Gmail - “Your Password Has Neen Stolen”

[gypsydan]

I have many gmail accounts. I use Mozilla Thunderbird to read my email, not webmail. Every time I move and open Thunderbird to read my email I get a messsge telling me my passwords have been stolen. 

Everytime I move to a different area, or city, or state, Before I can download my email to my computer I get the message “ your Passwords Have Been Stolen. You are required to log into Gmail  to validate your password.“ Sometimes I have to log in and out of Gmail several times before  Gmail recognizes my password at the new location. 

I have not found a way in which to contact gmail to get help fixing this problem.  From what I’ve read on other  forums, this is occurring to all Gmail accounts when they have moved from an identified location. 

Many one have a valid solution, or know how to contact a live person at gmail help?

Thanks in advance. Dan

them. Every time I move I get a messsge telling me my passwords have been stolen.

Everytime I move to a different area, or city, or state, Before I can download my email to my computer I get the message “ your Passwords Have Been Stolen. You are required to log into Gmail  to validate your password.“ Sometimes I have to log in and out of Gmail several times before  Gmail recognizes my password at the new location. 

I have not found a way in which to contact gmail to get help fixing this problem.  From what I’ve read on other  forums, this is occurring to all Gmail accounts when they have moved from an identified location. 

Does any one have a valid solution, or know how to contact a live person at gmail help?

Thanks in advance. Dan

[Devilishjim]

I have to sign into google when I have done a complete cleanup on my computer other than that I never sign in for gmail it just opens up for me when I click on mail...You might go into settings and see what you can do there ?  good luck. I always forget passwords so it can be a real issue for me !

[Dutch_12078]

I haven't done any actual testing to find a correlation, but it seems that when I open Google Maps on my phone and let it locate me a little while before checking my mail, I don't recall having the "password stolen" issue. I'll have to pay more attention to that and see if there's a connection.

[gypsydan]

Just now, Dutch_12078 said:

I haven't done any actual testing to find a correlation, but it seems that when I open Google Maps on my phone and let it locate me a little while before checking my mail, I don't recall having the "password stolen" issue. I'll have to pay more attention to that and see if there's a connection.

Are you using gmail’s webmail, or an email reader like Thunderbird?

[SWharton]

I use Gmail and Thunderbird and have never encountered that problem. I woould check your settings.

Devilishjim,

A good password organizer is Keepass. I have used it for many years and never a problem with it.

[eddie1261]

Do you guys know how to look at message headers? I was an IT guy for a LONG time and Google or an other mail system, even corporate, has NO WAY to know if your password was stolen. They don't even know your password. They have ********* as your password. If you know how to check message headers, make damned sure that the email saying your password was stolen came from your mail provider.

If your mail account in a gmail account, you ARE using webmail no matter what front end mail client you use to get to it. Gmail is an IMAP mail system (Internet Message Access Protocol) where a mail server provided by an ISP is POP (Post Office Protocol). You can configure Outlook, Thunderbird, Eudora.... any email client, to access both POP3 and IMAP mail servers.

I would love to see the message headers on a message saying your password has been stolen. As a former email administrator, I would be curious to know the logic here that any mail system can know your password was stolen. Even if it was entered wrong a dozen time and the account was locked, how would the mail server know if it was "stolen" or if YOU entered it wrong?

Does anybody still have a message saying that your password was stolen? That sounds more to me like a hacker sending it to get you to provide a new password. What does the message say? Does it give you a clickable link saying something like "Go here and enter your new password?" I understand that running a cleanup with something like CClean or TSA would make your computer forget your password because it erases your cookies. (People in general SO have the wrong idea about what cookies really are and do.) And even if you do run CClean and it erases your cookies, it doesn't reach out to gmail and erase your password THERE. Only from the storage on your computer. 

If anybody has a message saying your computer was stolen, can you PM me and I can help you get to the message headers? I would love to see the real origination point of that message.

[LindaH]

Unless this is a recent problem (since March), I haven't had it.  We move around quite a bit during the winter and I've never received this message. 

How in the world would GMail know where you are?!

[Pat & Pete]

1 minute ago, LindaH said:

Unless this is a recent problem (since March), I haven't had it.  We move around quite a bit during the winter and I've never received this message. 

How in the world would GMail know where you are?!

Servers  ...  IP address 

Google probably knows exactly how many sheets of TP you use each time . LOL

[Devilishjim]

1 hour ago, SWharton said:

I use Gmail and Thunderbird and have never encountered that problem. I woould check your settings.

Devilishjim,

A good password organizer is Keepass. I have used it for many years and never a problem with it.

I thought Thunderbird was something you drank ?

[eddie1261]

1 hour ago, Pat & Pete said:

Servers  ...  IP address 

Google probably knows exactly how many sheets of TP you use each time . LOL

Portable mail, which web mail is, is designed for use by people who log in from many locations rather than always being at home where their mail client program (Outlook, etc) is. There is no chance any mail server would require a new password every time you move. I have logged into my gmail from 17 states at one point or another and have NEVER been told my password was stolen. Until I see mail headers, I will stand form that this is 100% a phishing scam for a hacker to steal your password. Once they get that, they can then change it and lock you out of your email. Then they sell your contacts addresses to spammers for their mailing lists. Ever suddenly start getting email from a place like, oh, Gevalia Coffee, though you have never done anything even related to coffee on the internet? That happens because somewhere that your email is posted, a harvesting program captured it and it was sold to a spammer. When I worked at the Internet provider I dealt with this all day long.

Just a tip. Set up what is called a "burner" email somewhere. Make your username something silly like "youwillneverfindme" and any time you have to enter an address use the burner address. Then the spambots will spam that address that you never check. I currently have 5 burner email addresses that I never check.

[Pat & Pete]

34 minutes ago, eddie1261 said:

Portable mail, which web mail is, is designed for use by people who log in from many locations rather than always being at home where their mail client program (Outlook, etc) is. There is no chance any mail server would require a new password every time you move. I have logged into my gmail from 17 states at one point or another and have NEVER been told my password was stolen. Until I see mail headers, I will stand form that this is 100% a phishing scam for a hacker to steal your password. Once they get that, they can then change it and lock you out of your email. Then they sell your contacts addresses to spammers for their mailing lists. Ever suddenly start getting email from a place like, oh, Gevalia Coffee, though you have never done anything even related to coffee on the internet? That happens because somewhere that your email is posted, a harvesting program captured it and it was sold to a spammer. When I worked at the Internet provider I dealt with this all day long.

Just a tip. Set up what is called a "burner" email somewhere. Make your username something silly like "youwillneverfindme" and any time you have to enter an address use the burner address. Then the spambots will spam that address that you never check. I currently have 5 burner email addresses that I never check.

If you read that complete post , it was in response to  ( nothing about passwords ) : 

1 hour ago, LindaH said:

 

How in the world would GMail know where you are?!

 

[SWharton]

That was addressed to Devilishjim. He mentioned he had password challenges and Keepass is a good password keeper.

[LindaH]

5 hours ago, Pat & Pete said:

Servers  ...  IP address 

Google probably knows exactly how many sheets of TP you use each time . LOL

Maybe if you stay logged into Google, but I don't understand how they'd know if you weren't logged in...or why they'd care.  I'm sure it's not like they have people keeping track of where everyone is.

[eddie1261]

THIS is what I replied to.

 Before I can download my email to my computer I get the message “ your Passwords Have Been Stolen. You are required to log into Gmail  to validate your password.“ 

[eddie1261]

1 hour ago, SWharton said:

That was addressed to Devilishjim. He mentioned he had password challenges and Keepass is a good password keeper.

Password challenges are not an email stating that a password has been stolen. Password challenges are being asked for your password or being asked to respond to the security questions you set up.

My response was to a post titled "Your Passwords Have Been Stolen. You are required to log into Gmail  to validate your password.“ 

That is known in hackerville as a "false front end" hack. This is why I asked if someone had that email and I could see it. They usually contain a link that says "Click here to enter your password again", and it records the keystrokes before returning you to the real login page where everything then appears to be normal.

But hey, do whatever you like. In over a decade of gmail I have NEVER seen that message and I have logged in from at least 17 states.

[Al F]

7 hours ago, gypsydan said:

I have many gmail accounts. I use Mozilla Thunderbird to read my email, not webmail. Every time I move and open Thunderbird to read my email I get a messsge telling me my passwords have been stolen. 

Everytime I move to a different area, or city, or state, Before I can download my email to my computer I get the message “ your Passwords Have Been Stolen. You are required to log into Gmail  to validate your password.“ Sometimes I have to log in and out of Gmail several times before  Gmail recognizes my password at the new location. 

I have not found a way in which to contact gmail to get help fixing this problem.  From what I’ve read on other  forums, this is occurring to all Gmail accounts when they have moved from an identified location. 

Many one have a valid solution, or know how to contact a live person at gmail help?

Thanks in advance. Dan

them. Every time I move I get a messsge telling me my passwords have been stolen.

Everytime I move to a different area, or city, or state, Before I can download my email to my computer I get the message “ your Passwords Have Been Stolen. You are required to log into Gmail  to validate your password.“ Sometimes I have to log in and out of Gmail several times before  Gmail recognizes my password at the new location. 

I have not found a way in which to contact gmail to get help fixing this problem.  From what I’ve read on other  forums, this is occurring to all Gmail accounts when they have moved from an identified location. 

Does any one have a valid solution, or know how to contact a live person at gmail help?

Thanks in advance. Dan

Well a number of people replied without understanding your problem.  Seems like very few people have heard of Thunderbird. 

I use Thunderbird and occasionally have the same warnings  you do.  However the warnings hasn't been keeping Thunderbird from logging on to Gmail and downloading my mail. 

I am thinking the problem may be related to fact than I had to go to my Gmail accounts and enable an option to allow a "not very secure application" log on to Gmail.  Note: I forget the exact wording of the Gmail option, "not very secure application" is not the exact wording.  Gmail considers Thunderbird a poorly secured application. 

Anyways, 2-3 years ago I suddenly had a problem with Thunderbird logging on to my Gmail account.  Gmail would refuse the password for the Gmail account.  It took some searching to find out there is a option in Gmail to allow applications like Thunderbird to log on.

I am guessing Gmail tracks the internet path or DNS or something like that, that you normally use to logon.  So when Thunderbird logs on from somewhere Gmail doesn't know about it posts a warning because it had a valid gmail account and password log on from an unknown location. 

Since Gmail DOES KNOW YOUR PASSWORD for your account and the logon is a valid account and password from an unknown location, Gmail assumes someone stole your password.

Having written all that, I don't have a clue how to fix it, or how to keep it from happening. 

FWIW, my wife and I both use Thunderbird and I don't recall her having the problem.  It could be she only has one Gmail account whereas I have several.

I'm not sure how you use Thunderbird, but I keep Thunderbird and Firefox open all the time on my laptop.  So whenever I open up my laptop it connects to my Jetpac or smartphone hot spot. Then Thunderbird logs on to  all my Gmail accounts so see if there is new mail.

Sorry for all the rambling and not providing an answer or fix.

 

[Al F]

For those who don't know what Thunderbird is.  Thunderbird is like Outlook, but was an application which was associated with Mozilla.  I think is separate from Mozilla now and no new features are being created for it. 

I love Thunderbird.  I don't have to do anything except open up my laptop and all my emails from all my email accounts are downloaded to Thunderbird.  I also have Thunderbird set up to sort some of my emails by their source and put those emails into their own folder. 

It is really nice to have all the emails from a source, such as Amazon, or Escapees Discussion forum (and many others) all go to their own folder, instead of being scattered in and amongst a bunch of other emails. 

Thunderbird also has a  calendar app with it, that syncs with Google Calendar. 

[Orvil Hazelton]

I am a long-time email user,  yet still a luddite when it comes to computer knowlege. I have long used "Outlook"  to access my email through Gmail. Are there better systems available? Their folders seem to be easily accessible.  What other benefits should I be considering? Thanks, as always,  oRV

[eddie1261]

I will only comment on this one statement and not reply here again.

"Since Gmail DOES KNOW YOUR PASSWORD for your account and the logon is a valid account and password from an unknown location, Gmail assumes someone stole your password."

Gmail STORES your password. Not one soul at Google KNOWS your password. That is standard operating procedure at everyplace that has passwords. It is stored as asterisks, not the actual password. After years working at an internet provider where I had this very phone call 25 times a day, I can tell you that nobody sees your password. I don't know how many of you have ever tried to call some place and asked "What is my password". All you will get is "I can't see it but I can help you reset it." Bad login attempts do not necessarily equate to someone stealing it. It is almost always someone not remembering it.

Again I will say, and then not comment on this thread again, nobody has any way to come out and definitively say "Your password was STOLEN". The screen might say "You have entered an incorrect password" and then 2 tries later lock the account, but nobody can or will make a conclusion that your password was stolen. That is why I suggest that you never reply to an email like that, never click on any link to get to a password reset screen., because that email is extremely likely to be bogus.

[lenp]

I also use Thunderbird to access multiple gmail (and other email accounts).  NEVER had a problem with any of them and we travel all over the country.  As Eddie says, it sounds like a phishing attempt to me also.   

Lenp 

[Dutch_12078]

8 hours ago, gypsydan said:

Are you using gmail’s webmail, or an email reader like Thunderbird?

Both at various times. As I said, I don't know if there's any correlation of the events.

[Dutch_12078]

The messages I get from Google indicate that my account was logged into from an unusual location or from an unknown device. Not that the password was necessarily stolen, but that it was used under different circumstances than previous logins.

[Dutch_12078]

25 minutes ago, eddie1261 said:

I will only comment on this one statement and not reply here again.

"Since Gmail DOES KNOW YOUR PASSWORD for your account and the logon is a valid account and password from an unknown location, Gmail assumes someone stole your password."

Gmail STORES your password. Not one soul at Google KNOWS your password. That is standard operating procedure at everyplace that has passwords. It is stored as asterisks, not the actual password.

Passwords are not "stored as asterisks", rather they are simply displayed as asterisks. The login database typically stores an encrypted version of the actual password, although in many years of systems administration/analysis and penetration testing, I've seen plenty that store them as plain text as well.

[chirakawa]

24 minutes ago, Dutch_12078 said:

The messages I get from Google indicate that my account was logged into from an unusual location or from an unknown device. Not that the password was necessarily stolen, but that it was used under different circumstances than previous logins.

Ditto.

Rarely, I will check Gmail on my tablet.  Next time I check on my laptop or phone, I get a message that someone had checked email on a strange device.

[Chalkie]

I am a long time Gmail user, in fact I have had a gmail account since they first became available. I have accessed the account through Outlook (when I was working) or just the Gmail web app or android app on my cell. I have never seen a message that says my password was stolen no matter what city, state, or for that matter, country, I have been in. 

I do use 2-step login procedures, and would highly encourage everyone to do the same. Once a device is logged in I have the option to tell Google to never ask on that device again. So even if I have to log in again, Google has a record of the device (I believe this to be a combo of MAC address and OS serial) and therefore I do not have to go through the 2-step process again. 

I have to ask the OP, how often do you run anti-malware software? It certainly sounds like you might possibly have some malware in play.