4 ms·
My Reddit account got hacked a few years ago because I created a Reddit account using a throwaway password, since I didn't care much about Reddit when I started
by skybrian 4y ago
My Reddit account got hacked a few years ago because I created a Reddit account using a throwaway password, since I didn't care much about Reddit when I started. The hacker started using it to promote crypto.
I was able to get the old account disabled, but couldn't get it back because I couldn't prove I'd ever owned it. So I created a new account, and it wasn't a big deal, but I was annoyed that I lost my preferred username. Fortunately I'm not a moderator for any subreddits.
Don't get the privacy concerns. I'm totally fine if people know what I post on Reddit. It's public. I wouldn't want any friends to get confused by private messages sent as me, though.
People who don't care about losing their account probably aren't doing anything they care about with it, and that's okay, but it's not everyone.
- pavel_lishin 4y ago> Don't get the privacy concerns. I'm totally fine if people know what I post on Reddit. Good for you. But for others, pseudonimity is a way of protecting themselves in real life. There are people who cannot express their views on certain subjects without inviting scrutiny, or even danger, in their real lives. > It's public. There are private subreddits.
- skybrian 4y agoYes, you are right. Let me correct my post: I fully respect the right of some people to post under pseudonyms for well-known security reasons. I don't get why people assume everyone should do that. I've never used a private subreddit, but I imagine it might be hard to get back in after your account got hacked?
- sizzle 4y agoI’m not following, how did a throwaway password get you hacked? Did they use a common password leak list to guess via bruteforcing? Does Reddit not rate limit login attempts?
- skybrian 4y agoI used the same throwaway password on a variety of sites I didn't care much about and the password got on a list. I don't do that anymore.