Employer contacts employee 6 months after firing them asking for their password: 'This just makes me giggle'

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    Posted by u/spicyad Former employer wants my password to the computer I used 6 months after terminating me. Assistance Needed for Laptop Password Reset Inbox Hi 26 PM V to me ✓ I trust this message finds you well. I am reaching out to discuss a logistical matter related
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    Assistance Needed for Laptop Password Reset Inbox 26 PM V to me ✓ ↑ Hi I trust this message finds you well. I am reaching out to discuss a logistical matter related to the company laptop that was returned upon your departure. We are currently unable to perform a factory reset to prepare the laptop for the next user because there is still a password on the welcome screen.
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    We kindly request your assistance in providing the necessary information to reset the laptop to its factory settings, and this will involve sharing your password wit us. Rest assured that any information provided will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and will only be used to reset the laptop. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me! Best regards,
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    This just makes me giggle. For context: This company sought me out to interview at their company for a management position. I ended up getting the job. Lasted 30 days until they terminated the position due to a "cart before the horse" situation. Basically what happened is I called out all the illegal marketing practices happening and offered solutions to fix them. They got rid of the problem, which was "me." Now they want my password. Lol w
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    False Release4 · 9 hr. ago I think their idea of a "factory reset" is renaming your account and just giving it to the next guy > 3.3k Reply Share . . . b0w3n 7 hr. ago SocDem I can't even count the amount of times I've been brought in to fix situations like this and that's how they handle it. Even actual IT departments, because it's "oh my son is good with computers" and eventually he gets his own department and budget. I'm a programmer, and the things I see IT people do is maddening. But hey, t
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    weirdfo 9 hr. ago "I forget sorry". Absolutely don't need a login password to factory reset a computer. 12.4k Reply Share • • • Charleston2Seattle 8 hr. ago · edited 7 hr. ago No, no. You keep giving them new passwords each day. "Uh... try this: ur4J9#aXJ." Next day, "Oh, that didn't work? Hmm. Try this: w52Maka2h" Repeat until they stop asking. Always wait a day between each response. Edit: unintended formatting. 6.6k Reply Share ...
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    mildmanneredhatter 7 hr. ago This is a fabulous idea. As long as you are convincing enough then you can keep it. going; eventually saying you can't remember then. Nice idea. 1.5k Reply Share ... sleepytipi 7 hr. ago Just tell them you use a pw generator, set that sucker to hard mode and send them a new one everyday. 646 Reply Share ...
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    dinosore 9 hr. ago • 6 months? There is no way I'm remembering a password I haven't been using frequently after 6 months, especially for a job I'd only held for 30 days. I wouldn't be able to help them even if I wanted to. 2.5k Reply Share
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    astrangeone88 · 9 hr. ago Lol. Same, and I tend to delete and throw out stuff I haven't used. I had a similar issue from a job before. Quit because of toxic management and coworkers, got a call from one of the non toxic managers asking me for a password and I just GOT mad because I was nice and left them an itemized list of things. (Also, Imao, I guessed the admin password for the office router so that was fun. Whoever set that up needed a kick in the ass because it was literally one of 5 guesse
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    Not_In_my_crease · 10 hr. ago . edited 17 min. ago Any company worth their salt would be able to get into that computer immediately. That tells me either it wasn't on AD and they want some files on it AND it's a local account and they don't know how to break into it-- which is trivially easy if unencrypted. Or they set it up originally as a local BitLocker account. This is stupid and if they don't know the password and they don't have all the licenses/IDs they're
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    Please correct me somebody. Edit: Oh it's a mac. I'm unfamiliar with Apple in a business environment. Apple security is VERY good and if the business owner knows what they're doing the employee's computer is entirely transparent to them. If they've set it up correctly. I think they set this employee up as an admin on that computer with his/her account. 3.7k Reply Share spicyad OP 9 hr. ago I wish I could. They didn't use ANY security measures when they issued me the laptop. 1.3k Reply Share
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    crythene 9 hr. ago This is strange. Best case scenario, they are lying and need a file on your computer, worst case they themselves have been compromised and if you give this person your password they will try to use it to get into your personal accounts. Ignore this message and never give anyone your password for any reason. 776 ☐ Reply Share
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    • AngryDrnkBureaucrat 10 hr. ago Obvious spam is obvious spam Send that email to your junk folder 752 Reply Share ButterscotchObvious4 8 hr. ago I wouldn't reply to this on the safety principle alone. That's a spoofing attempt. Junk and block the sender. 270 Reply Share . . .
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    Menard42 9 hr. ago "I'm sorry, but your data security policies strictly forbid the sharing of passwords. Best wishes and die in a fire" ☆ 98 Reply Share
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    Snoo-74562 9 hr. ago • Well if it isn't the consequences of not taking your IT management seriously. Not your problem 160 Reply Share • • • spicyad OP 9 hr. ago I agree. Like I responded to another user, they took no security measures when giving me that laptop. 60 Reply Share • • •
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    Snoo-74562 9 hr. ago Forget security, this is basic administrative stuff that they should have a handle on before the equipment ever gets issued. People forget passwords, leave the country, are unable to be contacted for whatever reason or die every day. Sounds like you're onto a good thing being clear of them. The rot seems to go throughout. 27 Reply Share
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    • PegaxS 9 hr. ago "Yeah, honestly... it was that long ago, and I used a really strong 14 letter, character and number password that I had saved on a piece of paper... pretty sure I threw out that paper though... sorry." 257 Reply Share ... ReikoHazuki 8 hr. ago It should be "pretty sure the paper was cleared when you cleared my desk" Imao 128 Reply Share . . .
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    AloneCan9661 · 9 hr. ago They can't preform a reset? Shouldn't IT be able to handle this? ↑ 190 Reply Share spicyad OP 9 hr. ago You would think... the entire company is a show and I'm glad they terminated me when they did 152 Reply Share
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    VTOLfreak 8 hr. ago edited 8 hr. ago I'm in IT and the one thing that gets drilled into us and users is to never share passwords. They don't need your password to reset it, all they need to do is wipe the disk and re- image it with their company (or manufacturer's) OS. Either this is a fishing attempt or you are dealing with idiots. Anyone that has your credentials can impersonate you. Imagine their network gets compromised and your name pops up after the smoke clears. Now you are responsible fo

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