Why & how is this happening to me
By moonchild1au
@moonchild1au (6237)
Australia
November 16, 2009 3:13pm CST
I use a web based email (hotmail) & it looks like my account either has a virus or keeps getting hacked as my email keeps sending out spam to all in my address book. I only use this account in the net & not from outlook...I also try not to open the spam that I get that is the same to try to stop my email from sending the same thing...how can I stop this from happening?
1 person likes this
7 responses
@matsulori (269)
• United States
20 Nov 09
I can't tell you why or how this is happening, but I CAN tell you that I have several accounts: hotmail, yahoo, and gmail, and gmail has the best spam blocker. If I were in your place, I'd open another account in gmail, and see how you like the difference. Of the three, I use gmail the most.
2 people like this
@moonchild1au (6237)
• Australia
20 Nov 09
I do have a gmail account which I only use for ebay & have it linked to my hotmail account...maybe I should switch to that but it's such a hassle to let everyone know the change :(
2 people like this
@matsulori (269)
• United States
20 Nov 09
Use your same hotmail address, just make it gmail. That will make the transition easier. Gmail's spam control is truly a blessing. Although I maintain the hotmail, yahoo, and gmail accounts, they're all for a different reason, but I like gmail best. It's up to you what's more a pain in the butt: constant spam annoyance, or a basically one-time inconvenience of informing everyone of your change to gmail. It will make the transition a lot easier if your sign in for gmail is the same as your hotmail. Just a suggestion; good luck!
2 people like this
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
16 Nov 09
My advice is to get rid of Hotmail as it is well known for attracting spam and viruses. Open up a free account at Gmail which is much better all round and you can import your current address book into it! 
So, open up a Gmail account at Gmail.com, import your address book, delete hotmail, then contact all your address book in one email letting them know your new address.
Easy! 
So, open up a Gmail account at Gmail.com, import your address book, delete hotmail, then contact all your address book in one email letting them know your new address.
Easy! @moonchild1au (6237)
• Australia
16 Nov 09
This is true but I have used hotmil for about 10 years...I have my gmail account linked to it too...I have never had problems with hotmail before until a few months ago
@moonchild1au (6237)
• Australia
17 Nov 09
I may have to look into doing something like that with this lap top...however coz I first rented this lap top, I don't think I have any of the windows cd roms incase I upgrade & decide to sell this computer...
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
16 Nov 09
I also use an inbox.com account for all my internet marketing stuff that might create spam. This keeps it all separate from my personal stuff at my Gmail accounts.
I also have no Microsoft Windows products on my computer at all and have no need for Anti virus software. I use Kubuntu now and my internet surfing works far more smoothly than it ever did when I was using Windows!
I also have no Microsoft Windows products on my computer at all and have no need for Anti virus software. I use Kubuntu now and my internet surfing works far more smoothly than it ever did when I was using Windows! 1 person likes this
@musicman6 (2413)
• United States
17 Nov 09
I know exactly what you are talking about, my cousin is with hotmail, and she sent me a message with this virus on it, and my Norton anti-virus caught it, and saved me !
Did you know that yahoo mail has Norton anti-virus built in, and it scans all the incoming mail?
1 person likes this
@moonchild1au (6237)
• Australia
17 Nov 09
I wasn't aware that yahoo came with nortons - I'm not a big fan of nortons but it's better than nothing..I have avg on my computer which is good but unfortunately no antivirus scans web based emails unless you have it set up to come to outlook, etc...I do try not to open them - I can recognise the majority of these emails & delete them with out opening them :)
1 person likes this
@redkathy (3374)
• United States
16 Nov 09
Maybe your browser got hijacked. That means the files associated with your browser, that are in your computer, are infected. You need to determine what you have. Do a disc cleanup on windows first. Then run anti virus, spyware, and malware scans. See if that works. Good Luck!
1 person likes this
@CJscott (4187)
• Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
19 Nov 09
I would imagine you have changed your password already. Then your comp, may have a keylogger, though I doubt that and I am sure you run your scans regularly. All that being done right, my own position on the matter is ....www.gmail.com...they are great.
Cheers.
1 person likes this
@moonchild1au (6237)
• Australia
19 Nov 09
Yep, yep & yep...I do have a gmail account but I don't log into it as I have it linked to my hotmail
2 people like this
@missliss08 (766)
• United States
17 Nov 09
Mine did that once too, and I never even knew it did it. I am not sure if it was hacked, or a virus, but I hope it doesn't do it again.
@moonchild1au (6237)
• Australia
17 Nov 09
my cousin's wife had this happen to her too & he said she was hacked or hijacked - well her email account anyway...I just hope I can stop it from happening...I think I might try contacting hotmail support
1 person likes this
@danishcanadian (28954)
• Canada
27 Jan 10
Did you change your password right away? My husband had his e-mail account hacked at one point, and all kinds of stupid things were going out from his e-mail address. it got to be really annoying after a while. He had to change his password, and re-subscribe to a lot of stuff after that happened.
@moonchild1au (6237)
• Australia
21 Mar 10
I have since changed my password a few times & now I'm not "sending" any spam mails...yay!! I still get the spam mails come through but most just go straight to my junk box so I don't have to look at it.
