Help needed: Spam being sent with my hotmail e-mail address

Kodos · 04-27-2010, 09:15 AM

Hi guys. Someone is sending out spam mimicking my hotmail account address. Anyone know of anything I can do about that? I've sent a note to my contacts telling them to delete anything they receive from that account (it is used solely for when I have to give my e-mail address when signing up for a forum or a utility, etc. - anything that might get me on a spamming list). What else can I do? Would deleting the contacts list help? (I don't know if the account has been compromised or if someone is just mimicking my address.)

Mustang · 04-27-2010, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kodos

Hi guys. Someone is sending out spam mimicking my hotmail account address.

I had the same issue with someone spamming smoke signals from my campfire.

Ok, you had to know someone was going to make a comment in regards to hotmail being old..

Did someone possibly hack your email addy and is it only going out to your contacts only? (Looks like a quick search has some threads on malware being the culprit on hijacked hotmail accounts)

wade moore · 04-27-2010, 09:41 AM

I had a thread recently where this happened to my wife's gmail account - simply changing the PW solved the problem.

cartman · 04-27-2010, 09:41 AM

Are any of the emails going out still in your Sent Items folder? If not, then they are probably just spoofing your address. If you can get a copy of one of the emails that was sent out with your email address, there is info in the headers that can determine where the message originated.

Kodos · 04-27-2010, 09:43 AM

Yeah, they are still in the Sent folder.

Wade - I will change the password. Good idea!

Kodos · 04-27-2010, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustang

I had the same issue with someone spamming smoke signals from my campfire.

Ok, you had to know someone was going to make a comment in regards to hotmail being old..

Did someone possibly hack your email addy and is it only going out to your contacts only? (Looks like a quick search has some threads on malware being the culprit on hijacked hotmail accounts)

Could be worse. Could be AOL.

Like I said, it's an old account that evolved into my possible spam source account.

Kodos · 04-27-2010, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cartman

Are any of the emails going out still in your Sent Items folder? If not, then they are probably just spoofing your address. If you can get a copy of one of the emails that was sent out with your email address, there is info in the headers that can determine where the message originated.

Is there somewhere I could send that info to report it?

jeff061 · 04-27-2010, 10:30 AM

How did they gain access to the account? That's kind of scary.

Spoof's one thing(what Cartman said), actually having them in your sent items is something else altogether. Header information won't be any different than normal.

I think the only information available is IP logs at Microsoft. Does Hotmail have a support email address? I'd be amazed if MS did anything.

Kodos · 04-27-2010, 10:56 AM

Yeah, it is a bit scary. No idea how they got access.

Kodos · 04-27-2010, 12:33 PM

Just changed every password under the sun. Hopefully that limits possible downsides.

Ronnie Dobbs2 · 04-27-2010, 12:35 PM

Make sure to have strong passwords, that's all I would guess.

Password Recovery Speeds

Kodos · 04-27-2010, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronnie Dobbs2

Make sure to have strong passwords, that's all I would guess.

Password Recovery Speeds

So '3lit3' isn't gonna take long to crack?

jeff061 · 04-27-2010, 01:15 PM

Heh.

Well the idea is either the account will lock or there is some sort of captcha protection. I would hope Hotmail(and pretty much every system) uses one of those two. So it doesn't matter how many attempts you can do in a second, you get 5.

Most complexity requirements out there aren't needed and are just a needless PITA. What is needed is maximum password age. Simply to protect people against more conventional attacks, someone glancing over your shoulder, giving it out to someone you trusted and it leaks out somehow, etc.

Anyways, off topic, but that's my opinion piece

.

lordscarlet · 04-27-2010, 01:25 PM

I hate maximum password age. THAT is a huge pain in the ass.

Honolulu_Blue · 04-27-2010, 01:31 PM

I had this problem a few months ago. I tried to send an email from my Hotmail account and got some message that I had already sent my alotted number of emails in a day or something. I checked my sent mails and, sure enough, someone had spammed from my acount.

No clue how it happened. I changed my password and it hasn't happened since.

jeff061 · 04-27-2010, 01:32 PM

That it may be, but at least it has a purpose. Especially with all the idiots out there that flaunt their password around.

I 100% don't understand the point of some of the more stringent complexity requirements.

04-27-2010, 09:41 AM	#4
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	Are any of the emails going out still in your Sent Items folder? If not, then they are probably just spoofing your address. If you can get a copy of one of the emails that was sent out with your email address, there is info in the headers that can determine where the message originated. __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

04-27-2010, 09:43 AM	#5
Kodos Resident Alien Join Date: Jun 2001	Yeah, they are still in the Sent folder. Wade - I will change the password. Good idea! __________________ Author of The Bill Gates Challenge, as well as other groundbreaking dynasties.

04-27-2010, 10:30 AM	#8
jeff061 Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: MA	How did they gain access to the account? That's kind of scary. Spoof's one thing(what Cartman said), actually having them in your sent items is something else altogether. Header information won't be any different than normal. I think the only information available is IP logs at Microsoft. Does Hotmail have a support email address? I'd be amazed if MS did anything. __________________

04-27-2010, 10:56 AM	#9
Kodos Resident Alien Join Date: Jun 2001	Yeah, it is a bit scary. No idea how they got access. __________________ Author of The Bill Gates Challenge, as well as other groundbreaking dynasties. Last edited by Kodos : 04-27-2010 at 10:57 AM.

04-27-2010, 12:33 PM	#10
Kodos Resident Alien Join Date: Jun 2001	Just changed every password under the sun. Hopefully that limits possible downsides. __________________ Author of The Bill Gates Challenge, as well as other groundbreaking dynasties.

04-27-2010, 12:35 PM	#11
Ronnie Dobbs2 Pro Rookie Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Bahston Mass	Make sure to have strong passwords, that's all I would guess. Password Recovery Speeds __________________ There's no I in Teamocil, at least not where you'd think

04-27-2010, 01:15 PM	#13
jeff061 Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: MA	Heh. Well the idea is either the account will lock or there is some sort of captcha protection. I would hope Hotmail(and pretty much every system) uses one of those two. So it doesn't matter how many attempts you can do in a second, you get 5. Most complexity requirements out there aren't needed and are just a needless PITA. What is needed is maximum password age. Simply to protect people against more conventional attacks, someone glancing over your shoulder, giving it out to someone you trusted and it leaks out somehow, etc. Anyways, off topic, but that's my opinion piece . __________________

04-27-2010, 01:25 PM	#14
lordscarlet Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Washington, DC	I hate maximum password age. THAT is a huge pain in the ass. __________________ Sixteen Colors ANSI/ASCII Art Archive "...the better half of the Moores..." -cthomer5000

04-27-2010, 01:31 PM	#15
Honolulu_Blue Hockey Boy Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Royal Oak, MI	I had this problem a few months ago. I tried to send an email from my Hotmail account and got some message that I had already sent my alotted number of emails in a day or something. I checked my sent mails and, sure enough, someone had spammed from my acount. No clue how it happened. I changed my password and it hasn't happened since. __________________ *Steve Yzerman*: 1,755 points in 1,514 regular season games. 185 points in 196 postseason games. A First-Team All-Star, Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Selke Trophy winner, Masterton Trophy winner, member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Olympic gold medallist, and a three-time Stanley Cup Champion. Longest serving captain of one team in the history of the NHL (19 seasons).

04-27-2010, 01:32 PM	#16
jeff061 Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: MA	That it may be, but at least it has a purpose. Especially with all the idiots out there that flaunt their password around. I 100% don't understand the point of some of the more stringent complexity requirements. __________________

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