have I been hacked.

McKneff

I have had numerous emails from

postmaster thingy saying 'failed delivery status' regarding emails to people I havent emailed.

I am now just deleting them without opening them.

Any ideas why or what do i do to stop them.

NeverAgain_2

I can't help, but I expect those that can will want some details of the type of email account - hotmail, gmail, or is it via your internet service provider?

santer_2

Changing the password may help

McKneff

Thanks both, its hotmail. I'll try to change my password then.

vaio

I thought the common cause for this was a spammer faking the emails he is sending to make them look like they come from you so when the intended recipient’s mail server bounces them back you end up getting them.

Having said that, changing your password is never a bad idea

chipp

McKneff wrote: »

I have had numerous emails from

postmaster thingy saying 'failed delivery status' regarding emails to people I havent emailed.

I am now just deleting them without opening them.

Any ideas why or what do i do to stop them.

My dad had this and did the same as you. Head in the sand approach not a good idea.

Do a virus scan and take any action necessary. Change your hotmail password when you know your computer has a clean bill of health, or change it from another clean computer (library?). Check any other email accounts you hold, the problems with my dad's computer started with hotmail but spread to other email accounts within a few days.

I ended up doing a factory reset on my dad's computer, but whilst trying to find a less radical solution I discovered that although spam started only recently, unknown software was installed over 6 months ago and chunks of Windows had been disappearing since that time. You don't want to know how many infected files I found! I guess the uninvited software switched off his anti-virus and he'd never done a manual scan.

My dad doesn't understand computers although he'd never admit it. When a popup suddenly appeared telling him to login to hotmail, being a obedient sort he did just that. I think that was the start.

teffers

vaio wrote: »

I thought the common cause for this was a spammer faking the emails he is sending to make them look like they come from you so when the intended recipient’s mail server bounces them back you end up getting them.

Having said that, changing your password is never a bad idea

This is almost certainly the cause.

It's a bot (spammer) spoofing (faking) the sender's (your's) email address leading to you gettting the replies.

It doesn't do any harm to change your email password but in all honesty if you care about ANY information you email / receive then get rid of Hotmail/MSN mail etc.

Use another free alternative.

MoneySavingUser

I agree it is most likely spoofing

vaio

"spoofing" was the word I was trying to think of but couldn't

Thanks

chipp

I should have made it clear ... my dad had things in his sent mail that he wasn't responsible for. So in his case it wasn't spoofing, his account had genuinely been compromised.

McKneff

Ive changed my email password and it seems to have stopped. thanks for that.

What is spoofing please.

Amazing how much us oldies rely on our sons/daughters for info lol.

One has just gone to Egypt on holiday, one lives in Oxfordshire so Im a bit stuck
for any techie hands on help till next Sunday.