View Full Version : My email was 'hacked,' how do I fix?
I need some computer/email help.
I continue to get emails from myself, but I’m not sending them. I’ve been running 3 different anti-virus software packages trying to fix this (Hitman Pro, Spybot & Malware Bytes) and no virus has been found on my pc.
I JUST changed my password this morning and now at noon I’m getting email spam with my name on it that says it’s being sent from me via my email. The frequency that this is happening is getting worse. I'm changing my password so damn often I can hardly remember what it is. Not only are they sent to me but also to alot of the people on my email provider - if that makes sense.
These do NOT show up in my ‘Sent Items’ folder.
What do I do to fix this?
Robb
Who is your email provider?
In my experience, sometimes spam messages take a few days to show up. Maybe some are messages sent before your password change.
Zundfolge
08-21-2012, 13:43
Are you sure you're actually getting emails from your account?
Its very easy to send emails from one account and have it say its coming from another account. Most of the time when people think their email has been hacked that's actually what's going on.
When you set up an email client program (Outlook or Thunderbird for example) you actually tell it what email address you want it to tell recipients its coming from, so if you really wanted to you could make it look like all your email is coming from "Barry@whitehouse.gov".
Send yourself an email and then look at the email's source code. Then look at the source code from the spammers. You'll probably find some differences between your emails and theirs (probably different IP address for the sending server, etc).
Are you sure you're actually getting emails from your account?
Its very easy to send emails from one account and have it say its coming from another account. Most of the time when people think their email has been hacked that's actually what's going on.
Yep, this is what I was thinking. I'm not entirely sure how they do it, but I've gotten emails from "myself" before that are junk mail. I guess, and I'm not sure if it will be like dividing by zero (world implosion), you can block or set as spam "your" email address...
Well, this has happened to my daughter also. She is on GMail and I am on Hover.
I'm sure of nothing, whether they're coming from my account or not. My provider did block me due to complaints from other Hover subscribers a month ago, so they did trace it back to me. I changed passwords and it slowed down, but it's happening more frequently again.
In my case it makes it look like I'm sending out spam emails for jobs, in my daughters case it appears she's sending out emails for legal services.
My issue isn't that I get them, its that they are shotgunned out to who knows where and then my provider blocks my email because I'm a nuisance. That's a hassle.
ANY help would be appreciated.
This is just a normal spam tactic. Someone is running an open relay (where you can forge anything).
Biggest thing to check for is to look in the "to" or "cc" line and see if it is going to anyone you know (if the 'to' or 'cc' lines are even populated). If it is, you may have a problem. If its not - its just random spam. Your email was harvested no biggie.
you're being spoofed. someones acct got hacked and their address book raided. It'll take a few weeks to die down.
Welcome to someone you know being an idiot w/ their pw.
you're being spoofed. someones acct got hacked and their address book raided. It'll take a few weeks to die down.
Welcome to someone you know being an idiot w/ their pw.
"What's the password?"
"1-2-3-4"
"1,2,3,4? That sounds like something an idiot would have on his luggage!"
"So did you get the password?"
"Yes, it's 1-2-3-4."
"That's amazing, I have the same password on my luggage!"
When I looked at the View Page Source, it looks identical between an email I sent myself and the spam email.
The 'To' & 'From' fields are both my email address. There is nothing populated in the CC Field.
I received another 3 emails since I first posted this.
I would change the password for the affected email from a different computer. In case there is a key logger on yours.
"I would change the password for the affected email from a different computer. In case there is a key logger on yours."
Okay, I will. I'm such a computer idiot, this is the kind of stuff I need to know.
You can also try deleting your Contacts. Similar thing happened to me and everyone in my Contacts list got multiple porn links, including my kids teachers and principal!
GilpinGuy
08-21-2012, 17:46
I get similar spam emails from myself from an OLD, inactive ATT email account. I shut it down more than a year ago but I was getting them when it was active also.
No biggie, I just delete them without opening them. I only get a few a month though. You're getting hammered.
I had this happen. It never stopped, so I made a new one. Then I monitored the old one for a while pulling important emails and changing my address with the sender to my new address. After a while that old account was only getting junk so I closed it and haven't looked for it since. Also delete all of your private information off of the account before you close it.
Colorado_Outback
08-21-2012, 20:37
Do you use email on your phone?
I keep my contacts list or address book empty. None of my friends has gotten spam from me to my knowledge however alot of people on my email service/provider have. I have been locked out of my email before for the reason that I was spamming.
I do keep multiple files of emails like: Family and Jobs, but to my knowledge none of those kept emails has received spam from me.
Thank God it's not spamming porn, I'd be so embarrassed!
I had another 6 spam emails this am.
I did change the password last night but from the kids laptop. Not sure where else to do it from, may have to stop by the library. Now that I think about it those library pc's may be even more infected than mine.
Lex_Luthor
08-22-2012, 09:13
How is it that you're always getting hacked Robb? HAHAHA
It's me... I looked over your shoulder and couldn't help myself.
[Coffee]
"How is it that you're always getting hacked Robb? HAHAHA"
I dunno, I guess I have to quit surfing so many porn sites...
I emailed my provider and they said the same thing as a few of the folks here:
Aug 22 11:27 (EDT)
No problem Robb. Regarding the spam, it's likely actually coming from somebody else's computer who has a virus and has your email address in their address book rather than from your own account at this point, particularly since I haven't seen any reports coming from your account since February. It could also just be a spammer who is spoofing your address. I wouldn't worry about it unless we receive a report that it's coming from your account (and we'd let you know if we did).
Thanks.
So although it's annoying I guess it's nothing to get too shook up about. F'n computers...
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