ICQ account
Several years ago I stopped being able to log into my ICQ account. I created the account in 1997 and used a really bad password. It was an all-lowercase dictionary word. Someone hacked into the account and changed the password. Now I know why:
Rohan told me someone hijacked my account. He had talked to someone on ICQ who was logged in under my old UIN (817776)
Conversation with 817776 at Sat 10 May 2008 01:11:01 AM EDT on 1175708 (icq)
(01:11:04 AM) rohan: zain
(01:11:53 AM) Zain: i'm not zain, please stop messaging to me or i will block you
I asked Rohan to tell him it was stolen.
Conversation with 817776 at Sat 10 May 2008 01:15:02 AM EDT on 1175708 (icq)
(01:15:15 AM) rohan: but you're using his ICQ account. how did you get this number then?
(01:15:53 AM) Zain: i bought it 2 months ago
(01:18:19 AM) rohan: ok, sorry, i won't message you anymore. this was my friends' number a while ago and he says it got stolen from him. i just had it in my list.
(01:18:59 AM) Zain: yeah, i talked to him
I was then inspired to message this guy and maybe get my number back, cause he definitely did not talk to me before taking this number.
[01:40] 415613: hey
[01:40] Meebo Message: 817776 appears offline. Your message may not be received.
[01:41] 415613: i'm zain
[01:41] 415613: i believe my friend messaged you
[01:41] 415613: apparently you purchased this icq account from someone
[01:41] 817776: hi
[01:41] 817776: yes
[01:42] 415613: since i was the original owner of the account (it was subsequently hacked... so you bought a hacked account), i was wondering if you might consider selling it back to me?
[01:42] 415613: or perhaps a swap
[01:42] 415613: i'm using my brother's six digit account which i can give you
[01:42] 817776: nope, sorry. i got too much business contacts associated with it
[01:43] 415613: how on earth did you even buy it?
[01:46] 817776: one friend of mine bought a six-digit and i ased him where did he got it. he introduced me to one russian guy who was selling icq numbers
[01:47] 415613: ah, go figure. how much do they sell them for?
[01:47] 817776: not sure. i guess $25
[01:50] 817776: i can search for his contacts but not surehowwill it help you
[01:52] 415613: i'm just curious, because i haven't been able to log into 817776 for about 5 years now
[01:52] 415613: thanks though
[01:52] 415613: i appreciate the info
[01:52] 817776: sorry for your uin
[01:54] 415613: no worries, i don't even use icq anymore. it's just the nostalgia of that number
[01:56] 817776: yeah, i lov its 777 too ))
So apparently six digit UINs are worth $25. I don't use ICQ anymore but I'm kinda sad that I can't use my 817776 number. I created that account back in 1997. It's mine. I actually don't mind that I can't use it anymore. I do mind that someone else is using it.
Moral of the story: use strong passwords.
Okay, now this REALLY pisses me off. Someone is auctioning off 6 digit UINs on eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/ICQ-Numbers
The claim is that they have been unused since 1997. How the hell did this person get hold of these accounts? They had to have been hacked. GRRRRR
Rohan told me someone hijacked my account. He had talked to someone on ICQ who was logged in under my old UIN (817776)
Conversation with 817776 at Sat 10 May 2008 01:11:01 AM EDT on 1175708 (icq)
(01:11:04 AM) rohan: zain
(01:11:53 AM) Zain: i'm not zain, please stop messaging to me or i will block you
I asked Rohan to tell him it was stolen.
Conversation with 817776 at Sat 10 May 2008 01:15:02 AM EDT on 1175708 (icq)
(01:15:15 AM) rohan: but you're using his ICQ account. how did you get this number then?
(01:15:53 AM) Zain: i bought it 2 months ago
(01:18:19 AM) rohan: ok, sorry, i won't message you anymore. this was my friends' number a while ago and he says it got stolen from him. i just had it in my list.
(01:18:59 AM) Zain: yeah, i talked to him
I was then inspired to message this guy and maybe get my number back, cause he definitely did not talk to me before taking this number.
[01:40] 415613: hey
[01:40] Meebo Message: 817776 appears offline. Your message may not be received.
[01:41] 415613: i'm zain
[01:41] 415613: i believe my friend messaged you
[01:41] 415613: apparently you purchased this icq account from someone
[01:41] 817776: hi
[01:41] 817776: yes
[01:42] 415613: since i was the original owner of the account (it was subsequently hacked... so you bought a hacked account), i was wondering if you might consider selling it back to me?
[01:42] 415613: or perhaps a swap
[01:42] 415613: i'm using my brother's six digit account which i can give you
[01:42] 817776: nope, sorry. i got too much business contacts associated with it
[01:43] 415613: how on earth did you even buy it?
[01:46] 817776: one friend of mine bought a six-digit and i ased him where did he got it. he introduced me to one russian guy who was selling icq numbers
[01:47] 415613: ah, go figure. how much do they sell them for?
[01:47] 817776: not sure. i guess $25
[01:50] 817776: i can search for his contacts but not surehowwill it help you
[01:52] 415613: i'm just curious, because i haven't been able to log into 817776 for about 5 years now
[01:52] 415613: thanks though
[01:52] 415613: i appreciate the info
[01:52] 817776: sorry for your uin
[01:54] 415613: no worries, i don't even use icq anymore. it's just the nostalgia of that number
[01:56] 817776: yeah, i lov its 777 too ))
So apparently six digit UINs are worth $25. I don't use ICQ anymore but I'm kinda sad that I can't use my 817776 number. I created that account back in 1997. It's mine. I actually don't mind that I can't use it anymore. I do mind that someone else is using it.
Moral of the story: use strong passwords.
Okay, now this REALLY pisses me off. Someone is auctioning off 6 digit UINs on eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/ICQ-Numbers
The claim is that they have been unused since 1997. How the hell did this person get hold of these accounts? They had to have been hacked. GRRRRR