I've received an e.mail from Yahoo saying my password has been changed. My secret question is no longer applicable (I opened that account in 1999) I need to be able to contact Yahoo directly for assistance as I have family photos and personal info in that account. Their online help is useless.
Regards

You are screwed.

Sorry to put it so bluntly, but there is nothing you can do.

Why?

Someone hacked into your account and changed your secret question.

How is Yahoo suppose to know that YOU are really the person to whom the account belongs to?

It sucks, yes.

Next time don't store important information and pictures on a web based mail system.

Unfortunately things like this happen.

While its not likely, there may be some hope. You need to contact Yahoo thur the Help screens and see if you can get someone to help. There is other info you used to setup the account that may help identify you to reset things.

Contacting Yahoo is a waste of time. I had a plus account that was hacked and I even told them what Credit Card I used to purchase it and they still wouldn't help.

I know of people who have regained access to their account by contacting Yahoo. Its rare, but its possible so its worth the effort to try.

The problem is that the hacker has appeared to CHANGE the secret question.

Therefore, they also probably changed the personal information.

Furthermore, they also might have deleted this person's email content as well.

But you are right, it doesn't hurt to ask. But from the stories I have heard, Yahoo has been no help at all.

Perhaps they are better on the email accounts you pay for, but I am referring to the free email accounts they offer.

Yahoo maintains a history of an account, so changing the secret question does not necessarily mean previous info is lost. Though if the e-mails were deleted they would be gone. But, if someone took over the account its unlikely they would have done that.

Its not easy to contact Yahoo or to get the account back, but it is possible.

One other point here. Its unlikely the account was "hacked". Most of the time, what actually happens is someone the person knows has guessed the password and done this has a prank or revenge.