Email and Facebook accounts hacked - Would you fall victim to the scheme?

CLEVELAND - We've all had emails from strangers that ask for our help in a time of crisis. They're typically part of a scheme to steal your money. But, what if a friend sent you one of these emails? Would you believe it?

When Sabrina Filippone-Switaj turned on her cell phone after a nine day cruise, she was greeted with texts and voicemails all with the same frantic tone.

"I pray you are OK. I'm worried to death please call me as soon as you get this," one caller said on Filippone-Switaj's voicemail.

Filippone-Switaj was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, but for what? She just returned from vacation!

"We're getting emails saying you've been mugged and they want us to send money -- no problem that won't be a problem," the friend's voicemail explained.

Public computers vulnerable

Filippone-Switaj isn't sure how her email was hacked, but computer experts say public computers are vulnerable.

Malware can be installed that can steal your username and password.

Filippone-Switaj's husband used a public computer on the cruise to check his wife's email. Days later, the fraudulent emails began.

"Some people gave phone numbers. They said call me collect," Filippone-Switaj explained.

Filippone-Switaj doesn't believe anyone lost money, but she's not sure. Her contact list was deleted and so were several months worth of sent email.

She worked with her email provider to get that restored, but Filippone-Switaj knows she was extremely lucky.

Facebook account hacked
"Interesting enough I used the same password in my Facebook account. They did not use it to get into that account as far as I know and I have changed it since," Filippone-Switaj explained.

SecureState security consultant, Tom Eston, says this scheme could have gone to a whole new level.

"They'll log into your Facebook account, they'll see whose online, who your friends are online and they'll communicate with them," Eston explained.

A Massillon woman says it happened to her. According to the police report, she thought she was talking with her friend on Facebook instant messenger.  After hearing she'd been robbed overseas, the elderly woman wired $500.

Her friend was safe at home. Someone hacked into the friend's account and posed as her.

"They're leveraging those trust relationships you have with all your friends on Facebook and it happens quite a bit," Eston said.

Malware emails
Have you gotten a strange email from a friend filled with text that doesn't make sense or an email with random links? When you get one of these emails, it means your friend's computer is infected. It's yet another way to steal your personal information.

If you click on the link, security experts say your computer will become vulnerable.

Clicking on the link allows malicious code to run in the background of your computer.

"The benefit is they have control of your computer so they can install anything they want on your computer," SecureState security expert Tom Eston explained. "One of the things they like to do is install a keylogger which tracks every single keystroke you make ."

When you log into your bank account or email, your username and password are secretly sent to the hacker. They can then access your personal information and possibly steal your money or identity.

To make sure your system is safe, update the latest patches. Eston says Microsoft recently added 14 critical updates. Stay up to date on those updates and use security software.

Eston says you can skip the expensive security suites. Microsoft Security Essentials is free and Eston recommends it.

Protecting yourself

It sounds simple but it's the best defense mechanism -- think before you click and think before you act.

"You think it's not going to happen to you but you never know," Filippone-Switaj said.

In Filippone-Switaj's case, while they spammed her entire contact list, the hackers sent the email from a different email address. It looked like Filippone-Switaj's email, but it was one letter off and sent from a different provider.

Filippone-Switaj thinks her friends just panicked, and didn't pay attention to the red flags.

The hackers did get one thing right. They spelled her name right, which the Italian born woman said, "...is very unusual."

"It was a lot of response which is nice to know these people out there care about me but I feel bad they were worried and taken advantage of," Filippone-Switaj explained.

Some Internet programs ask you to change your password frequently. Some users rotate the same password among all their accounts. This is dangerous according to security experts.

Eston recommends you use a password manager. He recommends KeePass which is free. It helps you create complicated passwords that are hard to hack.