I Got Hacked - Here's How It Happened & How to Protect Yourself
Hackers Got Into My Email, Bank, and Credit Card—Here’s What I Missed
✅ We dug deep into how our personal journeys shape our brand identity
✅ We learned how to tell stories in a way that creates trust and connection
✅ We uncovered the missing pieces in our messaging that are keeping our audience from fully engaging
💡 You’ve been doing some things right
💡 You’ve been missing some HUGE opportunities
💡 And you’ve got so much untapped potential sitting right in front of you
At the same time, I get a notification of a $3,000 charge on my Mastercard—to a company I’ve never even heard of.
That’s when I knew something was seriously wrong.
Now, normally I have my credit card locked down, but I had just enabled it to pay the valet at the workshop. Bad timing? Definitely. The Perfect Storm? For Sure.
I get home,
check my accounts, and boom -
✔️
My email is hacked
✔️
My business domain is compromised
✔️
My credit card was hijacked
At this point, I can’t get a hold of anyone for my domain/email—everyone is closed. So, I dispute the charge with my bank (shoutout to them for immediately crediting me back) and move on to damage control mode.
Morning Comes… And Then It Gets Worse
I wake up with
pink eye.
Because, you know…
Why not?
As if getting hacked, losing access to my email and business accounts, and dealing with a fraudulent $3,000 charge weren’t enough. Now, my eye is swollen, irritated, and looking like I just went ten rounds in a boxing match.
At this point, I have two choices. Push through and pretend everything is fine, or take it as a very clear sign from the universe that today is not the day to force things.
I call Alan, let him know I won’t be making it to Day 2 of the workshop, and resign myself to spending the day un-fucking my accounts.
THIS is Where It All Started
By pure coincidence, I get a phone call from Stripe (a merchant service I use). I had submitted a support ticket days ago, and they were just now getting back to me.
The rep, Robert, says he’s following up on my login issues. I explain what’s happening, and as we start digging, we trace everything back to February 10th—10 days ago—when I received what looked like a legit email from Stripe.
Spoiler Alert: It wasn’t Stripe.
- The email came from support@adm-strip.com (not stripe.com)
- The logo clicked through to the real Stripe website (so it seemed legit)
- The “Review Account Details” button took me to a login page that looked exactly like Stripe
Without thinking much of it, I entered my login info, the page gave me a notification that a representative will be calling me and I moved on with my day.
🚨 Big Mistake. 🚨
I later got a second email (on Feb 17th) asking for more personal info, and that’s when I realized—I’d been scammed. The real Stripe would have only asked me for the last 4-digits of my bank account number; not the entire number. Albeit, this was a very convincing scam.
By logging into the first
fake Stripe page, they got access to:
⚠️ My
email login
⚠️ My
business banking details
⚠️ My
credit card info
Lesson learned: Hackers don’t need your permission. They just need one distracted moment.
If This Can Happen to Me, It Can Happen to Anyone
So, here’s how to
avoid this mess:
✅
Always check the sender’s email—if it’s slightly off, it’s fake.
✅
Never log in from email links—go directly to the website instead.
✅
Use 2-factor authentication—make hackers’ lives harder.
✅
Trust your gut—if something feels off,
pause and investigate.
My email and domain are still being sorted out, but the good news? I’m taking back control.
Ever been hacked? Drop your horror story in the comments below. Let’s help each other stay one step ahead.
#LessonsLearned #CyberSecurityMatters #StayVigilant
