My email was 'hacked,' how do I fix?

[Robb]

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

[00tec]

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]

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).

[Ronin13]

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...

[Robb]

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.

[asmo]

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.

[Monky]

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.

[Ronin13]

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!"

[Robb]

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.

[Ridge]

I would change the password for the affected email from a different computer. In case there is a key logger on yours.