Computer sending emails to all my contacts aghh.

[rustic]

Last night at about 9:45 pm, i was receiving loads of emails that failed to deliver, from contacts that had expired.:nenau

I looked into it, and my email account had decided to email all my contacts from my address book giving a link to various sites.
Apologies to anyone on here if it was sent to you.


It did the same a few months back, I checked both the main computer and my net book for viruses etc, and nothing was there, I also used spybot.

When the same thing happened last night, neither computer was even switched on. I was using my ipad which is supposed to be unffected by viruses.:augie

So I think something has got into my email account, where ever that is stored.
I am using BT's internet, ie yahoo.

Any advice on what I can do to stop it happening again.:nenau:nenau

Remind me again why I should use internet banking, if I did I would be pulling out whatever hair I had left.:doh

Best regards,
Richard

 

[arcascomp]

Seen this with Hotmail before, could be your Yahoo account has been hacked, change your password and make sure its not just a simple word to guess, a phrase that is easy to remember is always handy

 

[makeitfit]

No idea mate but I love internet banking My nearest branch is 50 miles away to start with and the few remaining here as good as an ashtray on a motorbike :lol Instant balance /movement payments etc.
If they cock up they sort it simples :clap
Just wish my premium bonds would cough up then I'd get it all out in cash and roll around in it for a while, mmmmmmmmmmmmm, money porn :naughty

 

[kitchenman]

Get AVG FREE 2012, run a real email system not web based
Microsoft do a good one like Outlook it looks a lot like Outlook Express, called Windows Live Mail I think.
Google 'where is outlook express' you will get lots of hits, only click on the ones with the word microsoft after the http or www.
Make sure you update AVG every day
I have used AVG Free from the start, trapped many a virus, never been infected
Good luck

 

[clivvy]

as Arcas says, change passwords, your contact list has been hacked, happens a lot.

 

[rustic]

as Arcas says, change passwords, your contact list has been hacked, happens a lot.

Thanks guys for all your advice, I have changed my password, I might change it more regularly.

I might also look at AVG or similar when I get chance, thanks for the info.

That's what I like about this site, I get valid advice by return on matters that are not always 4x4 related. :clap:clap:clap:clap

Thanks, :thumbs
Rustic

 

[clivvy]

if you are on Hotmail, im sure you can set it to request a change of password every 30 day increments, useful as a reminder:thumb2

 

[4wheel]

"Avast" is another free Anti Virus and does as good a job as AVG.I use both on different PC's and no problems.

 

[96terrano]

I thought AVG was crap?:nenau

 

[makeitfit]

I thought AVG was crap?:nenau

Always been ace this end on about five lappy hooked kids and my pc

 

[briggie]

microsoft security essentials is good too , does what it says on the tin and is free

 

[clivvy]

AVG is good, MSE is good, Kaspersky is good, you just have to avoid the ones that taek over your PC such as NOrton and McAfee-they do the job, but poorly, and seem to focus more on locking your pc down, than actually letting you do anything.

 

[arcascomp]

Totally agree, both Norton and McAfee actually have to provide programs to download that remove failed uninstalls as they are a common cause of machines failing to start/login/connect to networks even months after you have 'uninstalled' the 'free' trial left on the machine by the manufacturer.

Microsoft's stuff actually works quite well and doesn't hog machine resources much, which I have found AVG to do since about version 9 - not often I say that about a Microsoft product!

 

[Sedger]

Use an email client...

.... best advice - as well as anti virus (AVG is excellent) use a free email client. Thunderbord is excellent. Setting up Hotmail or Gmail is a piece of p.

 

[rustic]

AVG is good, MSE is good, Kaspersky is good, you just have to avoid the ones that taek over your PC such as NOrton and McAfee-they do the job, but poorly, and seem to focus more on locking your pc down, than actually letting you do anything.

Well I use McAfee free via BT, it has slowed down my net book so much, I can use my ipad in between and and do 10 times the work.

When it does the scan on both the main computer and the net book it takes several hours and using the PC is virtually impossible as it is r e a l y s..l..o..w... :doh

Thanks for the info, looks like I need to change virus protection providers.

Best regards,
Rustic

 

[clivvy]

well, if you need any help chap, you know where we are. Unistalling McAfee should...SHOULD...go smoothly, reboot then install something liek MSE or AVG and youll see a marked improvement plus youll get far better "live" scanning when surfing the web etc.:thumb2

 

[supergnome]

No anti virus suit would have prevented this hacking of a password on Hotmails server thousands of miles away. . A secure password, changed regulally probably will. David