Yahoo! Mail Address Stolen And Used To Send Spam

[LaoPo]

YAHOO! mail address stolen and used to send spam

A few days ago a Yahoo mail address of mine was stolen and used to send spam mail; I know, because I received spam mail from my own Yahoo mail address including a few other people I know.

The Yahoo address was seldomly used by myself but still...

In the meantime I changed the password.

Aybody experienced the same problem and what to do besides changing the password ?

Input very welcome!

LaoPo

[Phil Conners]

It's very easy to fake the sending email address. Are you *sure* the spam was actually sent from the yahoo account?

[LaoPo]

It's very easy to fake the sending email address. Are you *sure* the spam was actually sent from the yahoo account?

Well, I received the spam mail from the same Yahoo mail-account/address as I am using and received messages from others WHY I was sending those (stupid) spam mails...so I suppose the spam came from MY address.....no?

LaoPo

[givenall]

It's very easy to fake the sending email address. Are you *sure* the spam was actually sent from the yahoo account?

Well, I received the spam mail from the same Yahoo mail-account/address as I am using and received messages from others WHY I was sending those (stupid) spam mails...so I suppose the spam came from MY address.....no?

LaoPo

I get a lot email looks like was sent from my account. It is very easy to use alias that look like your email. If you replay to the email without actually sending the email, you will see the real email address and not the alias.

[MikeWill]

Was it stolen physically, or just hacked?

Is it difficult to get rid of it altogether?

Could you please define your problem more clearly.

[LaoPo]

Was it stolen physically, or just hacked?

Is it difficult to get rid of it altogether?

Could you please define your problem more clearly.

Hacked (or stolen..what's the difference..?) by third party(ies) who than used my YAHOO! account to send spam.

Changed password and informed YAHOO, wo acknowledged the problem and wrote:

"If your Yahoo! account is sending spam to your contacts, please visit:...." (and a link follows, advising to change the password) in which they say:

"Some users have reported that their contacts received spam that originated from from their Yahoo! email account. This issue has been affecting multiple email providers with the spam containing a URL soliciting prescription medicine. If you've experienced this issue, we strongly believe your account has been compromised and was used by an unauthorized third party to send spam or fraudulent emails to your contact list.

Please change your Password. By changing your password immediately, you quickly minimize the resulting risk for your Yahoo! account. ...etc. etc. "

Thanks for the input!

LaoPo

[lopburi3]

Most of the time is will just be a spoof email address and have nothing to do with your account. Nothing you can do about it but always good to change password just in case. Also good to do a complete scan on your computer to make sure it is not a zombie and sending out the spam for someone. But in most cases it will just be a false email someone is using and have no effect on you.

If the others that sent you reports are in your contact list your computer would be much more suspect.

[angiud]

I have an yahoo address and many friends complain about I was selling Viagra and prescription medicine.

I just changed my password (before was just my date of birth, discoverable on my Facebook account, me idiot! :lol:) and now (for now) everything is fine.

[LaoPo]

Most of the time is will just be a spoof email address and have nothing to do with your account. Nothing you can do about it but always good to change password just in case. Also good to do a complete scan on your computer to make sure it is not a zombie and sending out the spam for someone. But in most cases it will just be a false email someone is using and have no effect on you.

If the others that sent you reports are in your contact list your computer would be much more suspect.

They were/are in my contact list.........I changed the password and so far it's OK but I'm running a complete scan since 26 hours with Symantec....computer redhot and still not finished scanning...

LaoPo

[Phil Conners]

It's very easy to fake the sending email address. Are you *sure* the spam was actually sent from the yahoo account?

Well, I received the spam mail from the same Yahoo mail-account/address as I am using and received messages from others WHY I was sending those (stupid) spam mails...so I suppose the spam came from MY address.....no?

LaoPo

Not necessarily, you'll have to check the headers of the mail to be sure - and even then it can sometimes be difficult to determine as really good spammers are very good even at faking the headers. To see headers in Gmail you click "show original". I don't know how you do it in Yahoo, probably something similar, "show headers" or "show source" or something like that.

[naidraw66]

Simple answer just change your password!! You should do this now and again to prevent such occurrences.

Regards

IW

[elshaheen]

Google mail has the same issue. The way these hackers get your info is from places you've signed up on for newsletters, services and products. That site may have malware already loaded in the sites script. It'll send all e-mail info to a designated user who will simply use your UID / PASS to hijack your mail accounts, sometimes bank accounts, etc. Sometimes a hacker will change your password.

You’ll log onto your e-mail account and noticed it’s been disabled for your purpose. You’ll need to contact your mail provider and provide them with the necessary security information you supplied them when you first registered. If you don’t remember, try, if you have it written down (I always keep a master list of UID/PASS for important accounts on file.) If you don’t have either and all else fails, contact your provider.

Suggestion. When you sign up for a service, product, newsletter. Use an alternative e-mail account on another site, example mail.com. Use this as your alternative e-mail. That way, if someone hacks that account, <deleted> it, no loose. Also update your virus scanner, malware scanners (I used Advanced System Care and IObit Security 360).

[Khun Jean]

Simple answer just change your password!! You should do this now and again to prevent such occurrences.

Regards

IW

I don't believe this 'change your password' regularly advice that is given by many.

It results in more and more easy passwords especially when old passwords are remembered by the system and can not be used again.

I have a few accounts that have a password that is not changed in the last 10 years.

Think of a good one, preferably with lower and uppercase letters and a few numbers and stick with it. Not base it on birthday, licenseplates, phonenumbers etc. Just a random sequence. Remember it so you don't have to write it down.

Never ever use an email account password on another website. If that one is cracked it is rather easy to get other passwords by just using the 'don't remember password' links on websites that send you a new password with email.

Check websites like http://www.mydigitallife.info/2010/01/07/list-of-common-and-easily-hacked-passwords-that-should-not-be-used/ to see if your passwords are on the list. Google 'common passwords' to see more.

[astral]

Just start a new account, say with Gmail.

Let all your friends know and then ignore the old account.

Your friends can bolck messages from the old account with the spam filter function

available on most mail readers, client or web based.

[thrilled]

These email sites aren't very good.you can go to A search engine it say's how to get into someones email.Remember this when you go into A website that was sent to your yahoo mail.When you finish with the site make sure you log out of it.

[somchaismith]

^ That's all over the net, but they're talking out their ringpieces.

[Crushdepth]

Just change your password (to a strong one, of course) and forget about it.

Hijacking of email accounts is very common, it has happened to 5-6 people I know.

[JUDAS]

Oh my, oh my. After reading this , I googled my email address and my user name along with password came up for a forum I don't recognize.