AdSense Account Hacked to Send Payment to Thief

Four Weeks Later and Still No Help from Google Support

[Eurydice]

Someone hacked my Adsense account.

The payment has been re-routed to a person in India.

I found Google Adsense's support email and sent them an email with all the details. That was four weeks ago.

Zero response. Google can't figure out how this was done or how to stop it.

If you're using Adsense, you must watch it closely. It's hackable. And Google can't stop it.

If there is anyone from Adsense on this list, please contact me. Please, please fix this.

[Green_Grass]

To state the obvious.. How can any one change your payee name in the adSense account. This is simply not allowed. A person needs to re apply for a new adSense account.

I think, you mean that the code was changed in your website. That is a website hack.. not an adsense hack.

If the name was changed in the adsense account, then Google has been hacked. Not only your account.

[Green_Grass]

OK I am being naive. They allow Payee name changes in US and Europe.. not in India, China, Brazil etc..


( I wonder why?)

[rajivatre]

@Green_Grass: Do they allow to change the country as well along with payee name?
I have no idea about the US and Europe account so I am asking.

Thanks
Rajiv

[Green_Grass]

Yeah something does not tally here..

[google.com...]

I am located in or want to change my country to China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, or Singapore.

Due to system and legal constraints, we are unable to change your country if you're located in or need to change to an address in one of these locations. In these locations, we'll work with you to close your existing account and open a new account using your desired address. Please contact us to begin this process.

It seems changing the country to India...China etc .. is not easy and not allowed.

Even the change the country form, they have.. requires validation. Seems a tough thing to do.

[joelgreen]

This could be a glitch in Google databases - adsense account number could be re-linked (for example after some Adsense Maintenance) to another person - thus all the personal data differs.

[ThatsBoBo]

Hmm. After all this, I just went through every account I have (adsense, credit cards, banks, etc.) and changed every password on a freshly imaged computer. Makes me feel a bit better.

[AdSenseAdvisor]

Hi All,

As I think many/most of you are aware, Jen the former ASA has moved to another team within Google and we're currently in the process of transitioning her ASA responsibilities to a new team member. In the meantime, we've reached out to Eurydice via private message to help resolve this specific issue.

For information on preventing AdSense hacking issues, we recommend that people read our blog post about account security [adsense.blogspot.com ] for additional tips on keeping your account secure. Please also note that we send automated email notifications whenever important account information such as form of payment or payee name has been updated. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to make sure that the email address in your AdSense account is current so that you don't miss these types of notifications.

Thanks,
Dan/Chris

[MsHuggys]

I think the important message this posts sends us all is this. Since you have to change your payment info by the 15th of the month, the payment info should be checked every month on the 15th. If you see something hinkey at that time, you can correct it and notify Adsense.

Also, why aren't there automated emails going out to publishers that send a follow up note when account information has been changed as banks, credit card companies, retailers and most other online companies send out to let you know your account information has been changed, even if the email address is changed? This is a simple automated process that would give publishers an immediate heads-up something is wrong.

... or is that already being done. I don't know, because I have never changed my info in the five years I have been with Adsense. If it is being done, how did this not tip off the OP?

[alika]

MsHuggys ... there is an automated system alerting you when you change your info. That's why AdsenseAdvisor said:

Therefore, we strongly encourage you to make sure that the email address in your AdSense account is current so that you don't miss these types of notifications.

That's why there's skepticism on the claims of the OP because (a) when your payee is changed, there is an automated alert; and (b) it is not possible to change your payee country to India WITHOUT removing your codes and reapplying again

[Eurydice]

It's July 7th: I posted on May 11th, and there is STILL NO ANSWER from Google.

I've emailed Adsense Support, I posted to Google Adsense's forum

Two months and zero reply from Google.

My account still has someone in India as the payee.

[IanCP]

My account still has someone in India as the payee

You haven't or can't change that? Nor your password? What happened to the May and June payments, if any were due?

[farmboy]

It's July 7th: I posted on May 11th, and there is STILL NO ANSWER from Google...Two months and zero reply from Google.

On May 14th, ASA posted on this forum:

In the meantime, we've reached out to Eurydice via private message to help resolve this specific issue.

Are you saying Google has not contacted you via private message?

==========================================

From the original post:

Zero response. Google can't figure out how this was done or how to stop it.

If you haven't had any communication from Google, how do you know it's a matter of them not being able to figure out how this was done or how to stop it?


FarmBoy

[Eurydice]

1) Google AdsenseAdvisor indeed emailed me via private email on May 14th. I replied with details on the account... but the email bounced back, because the mailbox is full. I've tried several times over the last few weeks. The mailbox was still full. I gave up on that.

2) If you look at Adsense forum, others have the same problem. No solution from Google.

[Lapizuli]

I don't want to derail this thread, but ASA offered a T-shirt a while back, as I recall, and said to email. I think I tried contacting ASA through the email system here, and it bounced. I wonder if they even know it's full? And if there's a way to expand the size of ASA's inbox...

[Green_Grass]

I think we should all forget about ASA for some time . He/she seems to have totally vanished for a while now. No post.. Nothing.. so forget him/her and rely on other sources.

[londrum]

this is a good example of how useless google's customer service is. forget about sending them an email. you've got more chance of speaking to someone by posting a cry for help on a public forum and hoping that they stop by and read it. and even then... you still don't get any help.

[Tashi]

I had the same problem once, the contact information in my Adsense account was changed so I thought the Adsense account was hacked.

Turns out it was my Adwords account that was hacked. When the contact information in your Adwords account changes, it changes in your Adsense account as well.

Contact Adwords support if your Adwords account is hacked as well, they respond quickly and will solve the matter in no time. Adsense support never responded to my mails...

[HuskyPup]

There's nothing wrong...just like there's never any data loss, just like SmartPricing is THE most incredible thing ever devised, just like closing AdWords & AdSense accounts for no reason whatsoever, just like just like they listen to their "partners" constantly, just like...do I need to go on?

Of course it's not Google, they're infallible, just like...?...errrr...the "pink skins" who are supposedly "in charge".

[Eurydice]

It's fixed! Google Adsense called a bit ago; the guy said it was a hairball of a mess.

My accounts go back to 2003; there are Adwords accounts, MCCs, Adsense, etc. They moved things around; I can finally log into my original (and primary) Adsense account again; and I tied the Adsense account to my Google Analytics account.

Many thanks to Google Adsense.

[Green_Grass]

good news.. Now what about the lost money?

[rustybrick]

Yea, did you get your money back?

[JasonDX]

I have wifi in the house, but how would someone in India get access to that?

Is your wifi encrypted? If it's not anyone driving by your house can park outside and collect all your passwords.

[drall]

Go one step further then encryption and only allow your systems mac addies in. That will really lockdown your wifi.

[Eurydice]

Yes, the account was recovered. All is well now.

[artek]

In business and consumer disputes if you want to get attention always send your letters by Post Office registered mail.

You will get attention of your opponent faster.

No one ignores the registered mail letters because they could be very strong court documents should you decide to seek a legal way to solve your problems.

[yaix2]

Is your wifi encrypted? If it's not anyone driving by your house can park outside and collect all your passwords.

Google Account Login is over https: so its encrypted anyway.

[jojy]

I thought Google did not allow the payee to be different than the Adsense account holder.

You can change your payee name from your adsense account, recently Google has made change in new interface from where you can change country if the currency is same

[jojy]

Google Account Login is over https: so its encrypted anyway.

But your computer is still in under attack.

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

#1 - a U.S. adsense account holder must reside in the U.S. so I'd be interested to know why they allowed the adding of a foreign bank. They seem to have allowed a breach of their own rules.

#2 - Adsense accounts are NOT transferable, so why did adsense allow a NEW payee to replace you? Again, this would seem to be a violation of their own rules.

Shouldn't be possible, payments to the thief should fail for the reasons mentioned above and if they don't I believe you have a rather solid small claims case against Google adsense. They're doing what they say isn't allowed by paying the thief into his foreign bank account.

[necromuncher]

Its obvious, this Eurydice is making up stories. Stories that you would almost believe if you didn't investigate well.

Like, alika, Rodeo and among others said, country can not be changed and its impossible for Indian people to get money via bank.


Let alone give the benefit of the doubt 'Google server hacked and someone changed your information randomly.'