Crime How I lost my $50,000 Twitter username

tom_mai78101

The Helper Connoisseur / Ex-MineCraft Host
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I had a rare Twitter username, @N. Yep, just one letter. I’ve been offered as much as $50,000 for it. People have tried to steal it. Password reset instructions are a regular sight in my email inbox.
As of today, I no longer control @N. I was extorted into giving it up.

While eating lunch on January 20, 2014, I received a text message from PayPal for one-time validation code. Somebody was trying to steal my PayPal account. I ignored it and continued eating.

Later in the day, I checked my email which uses my personal domain name (registered with GoDaddy) through Google Apps. I found the last message I had received was from GoDaddy with the subject “Account Settings Change Confirmation.” There was a good reason why that was the last one.

Read more here.

It's unsettling...
 

KMilz

You can change this now in User CP.
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Yeah, that sounds like a damn headache. Why is the username worth so much, though?
 

KMilz

You can change this now in User CP.
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I mean, isn't each name unique? What makes it rare as compared to any other?
 

tom_mai78101

The Helper Connoisseur / Ex-MineCraft Host
Staff member
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It's because it's one of the most common words (or letters) that can be easily typed out. Nowadays, common words or letters can become more and more of a rarity.
 

seph ir oth

Mod'n Dat News Jon
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262
I've been offered $500 for my name on League. Maybe I should've taken it :p
 
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