What happened? Spam sent by "me."

[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.

[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.