Think I'm toxic - can anyone help???

mandragora_2

I am having a problem with my hotmail account, at least in relation to my local freecycle group, who are now Very Cross Indeed with me - though I don't know how I've picked up the problem, and thought I'd sorted it.

Anyway - what's happening is that someone or something has managed to activate a part of my Hotmail account to make the 'Send automated Vacation replies' facility live, and is using that to somehow send a spam message to Freecycle contacts at least (no complaints from anyone else so far - perhaps they're just too polite to say anything). I've found the 'Automated Vacation' tool on my hotmail options bar, de-activated it and delated the spam message, however, I've just had email returned, again from freecycle main email, bouncing a further spam message back to me. I've gone back into the options again, deleted the message again, selected 'don't send any vacation replies' again, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. I've also changed my hotmail password - but the latest spam has been sent post password change.

Is there anything more I can - or should - do? Is this Hotmail account now a liability? I can close it down, I guess, and create a new one, as it's not a crucial address for me, but it will be a pain to do this if I don't have to. Could the rest of my system be at risk? We've run a scan over the weekend, and its not showing anything untoward...

Cheers. Any help will be appreciated

fwor

Are you sure the last spam message ~originated~ after you changed your password - bearing in mind that Freecycle groups, if based on Yahoo Groups, can have lengthy delays - particularly if you have been put on full moderation.

If it was, and you've chosen a good replacement password, then you have a serious security problem - possibly a keystroke logger on your PC? It would be interesting to know what you used to scan the PC.

If not, I'd still want to know how the Hotmail account was cracked originally. If your password was bad - for example if it appears in the list in the following link - then it may well have been brute-forced:

http://boingboing.net/2009/01/02/top-500-worst-passwo.html

If it was a strong password, I'd still be worried...

Garz

If the bots have added the valid emails from your contacts to its list, your account might not be the one sending the spam. Im afraid your friends or colleagues will have to block the messages from whatever source is sending them and by creating a new account the problem can still persist.

mandragora_2

fwor wrote: »

Are you sure the last spam message ~originated~ after you changed your password - bearing in mind that Freecycle groups, if based on Yahoo Groups, can have lengthy delays - particularly if you have been put on full moderation.

If it was, and you've chosen a good replacement password, then you have a serious security problem - possibly a keystroke logger on your PC? It would be interesting to know what you used to scan the PC.

If not, I'd still want to know how the Hotmail account was cracked originally. If your password was bad - for example if it appears in the list in the following link - then it may well have been brute-forced:

http://boingboing.net/2009/01/02/top-500-worst-passwo.html

If it was a strong password, I'd still be worried...

I'm hoping you're right - no, I'm not sure it appeared after I changed my password, and there is a pretty long timelag with messages to and fro between the group. My old p/word is a 'strong' one, new one even 'stronger'! Currently watching this space and not typing my password - old or new - anywhere!

Any other advice or thoughts much appreciated.

Marty_J

I'd give your computer a scan with Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware.

Download it, update, scan, and fix whatever it finds.

steven605

I am sorry that I not help you a favor