Back when I started internet marketing I met a guy who claimed to be very successful online, I even joined his membership site. We chatted through Googletalk several times a week; he taught me a lot about affiliate marketing. I thought he was my friend.
Everything was going great until one day we caught him ripping off one of my affiliate websites, he adamantly refused to admit to it even though there was overwhelming evidence he was the culprit.
He had also convinced me to join the same web hosting service he was using. What he didn’t tell me that I was placed under his reseller account, and that he had access to all my files!?!
Needless to say I cut off all communication with him after we caught him ripping off my site.
Here’s where the nightmare really began, I noticed someone was changing my clickbank id on my affiliate sites. So all my sales were going to someone else! I thought this guy had used my password to break into my hosting account.
So I changed my password, and it happened again, and again! On some days some of my websites were outright deleted. I was pulling my hair out, I had no idea what was going on. It got so bad that I decided to change hosting companies as a last resort, I had to switch over all 30 of my domains.
It was only months later when I put all the pieces of the puzzle together and figured out what had happened, that I was under the bastard’s reseller account!
Things seem to simmer down for a few months, but then it gets worst, he had taken the password information I used in his membership site to break into every online account I had, in one of these these accounts (a project management platform) I had posted my google password for my virtual assistant so she could check my daily stats. Yes, I was stupid enough to use the same password for everything & had NOT changed ALL my passwords after the web hosting incident!?!
So he got my Adwords and gmail password and was spying on me for about a month before he decided to strike.
When the next attack began, it was an absolutely nightmare, this guy went into my Google account and deleted my highest converting keywords. When I changed my Adwords password he hired a hacking company for $150 to try to use phishing scams to get my password again.
I was naïve back then and I fell for the phishing scam. However, I almost immediately realized I had been taken and I immediately changed my Google account password.
However, I had the same password for my web hosting (as I had revealed in the phishing scam email). He broke into my web hosting and deleted ALL of my affiliate sites. I lost thousands of dollars before I realized what had happened . 
Fortunately my hosting company backs up everything every 24 hours so my sites were back up within a few hours, however, after that incident I changed ALL my passwords, and yes they’re different now!
Since this guy lives in Australia I basically have no legal recourse against his actions.
A few words of advice to all internet marketers, especially newbies:
- Be careful who you trust, especially avoid people that come off as shady and talk about doing illegal activities.
- Use separated & completely different password for your secure accounts (such as your web hosting, Adwords, back account, etc) and your public accounts (forums, membership sites etc).
- If your password is ever compromised, changed that password where ever you are using it.
- Don’t tell anyone what your websites are and what markets you’re in.
- Use private registration for the domain names for all your affiliate sites
- If you use a dedicated server, DON’T put all your top affiliates sites on the same server, spread them over different servers.
I learned these lessons through the school of hard knocks, hopefully you won’t have to. By trusting your gut and taking practical measures to protect yourself, you can avoid being the victim of a ruthless cyber-criminal.
If you’ve been the victim of a cyber attack, please feel free to post a comment and share your experience.
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Wow! What a headache! I have used Roboform for years, I use the password generator it has to develop 30 random numeric and alpha character passwords that no one could ever guess, and then I store them in Roboform, and backup Roboform in several places. Then Roboform allows a master password to protect all your passwords should anyone get a hold of your PC or Roboform backup. I then change my important passwords (bank, affiliate accounts, etc.) about once every few months.
The thing I am really careful about is using my Credit Card or Debit Card online, I once had someone try to use my Debit Card to open up fake Ebay accounts. I immediately went to my bank, shut down the account, and opened a new one with new account numbers, new card, etc.
The best form of protection is to use only one card for advertising (your biggest expense usually), then another one for all the stuff you purchase online, then request a spending limit for the one you make most your purchases with, anything under $500.
With all the purchases I make online it’s no suprise that someone could hack an insecure system, intercept the card number, or have an employee at the company use it or sell it.
Anyhow, that’s how I do it.
Thanks for the awesome tips. Separating Adwords & other advertising expenses for your everyday business purchases (ebooks and such) is a great idea!
Credit card fraud is definitely a serious problem. I’ve had my credit card # hacked once. It was nuts, some hacker kid started dropping $1000’s on my card. Thankfully my credit card company locked my card and refunded the bogus charges.
I’m lucky I didn’t get hit as badly as you did…
The biggest thing I’ve been hit with is recurrent billing for forced continuity that I didn’t sign up for.
I’d sent for sample CDs from some of the big name gurus and paid a nominal amount (less than $5) for shipping and handling.
Next thing I know, charges for $39.99 and $49.97 appear on my credit card statement.
I wrote their customer support, no answer even a week later.
So I called my credit card company to initiate a chargeback and reissue a new card.
A major pain in the butt cos my utilities and daily expenses are locked into a billing arrangement for that card.
So now I have a dedicated card for my PPC and Internet stuff, and if needed, I can get the card frozen and a new card issued within 3 days if I see any strange charges on it.
Like they say ‘once bitten…’
Amit,
thats screwed up some people just don’t have morals I don’ tunderstand how people can still off someone then all suddenly feel guilty for it and worse yet acting like your friend I’ve has similar scenarios happen with me
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