Zoom Email // Someone I don't know has entered my Personal Meeting Room

[CarlaR]

I got an email from Zoom today, (address looks legit), saying that "Gabriel Alan Burruel" has entered my personal meeting room. 

I don't know this person.

Is it a) scam OR b) a common thing that happen if someone accidentally enters the wrong number?

 

[Ray_Harwood]

Hi, @CarlaR –

I certainly don’t think this is common, but it is worrisome. 

My first question would be, do you make the URL to your Personal Meeting ID (PMI) available to other people via social media, web sites, or other easily accessible means?  If so, and you only have a passcode for security, anyone with access to that URL can get into the room if you also have Waiting Room turned off, since the URL has the passcode embedded in it. 

 With the latest Zoom security measures, if you don’t have a passcode, you have to have Waiting Run turned on. If Waiting Room is on, nobody can get into the room, unless you let them in after you join. So that’s not the issue. 

I would recommend changing the passcode on your PMI. This will invalidate any URL that already exists on the internet. Then, for extra security, turn Waiting Room on OR turn off the option to Join before host. 

Read this Zoom Support article for some additional ideas and information. 

Try to only share your PMI URL with trusted individuals; change the passcode frequently, like monthly. And schedule meetings without your PMI whenever possible. 

Thanks for asking – always good to learn a little more about security measures. 

[CarlaR]

Thanks Ray. It's very odd, as I've never used my PMI (that I can think of) and only share meeting (with meeting rooms) in emails to known colleagues, (never socials) that is wierd.

Either way, I've changed the passcode for the PMI and checked that waiting room is still on.

Appreciate your support. Ta.

C

[christapearl]

I had the same thing happen to me today - at 2am! weird. 

[S_Pollard]

This happened to me today, I also have never publicly shared my URL.  She sat on the call for 56 minutes alone and recorded it as I got the copy of it.  Presumably waiting for me to join out of curiosity?

[Gia1]

S_Pollard,

As you'll see in my posted response to CarlaR, a similar thing happened to me.

Just to clarify your experience,  do you mean that your unwanted "visitor" recorded the the "wait to be admitted " page for 56 minutes, and then sent you a 56 min video of the "wait to be admitted " screen?

[Gia1]

A VERY similar thing happened to me this week. I received an email message from an unknown person, named Mavi, saying that Mavi had joined a meeting using the correct Meeting ID for a Zoom I had schedule with one person/colleague/  However, the meeting in question was scheduled for an entirely a different day and on an different week. So, there was no way they could have "joined" but what creeps me out is that they had the right Meeting ID, and my colleague did not share that information with anyone.  I do not make my ZOOM information public. I always invite participants to Zoom privately one-on-one. I never send a Zoom link as a group email and I never post a Zoom link on a URL posting.  I use the Zoom "Waiting Room" feature so , even if they had tried to join the meeting on the correct date I would have been able to screen them out. But I still have NO IDEA how they got the Meeting ID -- CREEPY! 

[Ray_Harwood]

Welcome to the Zoom Community, @Gia1.

I agree – it’s creepy. It’s only happened to me once. But it’s no secret that Meeting IDs are generally 11 digit numbers. Anyone can randomly pick a number to join and see what they get.

Here’s a Zoom Support article which describes the notification process when someone joins a meeting before you’re there; it might help understand process:

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362713

Note that it mentions that an email will be triggered even when they are waiting in the Waiting Room for the Host to start a meeting. Including a Passcode even when using the Waiting Room will stop random attempts to join – they won’t reach the Waiting Room unless they have the Passcode or are joining from a Join URL which has the Passcode embedded in it. 

I now ignore any notifications I get way before a meeting is scheduled. Usually it’s a person I know… but when it isn’t, I’m glad I have Waiting Room turned on. 

[simone_parrish]

Grateful for this thread--just had the same thing happen. Disconcerting.