I recv'd spam from my own email addrs! How did that happen & how do I fix it?

Question

I opened my spam this morning only to find that I had a Rolex ad sent to me from me. How can someone use my own email address to send spam? I am not sure but this is short of identity theft isn't it? I need to know how to trace the origin so I can find out who did this. Do you know how to trace or backtrack the from or origin of the email sent?

Answer 1

Most spammers use data collected from infected machines to build up man email address list. They then will access a non secure  mail server to send from every address to every address for maximum coverage. Unfortunately there are many open smtp relays due to poorly maintained mail servers.

Answer 2

Just, because you can see the spam has been sent from your address dosent mean it has been.

There are many ways of changing your outgoing email address that others can see.

The most likely senario is that you have entered your email address on a website and they have sent spam / ads to it. they would have changed their email to look like yours (like withholding wour phone number before calling someone)

So at least you can be at rest with the fact that THEY DONT KNOW YOUR PSSWORD.

Next time if you ever sign up for something or ever enter your email on the internet, scan the terms and look everywhere on the page for a check box asking you if you want to recieve promotional offers. If so UNCHECK IT.

I wouldent worry, if your email program saved the emails to your spam folder, the sender did not use your actual email account to send the email. (Try Sending An Email to Yourself. It will end up in the inbox as a trusted email)

Just try and block them using your email program.

Dont know if any of that makes sence but Good Luck

Grant Russell

http://www.ukgrant.talktalk.net/

Answer 3

looks like someone hacked into ur email. I recommend deleting the account a start a new one