Internet

[Henderson383]

I have deleted all contacts.  It's now sending out email to people I don't even know and have never had contact with.   I don't have to be logged on, just happens all the time now.  It is not specific to a certain computer either, it just happens constantly now. 

I have been told by someone to transfer all email to a gmail account, as this never happens with gmail ......  

Thanks for suggestions.

[skinorth]

@Henderson383:

it sounds like you have a spambot on your computer.  Check the following URL:

http://www.wizcrafts.net/blogs/2008/12/about_computer_bots_and_how_to_detect_and_re.html

For more technical information see the following:

http://cbl.abuseat.org/advanced.html

You may need to reinstal everything on your computer on a reformatted hard drive to correct the problem.

skinorth

[Gdkitty]

This could be one of two things.

A spambot, as mentioned above.  At min, make sure to run multiple virus and malware scans, to try and see if there is anything on your machine.

The other, is that your email account has been comprimised.

Now, why are you saing that your email is sending out tons of spam?  People telling you they are receiving it?  Or rogers has contacted you to say that you are??

If people are just receiving it, while it could be local on your machine.. if your account has been comprimised.. they could be using it from their end and spamming from anywhere in the world.  

Bar that, they do not even have to have your full info, as long as someone has your email address.. they can spam from their own email provider, using your email address as the name and reply address.. and without going into the full details of the headers (show the paths, server, etc that it travels to/from).. it looks like its comming form you.

You at minimum should be changing your email password as well.

In the end, you can switch to gmail if you wished.  But if its the case of someone hacking into your email itself, it really doesnt matter which provider you have, if they are able to obtain that information.

Let us know if you are able to find anything on your PC, and we can help from there.

[Henderson383]

Thank you !  Sorry for delay.  I had checked off to get notifications of replies to this via email ... but nope. 

So, I don't believe it is a computer issue.  It happens all the time, if I'm logged in or not ... if I'm at work or home or elsewhere. 

People tell me they are receiving the spam from me, and I also get notifications now of failed emails "mailerdemon" .  The emails are going to people I don't even know and have never emailed ....  

That being said, I did change my password yesterday, and have not had any 'failed' email notifications since.  They were coming constantly. 

I am also going to switch over to gmail when I get a moment to figure that all out.

Thanks again folks !! 

[Henderson383]

thanks, appreciate that but it's not specific to just one computer, it's constant, from everywhere, logged on or not

[Gdkitty]

Yeah it sounds like they did get ahold of your email login/password.. and were using it to spam from elsewhere.

Chaning your password, since it has stoped, means they cant connect to it anymore.

I would make sure you still do full scans, etc.. JUST to make sure there is no keyloger, etc on there that could take it again.

[Henderson383]

Agreed and will do.  Thanks again.  Would this be a human or a bot?  Why don't these emails show in my 'sent' mail? 

[Gdkitty]

human probably used something to steal it.. but then a bot sending them out.

Th reason you dont see anything in your sent mail, is they are not using the webmail or anything to send them out.

They take your login info, etc.. and set it up on a spam mailer program.. so send from.. wherever they are in the world.  Yes they are using your account and rogers server.. since its not being sent from the webmail, etc itself. you wont see it there.