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Spam sent as email contacts
  1. #1



    Newbie
    Join Date : Oct 2010
    Posts : 1
    Microsoft Windows XP version 2002
    Local Time: 08:59 PM

    Spam sent as email contacts

    Hi,

    I keep receiving junk emails, however these particular ones are coming through as my current email contacts (friends/family).



    I dont want to delete any of these contacts of course, but im getting up to 10 every day from the same address.

    What could be the solution to this?

    Many thanks

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  2. #2



    Account Suspended

    Join Date : Aug 2010
    Laytonsville, Maryland, USA
    Posts : 2,212
    Vista Business 32bit SP2 (build 6002)
    Local Time: 03:59 PM
    usa us maryland

     

    Re: Spam sent as email contacts

    What e-mail program are you using (name and version)? What e-mail provider are you using? When you say they are from various friends and family, but all have the "same address" what exactly do you mean? Do you mean the same TCP/IP address? How are they showing up as different people but all with the same address - I don't understand what you mean.

    Thanks!

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  3. #3



    Banned
    Join Date : Oct 2010
    Posts : 157
    Vista Home Premium 32-bit SP2
    Local Time: 04:59 PM


     

    Re: Spam sent as email contacts

    Quote Originally Posted by aldave02 View Post
    Hi,

    I keep receiving junk emails, however these particular ones are coming through as my current email contacts (friends/family).

    I dont want to delete any of these contacts of course, but im getting up to 10 every day from the same address.

    What could be the solution to this?

    Many thanks
    The problem is on your senders' ends. You have nothing to do with it.
    Notify your friends/family of the situation. Ask them to check.....
    1. for virus infection
    2. for their e-mail accounts being hacked
    It is obvious that someone or something is using their accounts to send spams.

    I know nothing about Outlook Express, and I am assuming that you are using it.
    Perhaps someone with extensive knowledge of OE will have a better idea ?

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  4. #4



    Account Suspended

    Join Date : Aug 2010
    Laytonsville, Maryland, USA
    Posts : 2,212
    Vista Business 32bit SP2 (build 6002)
    Local Time: 03:59 PM
    usa us maryland

     

    Re: Spam sent as email contacts

    The fact that you are receiving these SPAM messages from several different of your contacts suggests to me that your account may have been compromised and information about the people (your contacts) obtained from it and the hacker is using that information to generate these messages. I'm not sure if or how this occurred or if the connection is still active - it could be malware or a someone may be actively connecting or it could have happened at the email provider's servers - we don't know enough to tell at this point.

    While it is possible that they all are infected and sending false messages (possibly through e-mails sent to them that appeared to come from you), I find it unlikely that this suddenly and simultaneously occurred to all these different people (though it is of course remotely possible - especially if done using messages appearing to come from you). A hacker could simply be sending out the spam using their email addresses (possibly obtained from your contact list) without their knowledge or without their systems even being affected. We can address the possibility of infection and compromised accounts at a later stage (both with your machine and theirs) - but for now I'd appreciate a reply to the inquiries in my first post so I can more fully understand the situation and provide better options to consider.

    In the meantime, please download, install, update and run a FULL scan using Malwarebytes: http://www.malwarebytes.org/ (use the free version) and delete anything it finds.

    Thanks and good luck!

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

Spam sent as email contacts problems?

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