you got a virus/tracker on your computer, and the person obtained your email address or phone number and sent you a request? Seems like a lot of work, lol.

Have you tried just asking them how they got your info?

Originally Posted by alldaynight

Thank you so much! It's actually past time for an upgrade so it looks like I need to quit procrastinating and get a new phone.

Someone told me (in "real life") I need to change my BBM password, but how am I supposed to know a password to something I don't "log in" to, ya know?


Ok let me ask you this....
It started with a BBM msg that at first seemed like a bot. (It's not, though). I did reply to it. It wasn't until I replied that they called me by name.
By default, if I reply to a msg does that person then see my first name?

They did mention my last name later which assuredly is nowhere to be found on the net publicly*. However, my last name is also a commonly used word, and this person's English is very broken, so that might be a coincidence.


*I say this because I grew up in a "tech household" (dad & brother). 1st kid around to have a PC/1st teen to have internet. So I've never used my real last name for anything public on net (including email) since 1995.

I've got the user talking right now & I'm playing victim. Prior to this he was just sending links and saying my name and saying randomness (24 hours now). He does not know that I have found who he is. (His BBM is a fake profile of a teenager in Canada)



He keeps referring to "Dadd" and "ham" Is "Dadd" a real thing?



Just now:
Me: How did you find me?

user: Dadd


Me: I am scared. What is Dadd?

He said " Dadd. I am sorry"

"are you ok friend"

Me: I am very afraid. Please tell me how you found me.

" Dadd. Me sory. Hay friend. Dayna only just ham friend "


Even last night he was saying "Dadd".

Originally Posted by Michelle Haag

You can be added via email address, PIN, name, phone number, by scanning a PIN barcode, possible via NFC, or from within a BBM Group (which doesn't apply to you).

Maybe you got a virus/tracker on your computer, and the person obtained your email address or phone number and sent you a request? Seems like a lot of work, lol.

Have you tried just asking them how they got your info?

Yes, I just did ask that and posted it before I read your msg! Post above shows his answer on "how he found me".... kinda

I'm sorry to be taking up all this time on a forum I'm not native of - I sometimes get irked on forums I mod when newbies come on & make it all about them

But I have been researching this for 18 hours before coming here and "whining"

Originally Posted by Michelle Haag

Maybe you got a virus/tracker on your computer, and the person obtained your email address or phone number and sent you a request? Seems like a lot of work, lol.

Yes... waaayyy too much work! This person's English is so bad I don't see how he could manage.

I found "the real him" on Twitter.

(I'm following "bomb threat" rules here now... keep them on the line, ask them personal questions, keep them talking. ha)

Originally Posted by alldaynight

Yes... waaayyy too much work! This person's English is so bad I don't see how he could manage.



I found "the real him" on Twitter.



(I'm following "bomb threat" rules here now... keep them on the line, ask them personal questions, keep them talking. ha)

Looks to me like he just wants attention. I'd delete him and block future invites. People like that just have nothing better to do than play games. Keeping him talking accomplishes nothing but giving him what he wants.

Originally Posted by jake_870

Looks to me like he just wants attention. I'd delete him and block future invites. People like that just have nothing better to do than play games. Keeping him talking accomplishes nothing but giving him what he wants.

Definitely agree. By "keep him talking" I did not mean for long. haha. I had not responded other than the initial msg, but after getting 100+ msgs from him while I was sleeping, I decided to talk to him to see if I could get any clarity or info. Luckily I was able to have someone trace a good bit of info, & then ended contact with the last msg that I posted above. (Although this does not change the fact that the person spoke of things I was googling. Nor do I have any possible connection to the person as they live in a very small country on an entirely different continent)

So yeah, I agree he just wants attention, but that doesn't change the security concerns

Back to one of my initial questions - (one of the most important things for me to know)

When I got the first msg from him and responded, does my first name show up to him? Is that how he knew my name?
(Keep in mind I have no BBM profile, so anything set up there would be default)

Originally Posted by alldaynight

Back to one of my initial questions - (one of the most important things for me to know)

When I got the first msg from him and responded, does my first name show up to him? Is that how he knew my name?
(Keep in mind I have no BBM profile, so anything set up there would be default)

Hmm.. you have to have something in the name field, it can't be blank. Open your BBM, and at the top of the main screen (where it shows your contacts, chats, etc) it will have an avatar and your name. Whatever it says/shows there is what your contacts see.