Email Problems

Undercover · Oct 31, 2012

I noticed in my sent box there was two emails sent from my email to several of my contacts and another one sent (same garbage advertisement) to another contact. I never sent these emails. So I did a test with another email account and my emails are not going through. That was about an hour ago, unless the system is going slow.

Do you think my email may be corrupted? I'm really concerned because I did a big batch of queries, sending them out (haven't heard a word) and now I think my email is messed up.

alleycat · Oct 31, 2012

Have you run a malware scan?

Is your security software also set up to check your e-mail?

Undercover · Oct 31, 2012

I don't know what malware is.

I have Norton, but I'm not sure it protects my email.

alleycat · Oct 31, 2012

Malware definition from Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malware

You might want to run a Norton scan and see if it finds anything. You could also get MalwareBytes (the free version) and run a scan using it; just don't have both up as active protection at the same time (just use MB to scan).

You might also need to run a rootkit scan.

Maryn · Oct 31, 2012

Email hacks are common. They "damage" caused is usually someone using your email account to send spam to everyone in your address book. You can report it by switching your email to full headers (which shows the originating ISP) and forwarding the mail in the "sent" folder which you did not send to Abuse@[your email], such as [email protected] or [email protected].

It's always a good idea to run a malware scan on your computer any time something wonky has happened. It's also wise, if you don't routinely do it, to store everything important on your hard drive in two other places, suck as DropBox and on CDs. That way even if you have really malicious malware like many of the trojans, your important stuff is safe elsewhere.

Maryn, whose emails have all been seized by spammers, most recently in Romania, Mexico, and Italy

Undercover · Oct 31, 2012

Thanks Alleycat and Maryn

I reported those emails to that email address you gave, Maryn. I don't know how to run a scan, but I will definitely have my husband do it. Thanks.

alleycat · Oct 31, 2012

Is your husband more knowledgeable about computer security and using the Norton software? If not, we could give you some pointers.

You do want to make sure the setting is to scan all files, and then run a full scan in this case.

Undercover · Oct 31, 2012

Yeah, he's a lot more computer savvy than I am.

Thanks for all your help, I appreciate it.

alleycat · Oct 31, 2012

If Norton finds nothing, suggest he load the free version of MalwareBytes, then run a full scan. Also remind him to set it up so that it's not part of the services that automatically start when the computer is turned on (he should know how to do this). If you're using Norton as your primary security, then you just want MB as a secondary scanner.

Undercover · Nov 3, 2012

Well I haven't done the malware thing yet, but there's something seriously wrong with my email. I don't think my emails are going through. I had asked an editor if she wanted to see my revision and she said yes and to send it. I did and just today (which was two weeks later) she responded to the email again saying to send it. So I'm thinking she never got the email. Then I did some more tests and created a new email, sending back and forth and noticed my emails are going in the spam box. But I've gotten responses from other emails so I don't know what the problem is.

JHUK · Nov 9, 2012

Undercover said:
Well I haven't done the malware thing yet, but there's something seriously wrong with my email. I don't think my emails are going through. I had asked an editor if she wanted to see my revision and she said yes and to send it. I did and just today (which was two weeks later) she responded to the email again saying to send it. So I'm thinking she never got the email. Then I did some more tests and created a new email, sending back and forth and noticed my emails are going in the spam box. But I've gotten responses from other emails so I don't know what the problem is.

Sounds as if your email account has been hacked. I'd get a new email address immediately and use that for your editor ONLY. There are lots of free email acccounts available, notably gmail, yahoo (though that seems to be the one most frequently hacked), etc.

Undercover · Nov 9, 2012

Thanks, Jane. I did start a new account and anything I send out now I use the new account with. But now it's a bitch cause I still am getting email from the old account. They're both Yahoo accounts and I've tried to link them up where I can just use my new one but obviously I'm doing something wrong cause it's not working out that way.

J.W. Alden · Nov 9, 2012

I don't think it's been said here yet, but you should also change the password on the compromised account immediately. And change the passwords on any other online accounts you have that are "attached" to that email address in any way (i.e., if someone hit the "forgot my password" link on a website like this one, it would send the password recovery message to the compromised inbox).

Honestly, I would also recommend leaving yahoo as an email provider. I've heard a lot of stories like this one about yahoo accounts being compromised, and had a little trouble with them myself years ago.

JHUK · Nov 9, 2012

J.W. Alden said:
I don't think it's been said here yet, but you should also change the password on the compromised account immediately. And change the passwords on any other online accounts you have .....

Honestly, I would also recommend leaving yahoo as an email provider. I've heard a lot of stories like this one about yahoo accounts being compromised, and had a little trouble with them myself years ago.

Yes, I agree with both suggestions. I always have at least two (though now I have more!) email accounts. I use MS Outlook to pull them all together, so I'm only looking in one place to read them. I have at least one address that is only used for specific purposes, one that my friends and family have, and one that's "public". Works for me, anyway.

retlaw · Nov 10, 2012

Adaware is an excellent malware tool & is free in its most basic configuration:

http://download.cnet.com/Ad-Aware-Free-Antivirus/3000-8022_4-10045910.html

Follow the download instructions, update the definitions, then run a quick scan & overnight run a full scan.

Email Problems

Undercover

I got it covered

alleycat

Still around

Undercover

I got it covered

alleycat

Still around

Maryn

At Sea

Undercover

I got it covered

alleycat

Still around

Undercover

I got it covered

alleycat

Still around

Undercover

I got it covered

JHUK

Undercover

I got it covered

J.W. Alden

The King Who Bore the Sword

JHUK

retlaw