[Big Mac]

I can't figure this one out - my mom's Gmail account password changed and neither of us know the cause. My mom has a mac.com account and a Gmail account, both with relatively strong passwords. She uses the gmail account very lightly, and aside from a few correspondents only automated services have that address. We actually use that address for the registrant address for many of our domains, but to the best of my knowledge it is not shown on any WHOIS records. Since I monitor that account, my mom and I both auto-login into it - from our own Macs only. And not only is my mom responsible with passwords, she does not know her gmail password - she relies on auto-login.

I noticed recently that there was a password change request for the Gmail account that went to my mom's mac.com account, dated two weeks ago. About a week ago, after a power failure, I found I could no longer auto log into her gmail account. Days went by until I asked my mom what her new password was, to which she told me she could not login either. My mom also has no explanation for why there was a password reset message in her inbox; she has no recollection of requesting a password change. I attempted to use that old reset message to change the password again, but it said the message had already been used to reset the password. So it looks like the account was hacked, but I'm wondering how that could have occurred. Perhaps it was packet sniffing, but I don't see how that could have happened on private wired connections. Maybe a hacker somehow got access to my mom's mac.com password (the location of login is the same for that account) and followed up by requested a gmail password change. Both of those scenarios seem pretty unlikely to me. Even more unlikely is a malware exploit for 10.4.2 The simplest explanation is that my mom inadvertently reset her password, yet she swears she didn't do any such thing. Perplexed and a bit more paranoid, I've changed both her passwords. Anyone have insight for me?

[Big Mac]

[insert chirping crickets]

[legacyb4]

I've got a fairly generic gmail account name that I use for non-critical stuff (regisrations, etc.) and I've noticed that I get at least 2-3 times a month a request for password change to the alternative email account registered with gmail.

A bit spooky to see, but to be expected...

[Chuckit]

The simplest explanation is that if your mom unintentionally changed her password, she probably wouldn't be able to tell you about it.

[djsbon]

i've had gmail for almost a year now, and not once have i had a password problem.

[dav]

not much help, but a request for change of password was sent for my wife's gmail account. i deleted the message and had her modify her password. no other problems.