Got the letter below this week. This is the second warning I have got from Verizon.
The first warning (which I got in late October) was for a file that was indeed being downloaded/uploaded via a torrent and I promptly deleted the file, the torrent program and ceased torrenting all-together after the first letter. I wasn't going to get my service cancelled over that.
This one however concerns me because I know for a fact it wasn't downloaded in my home. I am the only one that uses the internet in my house and the WiFi is not only password protected, there isn't a road/house within a close enough distance to get any kind of signal to get internet, let alone download a torrent.
The timestamp indicated is for a day I wasn't home and again, nobody uses the internet but me (I do know that for sure too).
Should I call Verzion about this or should I leave it alone? I don't want my internet cancelled over a bogus charge that I know wasn't committed. We have ceased all torrenting in the house-hold and will never go back, but if there is some sort of IP hacking that I have no control of, what do I do?
Also, how many of these warnings are sent out before action is taken? If there is a 3rd one, should I be wishing I could afford a lawyer?
{edited for privacy}
Copyright infringement is a serious matter that violates U.S. copyright law and subjects infringers to criminal and civil liability. It also violates our Acceptable Use Policy (http://www2.verizon.net/policies/acceptable_use.asp) and Terms of Service (http://www2.verizon.net/policies/tos.asp). If you, or someone using your Internet connection, are engaged in the conduct alleged by the copyright owner, we urge you to stop (and ensure that anyone else who might have access to your Internet connection also stops).
Protecting Your Privacy: The copyright owner has not asked Verizon to identify you, and Verizon will NOT provide your identity without a lawful subpoena or other lawful process. However, if the copyright owner does issue a lawful subpoena or other lawful process that seeks information about your identity or account, Verizon will be legally required to provide the requested information to the copyright owner.
If you have questions regarding this notice or would like to view Frequently Asked Questions about copyrights and piracy please visit us at www.verizon.net/copyrightfaq.
We appreciate your cooperation on this matter.
Sincerely,
Verizon Online
Hi,
There is a third warning, however don't let Verizon suspend your email account, call tech support, tell them you have a second warning letter for some download you never did, they have to contact to operation support center, operation support center can check if you have any third party activity in your email account or your inbox.
Also check you computer against malware, spyware or any malicious software.
Let me know if you solved the issue
Good Luck!
As pointed out above, definitely perform a malware scan (MalwareBytes and SUPERAntiSpyware are great programs) and let Verizon know that the second warning is possibly not pointed to you. Check to make sure your Torrent program isn't still running (perhaps seeding files?) and your system is secured in terms of a firewall. Additionally, even if Wireless is unable to normally reach other homes, it is still a good idea to either Disable the wireless (if you don't use it), or to lock it down using WPA2-PSK AES Security instead of the default WEP security the router comes set to, along with setting a brand new passcode for it (random characters are a must. Your key should not have a portion of it in the dictionary). Wi-Fi can often be accessed over long distances by focusing in on a signal coming from a certain direction, and it doesn't take a heck of a lot to do.
If you visit http://192.168.1.1/, you can see if any other devices besides your own are accessing the network for some reason. The wireless settings can also be changed from within that page, so the login for that would be a username of admin, and a password being the router's serial number found on the bottom sticker.
Changing the encryption and the password are essential to protect yourself. The bigger the password the better and I wouldn't recommend any less than 9 characters long and hopefully a mixture of numbers and letters. If you download the in home agent at www.Verizon.com/connect you can use it to change your wireless security to a higher level.
Alternatively you can use the walk through here
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