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Want to find out your roommate’s Facebook password? Need to have a few “below average” grades removed from your college transcript? Would you like to have some embarrassing pictures removed from Google search results? If you find yourself in need of these or similar services, what you really need is… a hacker!
One thing you need to realize is that the term “hacker” has evolved over the years, and now it doesn’t necessarily mean a bad thing. In the past, if someone mentioned a hacker, it would conjure up images of someone trying to use their own computer to break into another computer somewhere, like the Pentagon or something. Of course, there are still people that try to do that, and they are still pretty much referred to as hackers.
But “hacking” has now taken on a whole new range of meanings. These days, it often means that someone has figured out a way to do something that makes it easier, or a process that just seems to make more sense.
For example – if your microwave has old particles of dried food on the inside because of splatter that has accumulated, and you want to easily clean it, here’s a kitchen “hack” – fill a bowl with water and microwave it for a couple of minutes. The steam will loosen the dried-on food, making it easier to clean off.
Here’s another one – if you notice little pieces of debris or dirt down between the keys of your computer keyboard, just take a single Post-It note and drag it in between the rows to pick up some of that junk. That’s a “hack” that I’ve been doing for a long time.
There’s actually a very popular website devoted to hacks in all areas of life – it’s Lifehacker.com. There are some great ideas on there.
BUT… what if you need one of the old-style hackers? You know, the kind of sneaky person that knows how to get into some other computer and change things around or manipulate some information in your favor? That’s when you need Hackerslist!
You can find this at Hackerslist.com, and what it’s supposed to be is just what the name indicates – a list of hackers advertising their services for whatever type of computer hacking job you need to have done.
You can post your hacking job request, and what you’re willing to pay, and then the “hackers” on the site can bid on your job. In browsing the site, here are some of the hacking jobs being requested:
Fiance Gmail Password:
“I would like the current password of my fiancé’s GMAIL email account due to work issues he is having that he will not let me help him with that are affecting our relationship. Obviously remaining discreet and professional, thank you.”
Willing to pay: $200 – $300
Need to hack a dating website:
“I want access to a person’s account on a dating website. I know the person’s full name as well as their username. I am not sure if this project is even possible. I want to be able to see/read this person’s messages and friends. If possible, I want this done without them finding out so that I can access the account multiple times.”
Willing to pay: $100 – $1000
Clean driving record:
“I need a hacker to clean my driving record in AZ. recently received a DUI and got an “Admin per se” diving with BAC > .08. Also remove any driving tickets i may have. Remove my suspention currently in place”
Willing to pay: $100 – $1000
Project Justice:
“I have been cheated by my business partner and He has managed to disconnect me from all business contracts. I wanted to find how he swindled the money.”
Willing to pay: $500 – $2000
Credit Report:
“Fix credit bureau information and erroneous data stored.”
Willing to pay: $500 – $2000
Frankly, I don’t know of some of these things are even possible. I’m sure a lot of people would like to just pay some money and have their driving record cleaned up, but my guess is that the Department of Motor Vehicles has their computer system pretty well locked down so that stuff like that just doesn’t happen. Of course, the big exception would be if the “hacker” is really just someone that works at the DMV and has access to make those changes. But would they really risk their job (and possibly jail time) just for $1000? I guess some people would.
And what about the one about removing erroneous information from a credit report? That’s something that the owner of that credit report can do for free, but I suppose some people don’t know that.
And what if someone SAYS they can hack into Gmail and get someone’s password, but then you pay the money and it turns out they are unable to do the job? The website has anticipated that problem and taken a few steps to protect its users:
1. If a hacker doesn’t maintain at least a 3-star rating or if he has too many disputes, he is removed from the site.
2. The website administrators have to approve a hacker before he is even allowed to bid on any projects.
3. Hackers with low ratings are charged a higher percentage, so they have a financial incentive to have more positive reviews.
4. Escrow – you can choose to have your payment held in escrow, so that the hacker doesn’t get paid until you say you are satisfied that he completed the job.
One of the interesting things on the site is their disclaimer – “Hackerslist is intended for legal and ethical use. If you feel a project violates our terms of service please report the listing immediately. We do our best to moderate projects however we rely on the community to aid in this process.” Of course they have to put something on there so that they can claim innocence when they are inevitably sued. But it seems to be just a formality, since I’m sure a large percentage of the jobs up for bid on the site are actually illegal, and many of them were posted several weeks or months ago.
It’s a fun thing to check out anyway, even if you would never actually hire a hacker. I’m no marriage counselor, but I would think hacking into your fiance’s email is probably not a good start for a lifelong relationship.
The post Where’s a good hacker when you need one? first appeared on The Computer Tutor. 
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