Hacked
@MimiPRGameFreak (807)
United States
October 29, 2010 2:49pm CST
I haven't checked my AOL mail for 3 days and decided to check it today. When I checked it, I wasn't able to log in. Instead I got a message saying that my email has been compromised due to sending a lot of emails that was spam. I was force to reset my password and I did. I checked my sent section and didn't find any emails that has been sent there. I deleted all my saved mails and address book just to be safe. Now I'm wondering if I really did get my AOL mail hacked or if AOL mail made a mistake on compromising my email. This is the first time since 10 years that my AOL mail have been compromised and I've never had this kind of issue.
I've also scanned my computer to see if I have a Keylogger, but nothing turns up. I've used McAfee Antivirus Plus, Malware Bytes Anti Malware, and Superantispyware. No virus or trojans have come up.
What do you guys think? Do I have a Keylogger and need to use some other program to find it or was it AOL's mistake?
1 response
@rosdimy (3926)
• Malaysia
31 Oct 10
Your account was most probably hijacked using a spoofing method.
In spoofing the perpetrator obtained your email address from somewhere else. It could be from a friend's address book, setting up a website to harvest email addresses, or from a list bought from someone else.
Spam emails are then sent out with your email address as the sender. So if one gets bounced, it will go back to your inbox. So will any reply, usually made by angry recipients, made by pressing the reply button. Anyone checking the link in the email body will see that it goes to a different sender.
Three of my email addresses have been compromised in this way. That is one of the reasons why I am wary of unknown make money websites.
@MimiPRGameFreak (807)
• United States
31 Oct 10
I figure it was hijacked. I don't think it haves anything to do with money making websites cause the email that was hijacked, I didn't use that email on any money making websites.
@rosdimy (3926)
• Malaysia
31 Oct 10
If it is hijacked and spoofed then changing the password will not alter anything, unless the perpetrator decides not to use it any more. Most probably it will be used again in the future, partly because the culprit will not get any return email even if the account is blocked.
The email service providers are incapable of stopping this type of spoofing, therefore the best possible action may be to create a new email account, and guard it well.
