Can I please get some advice from all of you? Everyone seems so helpful here and I really need some input on what to do. About five years ago, I decided to open a vbulletin forum. I opened it, created it and worked my butt off to get it going. I had over 1 million post and several thousand members. I realized just how hard it was to run a forum, so a friend helped me out. Of course, I trusted this person with my password to everything because I had no reason not too. It worked out great for years. I was so busy with life that I did not realize until about a month ago that this person had logged into my hosting account and transferred my entire database over to a new server. I contacted my host and the only thing that I have left is the domain because I caught that in time and they did not transfer it. Immediately, I suspended my domain from this forum. So, they just added their own domain to MY database that they had taken. The name of the site that they opened is the exact same of mine except has a 2 behind it. Example: digitalpoint2.com instead of digitalpoint.com. This is all very confusing, I know. But basically, what they did was logged into my account, transferred my entire database to their own and was running my site from their hosting account. Once I realized this, I changed the password and stopped my domain from their use. I want my database back or either I want it suspended so they can not use it. Oh and they transferred my vbulletin license to another person that I don't think exist during this process. I have contacted vbulletin and the license was transferred, so there is nothing that I can do there. I have contacted their new host and they are unresponsive because the person is saying that it was theirs to begin with and probably proved that with the vbulletin license which was bogusly signed over to them. My question is: How can I prove they were the ones who transferred my database to their own? This is so frustrating and heartbreaking. Lesson learned...NEVER trust anyone with your information.
You will probably need an attorney to go after him. Anything can be proved because it leaves breadcrumbs. The logins to your old host will show their IP not being yours and all transactions etc. Good luck.
Thank you. I have contacted two attorneys and they are quite expensive but if I have to hire one, I will. This just frustrates me so much. I hope none of you ever go through such. Be careful.
need an attorney for sure but you can do the following as well you can contact the hosting company where they host the stolen database any they may suspend that account contact google and they will remove the stolen database from their index ( i did that before and it did work just report the most important pages like the homepage) best regards
When you gave him your password and he the been running almost verything like you said, he maybe having enough proof that the data is his but maybe attorney can help you out.
they transferred your vb license? really? so they knew all your personal details? this is what you need to transfer a vb license: Im telling you i transferred my license to my mate, i would never give him access to my private personal email account! nor would they have credit card information, or my paypal receipt number. So please, tell me how they transferred your VB license without your knowledge? If they really did steal your license, i would go to the police and file a police report, as this is theft.
They had access to all of my email passwords including vbulletin. They did all the upgrades for the site including vbulletin updates...basically just transferred to their name. Vbulletin acknowledges that it was changed and when and to what name but apparently...I tranferred it, in their eyes...but I did not. Anyways...I took all the required actions and things are pending as I type...we'll see what happens.