Microworkers is hacked today.

@topffer (42156)
France
September 2, 2011 11:07am CST
I logged in my account at Microworkers a few hours ago, but actually the site is hacked to a German account. I don't know if it will last and what damage the hacker has done, but it would be more prudent to not logged in until the end of the attack.
3 people like this
10 responses
@inu1711 (5285)
• Romania
2 Sep 11
Hello Topffer, I was about to enter Microworkers for a few 10cents tasks but I checked my e-mail first. Good to me. 'Cause this is how I found I shouldn't login Microworkers. I don't have too much money in my account there (if $9 can be called "not much") but still I'd like to find them there when Microworkers is back. Have you noticed the "Payment via Credit Card is now available." statement? I saw it in your screenshot and I wonder if it had been there before the Indian-German hacker came or not?
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
2 Sep 11
End of the alert : we can log again, and I just done a new task and changed my password. This "payment via credit card" is here since a month now. I think it is only when you want to credit your account for tasks. I am not very active since they disabled PayPal, but I have $15 in my balance, and I hesitate now between setting a task with it or withdrawing through AP.
2 people like this
@inu1711 (5285)
• Romania
2 Sep 11
This is good news! You can see how active I've been in Microworkers since I haven't noticed that "payment via credit card" yet! I don't like the Alertpay payment either, especially that I don't know what to do with the money from my Alertpay account. Can I transfer them to my Paypal account?
2 people like this
@akp100 (13640)
• India
3 Sep 11
inu..toppfer told me that they having some issue with their paypal account and since then they are not giving paypal option.. There is alertpay their and I guess another one is moneybookers.
4 people like this
@myfb2009 (8296)
• Malaysia
3 Sep 11
Thanks for this info, Top. Now, i had just access my account in Microworkers and it is fine like usual again. I saw my balance still remained the same like usual. I think if you access your account now, it should be fine like usual. Top, why don't you request your payout through Alertpay? My friend had got her payment last month through Alertpay. Hope you had checked your account and it is fine, too...
@myfb2009 (8296)
• Malaysia
6 Sep 11
Yes, i must agreed that i also prefer to receive my payment through paypal, if possible. It is easier, since we don't have to find e-currency exchanger. Even, if you transfer AP money to your bank account, the fees isn't cheap, too. Still the best way is, hope they allow us to withdraw again using paypal. For me, i will withdraw my earning through Alertpay and use for upgrade account or investing.
2 people like this
@myfb2009 (8296)
• Malaysia
12 Sep 11
Hi Jlyn, that's why, i don't withdraw my money in small amount. I try to collect until it reaches a huge amount, then withdraw them one time. At least i only pays the withdrawal fees only once. But, i withdraw my money in paypal whenever i needed it...How you spend your money in Alertpay?
2 people like this
@Jlyn10 (11966)
• Malaysia
12 Sep 11
Hi myfb Even though you are using your alertpay account for upgrading or investing, you would still need to withdraw your money somehow. The problem is that Alertpay charges such a high fee on transferring the money into our bank account.
1 person likes this
• United States
2 Sep 11
I am neither on Microworkers nor do I know German, so I am not the least bit tempted to log in there, but thank you for the "heads-up" anyway. Do you happen to know German? If you do, then do you know if they actually changed anything on the site, for example put up a message or warning or anything, or is the site still basically the same but in a different language?
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
2 Sep 11
The geo localization was in Germany, but the profile in Bangladesh. I saw the hacker changing his email and password during a hour, and I think he was doing some back up at Microworkers. Microworkers is now in maintenance. I hope I will have not lost my earnings and I will change my password when they will be online again.
1 person likes this
• United States
2 Sep 11
I also hope that you have not lost your earnings. It is definitely a good idea to change your password once you are sure that the site is again safe.
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@topffer (42156)
• France
4 Sep 11
It is the first thing I have done.
• United States
2 Sep 11
I have not logged in for a while and while reading your discussion my first thought was to log in. But then you say it is best to wait until it is "fixed", so I will do just that. As some sites with time this sort of stuff does happen, hopefully the damage is not detrimental to anyone.
1 person likes this
• United States
2 Sep 11
If the Admin of the website did not have a backup of the database, then they deserve to be slapped not to mention loose their Administrative position.
@topffer (42156)
• France
2 Sep 11
Last December an old site like Fusionmails had a HDD crash and no recent backup : we had to go the forum saying what was in our account. I think only 5 or 10% of the members did it, and finally the earner has been the site owner. I am not very active at Microworkers since they suppressed PayPal, but I have more than $15 in my balance, and would like to find it back.
• United States
2 Sep 11
That reminds me Topffer! I have $12 in my balance there.
1 person likes this
@akp100 (13640)
• India
2 Sep 11
Hi topffer.. After hearing about micro workers I have joined them.. But still I haven't completed any task.. I haven't logged in their since yesterday so don't know about problem.. But thanks for sharing I will wait till this attack end.
@topffer (42156)
• France
2 Sep 11
End of the alert. My balance is back, but I have changed my password, as I don't know what sort of data the hacker has been able to get.
@akp100 (13640)
• India
2 Sep 11
Thanks for the updates.. I will check it now.
2 people like this
@Jlyn10 (11966)
• Malaysia
2 Sep 11
I'm not very active there anymore since they have stopped paying through paypal cause I don't have an alertpay account. But I still do log in once in a while though. I hope the hacker is on our side and help us get our payment.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
2 Sep 11
I have limited my activity too : I can cash out with AP, but I have a lot of fees to get my money in my bank account, and it is not interesting for me. To not panic members MW has made quite no information about their PayPal issue. All I wish is to find again my balance when they will be back, and I will cash out with AP. Honestly, if they can't manage to offer PayPal again, we are near the end of Microworkers...
1 person likes this
@Jlyn10 (11966)
• Malaysia
2 Sep 11
Yes, I checked AP too and I noticed that the cash out is just not worth it. That's why I did not sign up for AP. It will be sad to see the end of Microworkers.
1 person likes this
• Brazil
3 Sep 11
Why you guys don't cash out using moneybookers? At least for, is a lot easier to me to get the money using MB.
2 people like this
• Canada
2 Sep 11
So sorry the site was hacked Im not on that site though. I dont know if some of your information is on there, probably if you make earnings. Im sure you know that you'll need to change some things to protect yourself and keep an eye since the hackers must have ALL your private information now like your address maybe and passwords of course. Hope you havent lost any of your earnings
1 person likes this
• Canada
6 Sep 11
Im really happy you could find your money in your balance. Good for you Isnt there a way to contact Microworkers to ask whats going on?
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
11 Sep 11
There is a contact address, but they are playing a game of bluff and are difficult to trust : the PayPal logo is still present on the first page of the web site, but withdrawing with PayPal has now been removed from the FAQs without a warning. Same thing with this hacker. On their Facebook they did not said they were hacked, but that "we had problem with our update".
@topffer (42156)
• France
3 Sep 11
I found my money in my balance back again, and I have changed my password, as I don't know what sort of data were accessed by this hacker. Microworkers has no more PayPal option available since mid-July, and some countries need PayPal to cash out. Microworkers does not give any new information about this PayPal problem, which was supposed to be temporary, so I understand why some members are nervous...
1 person likes this
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
6 Sep 11
hi friend, I'm not a member of the site but I guess as a general rule, especially in the internet, anything that has been tampered with is not safe to use, so nice of you to warn others and yes give it time, wait and see what happens, good sites with good admins come up with good solutions
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
11 Sep 11
Hi Louievill, Technically they have quickly solved the problem, and officially they have not been hacked but they had an update problem. I am not sure that one have to waffle to be a good admin.
16 Sep 11
i know this was 2 weeks ago and didn't affect me, but your effort to keep us informed is thanked! :)
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
16 Sep 11
It has not affected you because you did not logged in during these hours, but it should have been a disaster for every member if the hacker had hacked the root account. No company likes to tell "I have been hacked", and we have to live with our doubts : we don't know if the intruder was able to access members passwords, it is why I have preferred to change mine.
19 Sep 11
i think i will change mine also.. many thanks :)
@WakeUpKitty (8694)
• Netherlands
2 Sep 11
:-( thanks for sharing anyway.
1 person likes this