What happened? Spam sent by "me."

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Does anyone know how the heck this happened? A spam email was sent using my email address to nearly ALL of my contacts- including most of my students!! I know because one of my students called and told me and I got several "delivery failure notices." The subject line is just "hi" and it's about some stupid "company" in China.

How did this happen?? Does this mean I have to change my email address? Has this happened to anyone else?

[Husky_mom]

it once happened to me..... a cousin received an email i had sent to my hubby and several people did too........ thankfully it was nothing bad but still, I don´t know how it did that.... we had virus scan the comp and it was clear.....

I didn´t changed my email, but a virus check might be good......

till this day I have no clue what caused it, perhaps a troyan thing that was hidden........ ¿¿??....... now I´m cautios into which emails I open

[dukedogsmom]

Someone in Russia is using one of my emails for spam.

[Catlady711]

It's probably a trogan or worm. The thing is it may not even be in YOUR computer. Some of those worms invade other people's computers on your email list, copy all the email addresses in it, then spam like crazy.

Another possibility is forwarded emails. Everytime you or someone you have emailed forwards it adds a long list of emails that any spammer along the line can harvest and use however they want to. That is why I never just hit forward on any email without removing all the email addresses and I'm very stern with my contacts not to do the same thing.

If any of your friends on your email list don't keep their virus protection and firewall up to date and use it, or if they don't regularly run anti-spyware programs that are updated, or forward like crazy, things like this happen.

I'd email everyone on your contact list and inform them of this, as well as change your email address. If you have contacts that just won't use proper precautions with their own computers then I'd get one of those disposable freebie email addresses for that person to email you will to protect your main email.

[Catty1]

It's using your email address as a 'return path'.

Call your Internet Service Provider and ask them what to do. This happened to a friend of mine, and her computer had a virus. In her case, she went to too many sites and downloaded cute greeting cards and all - and that's how the spammers and viruses came in.

You don't do that, I know....just that it can happen to anybody.

Can you display Full Headers on the returned emails? That might give a clue.

[Catlady711]

It's using your email address as a 'return path'.

Call your Internet Service Provider and ask them what to do. This happened to a friend of mine, and her computer had a virus. In her case, she went to too many sites and downloaded cute greeting cards and all - and that's how the spammers and viruses came in.

You don't do that, I know....just that it can happen to anybody.

Can you display Full Headers on the returned emails? That might give a clue.


That doesn't always help. They can forge those paths. I had that happen once to spam I was getting. My ISP said the headers were faked and couldn't be traced. Might be worth a try though but a long shot. Protection and being careful with your email buddies is your better bet.

[Catty1]

True about headers....but I have had very good luck using the number sequence that is furthest down in the headers and using an IP Whois.

Example: 111.222.33.44

Copy and paste into the Whois bar at http://www.arin.net/index.shtml

If the email is from another source, the results will tell you which one.

RIPE is Europe
LACNIC - Latin America
APNIC - Asia Pacific

There are others: TWNIC (Taiwan), AFRINIC(Africa), KRNIC(Korea), JPNIC(Japan)

Just FYI

[moosmom]

It happened to me once years ago when I had aol. Someone got hold of my screenname and password and sent porno emails to over 200 people. I got nasty emails back from alot of pissed off people. I called aol and canceled my account when they wouldn't allow me to change my screen name and password. Now I change my password every 3 months.

[Catlady711]

True about headers....but I have had very good luck using the number sequence that is furthest down in the headers and using an IP Whois.

Example: 111.222.33.44

Copy and paste into the Whois bar at http://www.arin.net/index.shtml

If the email is from another source, the results will tell you which one.

RIPE is Europe
LACNIC - Latin America
APNIC - Asia Pacific

There are others: TWNIC (Taiwan), AFRINIC(Africa), KRNIC(Korea), JPNIC(Japan)

Just FYI

Yeah, that was the one that my ISP used to try and track my spam.

[Catty1]

CatLady711
Yeah, that was the one that my ISP used to try and track my spam.

Hmm....let me try it next time....I'm serious! I have nuked TONS of email for me, and for my boss.

I love a challenge! :)

[lizbud]

It is pretty much sure to be a virus. Your pc needs a checkup. :p

[Laura's Babies]

I read a thing on the internet and saw a thing on TV about something like this. You get a email saying you have a e-card from a "friend" or secrete admirer, click on the link in the email and it tells you, you have to download something to view the card. You download it and it is a virus that collects all your names and passwords and starts sending out stuff in your name, cleans out you bank account and royaly screws you over!

The man on TV showed how you can take a real e-card, from a real web sight, alter it to collect all your personal information and send it out. He sent out 15 of them and within minutes, he had 11 people download that bug into their computer and had all their information.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Thanks for your input everyone. I did a virus scan and Ad-aware, and nothing came up. I'm hoping Eric can fix this problem when he gets home- I'll show him what everyone said, too.

I'm hoping I don't have to change my email address, but if I do, I do I guess. I suppose I should use a different one for my students anyway because there are so many people on the list. I've gotten plenty of junk mail before, but I've never before been the sender! :p

[Hellow]

It is not ALWAYS caused by an virus. But i would also, in addition to your normal stuff, run an free scan from Trend Micros housecall. Heres the link: here (http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/free_security_tools/housecall_free_scan.php?WT.cg_n=home_qa_housecall# )
Also, an spammer may have gotten your e-mail address. If so, i am afraid you will need to change your e-mail address to fix it.

[Lady's Human]

PC, do you use a preview pane/two line view of your emails?

If so, turn it off. There are Macros (little tiny programs) that run on opening an email. If two line view or preview is turned on, that's all some email macros need to turn your email program into a spambot.

[mike001]

It happened to me last year where people thought I was sending out stuff, found out my identity was stolen or something...technician explained but don't understand it. Right now I'm getting many spams, fortunately they can all be traced with something the tech added to my computer. Switching your e-mail is a good option, although it's easy to get if someone knows the trick.
I just let spam handle and never touch anything I don't recognize.

[crow_noir]

BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) is such a beautiful thing! ... I just wish everyone would use it.


It's probably a trogan or worm. The thing is it may not even be in YOUR computer. Some of those worms invade other people's computers on your email list, copy all the email addresses in it, then spam like crazy.

Another possibility is forwarded emails. Everytime you or someone you have emailed forwards it adds a long list of emails that any spammer along the line can harvest and use however they want to. That is why I never just hit forward on any email without removing all the email addresses and I'm very stern with my contacts not to do the same thing.

If any of your friends on your email list don't keep their virus protection and firewall up to date and use it, or if they don't regularly run anti-spyware programs that are updated, or forward like crazy, things like this happen.

I'd email everyone on your contact list and inform them of this, as well as change your email address. If you have contacts that just won't use proper precautions with their own computers then I'd get one of those disposable freebie email addresses for that person to email you will to protect your main email.

[smokey the elder]

It sounds like your email address was hijacked. If it's really bad, I recommend that you save all your contacts to a file, create a new address, and email that to your contacts. My excite.com account has gotten polluted with spam, mostly "You have a card from *.*" which I just delete. I have the blocker on medium-high.

A side note: at work we're supposed to have this wizard filter, but one of my former bosses gets VERY interesting email, some of which he shares with me for a laugh (prints it out, then deletes it.)

[Catlady711]

BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) is such a beautiful thing! ... I just wish everyone would use it.


I know, I wish the 'forward to everyone' and CC was not even an option on email programs. I have several people I email with that just will not stop using those. *sigh*

[Catty1]

crow noir
BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) is such a beautiful thing! ... I just wish everyone would use it.

AMEN!

[mike001]

When I found out that my identity and password had been stolen I was furious. I just changed a lot of stuff with the tech's help.And I have high power spam filter on now.

[sirrahbed]

Several years ago, something very similar happened to me and it turned out to be a Trojan (well known name but I can't remember what) It turned out to have been sent to me by a friend and then things were mailed out to everyone on her address book. Little bits of emails, junk etc were being sent out.

I am not sure it works because it has never happened again - but I followed a suggestion back then: it said to add an entry to your own address book called "wormalert" or something with a similar warning. In the place of the actual address, have it list your own inbox. This way, if something is automatically using all the addresses you have listed, you should get this mailed back to you. Again, not sure if it will alert me but I do have *worm-alert!! as the first entry in my address book.

Have you tried checking symantec or a similar virus place for a list of current threats to emails? It will give you files to search for that an email virus might leave. That is how I found out what I had and what to do to rid myself of it. Hope you can figure out what happened in your case :)