My husband is in computer tech, has been programming/legal “hacking” for about 20 years now, and he’ll say this sounds exactly like one of the stupid stunts 4Chan and groups like that pull, just to see people’s reactions.
Good point. I’m not very adept on the computer, so if your hubby says it’s a possibility, I believe him. I do think this was done on pupose, is it to Prank, or done to make the couple of “real” fraudulent ones look like part of like a prank? It’s one or the other, I wish I knew which.
My hubs was busy today (programmers find it hard to step away from the keyboard ;)), but I told him I’d like to pick his brain on the subject. I read a really good book about hacking a couple of years ago; I’ll try to find it if anyone is interested. The whole subject is almost Greek to me, but I find it a bit frightening, as well. ;)
“Good point. I’m not very adept on the computer, so if your hubby says it’s a possibility, I believe him. I do think this was done on pupose, is it to Prank, or done to make the couple of “real” fraudulent ones look like part of like a prank? It’s one or the other, I wish I knew which.”
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From what Chris says, for these guys the difference between a “harmless” or “malicious” prank can be slight to non-existent. They like to get attention, rile people up, watch reactions. I think of them as being like the kid in “War Games” but generally more malicious. I’m not sure, but the kid who hacked into Sarah Palin’s email struck me as sort of that type — he might be one of those guys. A jacka** who needs to grow up and learn about consequences. Bleh. ;(