Is somebody hacking my email account Options

[vicky123]

Hi Folks!
This is my first post in this section.
I have a serious issue to discuss.
I have got 2 yahoo Ids ex vicky_123@yahoo.com and vicky_456@yahoo.com.
I received a mail from my own mail Id (say from vicky_456@yahoo.com to vicky_123@yahoo.com), which I didn't send.(both Ids have the text before underscore as common i.e. vicky)
It says Fwd: Photo in the subject line and there are three images namely
DSC-00465.jpg, DSC-00466.jpg, and DSC-00467.jpg, also a attached file called "Attachments001.BHX (131k)"
How come I got a mail from own Id? Is somebody hacking my system and email account ????





This post has been edited by vicky123: Feb 3 2006, 01:12 AM

[Nadir]

No, maybe not, with Outlook, you can set which email address you want to display to the person you're sending an email to.
For example I can send you an email using my work email address and I can change it to nadir@fbi.gov without any problem.

That's a little trick that spammers are using to bias people, for example sending you an email and using a paypal email address and asking you to update your CC information, it happened to my boss but he noticed the trick!

This post has been edited by Nadir: Feb 3 2006, 01:24 AM

[AbleReach]

Vicky,

This doesn't have to mean anything scary, but it never hurts to check.

Look at the full headers and see if the email really came from your other email account. Sometimes email addresses from forged headers are picked up by spam bots - not necessarily a sign of infection or hacking.

While you're at it, it doesn't hurt to periodically change passwords. If you're having doubts about your own machine, you can go to Yahoo on another computer that you trust.

Also run a thorough check on your computer - antivirus, spyware, etc, to make sure you haven't picked up a hitchhiker.

Good luck!

Elizabeth

[vicky123]

In the from field of yahoo it clearly states my mail Id. shows like below
From: "vicky_123"<vicky_123@yahoo.com> (can this kind be customized in outlook gr8 if so..)
The attached images has nothing in it. and Attachments001.BHX (131k) - I feel like the system is asking me dare to click here..
Vicky..

[eKstreme]

Well, the name "vicky" is quite common, so a spam bot can easily guess a number of email addresses: vicky_123, _456, _789, 007, etc. This is especially true that if a spammer stumbles upon one address, it is likely that the other formats are also found. The other possibility is that the spammer stumbles upon both addresses, for example in your address book, and then by sheer chance, the spoofing of the from header turned out to be one of your addresses. All this is automated of course.

The attachment sounds like a virus. See this google search. I point this out as a warning, and also to suggest a mechanism of automation: worms are known to read address books and propagate.

One related question: has a computer you own/manage been hit by a virus lately? To me, this would be the most likely way that the virus has picked up your addresses. However, this is by no means the only way

And I completely agree with Elizabeth: change your passwords often!

[IrishWonder]

Vicky,

There are several possible cases to consider:
1. Does anybody else use the computer that you're accessing that mailbox from besides you and do you always log out after using your Yaho email?
2. Is the other account still active/in use? If you haven't used it for I think 3 months Yahoo terminates it and anybody can register a new account with that name.
3. When you look at that email, click "Show full headers" - this can be done even in Yahoo inbox. If you see any other email address besides the one in the "from:" field that is the real address it's been sent from and your second address has just been faked by changing the headers manually by the sender (Nadir, this is possible not only in Outlook but the idea is generally correct)

And like all others said, it never husrts to change your password when in doubt.

Hope this helps.

[sandeepkrishnan]

hey vicky this is nothing to worry its a email virus ..

this is a mail which regenrates into a mail frm your inbox and sends it to everyone in your address contacts in your mail account so donkey soon as you get a mial like thet delete it its better thet way ...

its a worm virus which you may not be able to find ..

any q's mail me at sandeepkrishnan@inbox.com

[sonjay]

Quite commonly, this means that someone you know has a virus. The virus sends e-mails to everyone in the person's address book, and randomly selects e-mails in that address book to appear as the "from" address.

So, if anyone you know has both of your e-mail addresses in their address book, it's entirely possible they're the source of the problem. (Not deliberately, of course. They're a victim too.)

[Courter]

vicky123,

I would not recommend posting the email addresses on a public forum - just refer to them in general.

We as members have only honourable intentions, however as I have learned there are people who don't.

Take care.

[Adrian]

http://vil.nai.com/vil/content/v_138027.htm info on the virus if you want it.