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.

[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!

[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
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.