My Turf

Hello,

Thank you for writing to Yahoo! Account Services.

The Security Question listed on this account is:

Who is my first love?

Please supply us with the Secret Answer you entered at the time you set up your account.  We will then be able to verify and update your information.

Thank you again for contacting Yahoo! Customer Care.

POTAAAAHHH!!!

Yesterday morning, I was trying to access my Yahoo account, and I kept getting the "Invalid user name or password" error message. I tried recovering my password, but when I input the information I think my friend, Len-len, entered (she created the email account for me, as I was a complete computer bozo before). Some stuff were easy to answer, like Country and Birthday. But then there are the Zip Code and Alternate email address fields–how can I possibly remember what information were entered there? And I sincerely doubt that Len-len can remember, too. Seven years is a long time, you know.

Really frustrated each time the screen displayed "The information you entered does not match the record in Yahoo" after countless tries, I wrote a love letter to the Yahoo technical support team using my office email account. I explained to them how I have been using the address for almost a decade, and that these are the account information I remember entering, yada-yada-yada. And the excerpt above is their (phew!) very helpful reply.

GREAT. How so wonderful.

Worse, I think someone really just tinkered with my account and changed my password and account protection’s Secret Question. I remember changing it once or twice since Len-len set it up for me. But, sheesh, do you think I will actually use a first love’s name as an answer to the Secret Question?!. Goodness, I know I could be a real ditz at times, but I am not that stupid!

My only source of relief now is that the account has been temporarily disabled and cannot be used to send sleazy mails to contacts in my address book. However, in case any of you receives an email from my cheryl_ingles@yahoo.com account dated March 16 onwards, PLEASE DISREGARD.

Who the hell hacked my account? It is so f**kin’ inconsiderate! I have been using that email address for about 7 years! I use it to chat with friends for free via Yahoo Messenger (especially now that I am abroad and calling from Tokyo to the Philippines is just so damn expensive!). I use it to remember friends and work contacts’ email addresses.  People I have not seen in ages sometimes write to me through that address. I use it as a repository of old files. I have tons of mails that have been in my Inbox and Sent folders since 1999!

Now they’re all PFFFT! Gone! and my only hope for recovery is to remember the name of my first love?!! WTF!

What if I have already forgotten?