Dodgy Emails

XT UTE 68 · 20-09-2005, 02:10 PM

I'm not a computer whiz, and I hope I won't get shot down for posting this one on the car forum.

"Is it possible for someone else to send dodgy emails containing virus's and whatever using my email address as the sender without me or my computer, if you know what I mean. That is the email appears to have come from me, but infact is from somewhere else???"

I got a rather sus email today from someone saying I had sent them a virus. And I have never dealt with this person.

EA2BA · 20-09-2005, 02:13 PM

Well pending on the virus it can hack your email and send messages that you do not know about, or will know about unless some one tells you, I suggest you upgrade/install a virus checker and health check your system asap.

Casper · 20-09-2005, 02:14 PM

yep, happens all the time.

There are email viruses that infect a computer, resend to all in the address book using a random address from that address book as the "sender". Its very common, I get them almost daily and quite often they are from "ME"!! I dont have the virus as I run an uptodate virus checker and very tight firewall...

XT UTE 68 · 20-09-2005, 02:19 PM

Thats the thing, I have a firewall, nortons and run antispyware, AND run them regular.

So casper your saying, the virus could be on someone else's puter with my name in their address book.

Casper · 20-09-2005, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XT UTE 68

Thats the thing, I have a firewall, nortons and run antispyware, only run them regular.

So casper your saying, the virus could be on someone else's puter with my name in their address book.

yep, almost certainly in this case if you are running up to date virus checkers.

Sourbastard · 20-09-2005, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XT UTE 68

Thats the thing, I have a firewall, nortons and run antispyware, AND run them regular.

So casper your saying, the virus could be on someone else's puter with my name in their address book.

Dont even need that. Its easy enough to manipulate smtp to send emails that appear to be from a persons account with nothing more then name@isp.com through some of the simpler email server systems.

The only give away is the IP address, but even that can be masked entirely.

XT UTE 68 · 20-09-2005, 02:24 PM

Spewin, So I look like the bad guy and can't do jack to fix it.

EA2BA · 20-09-2005, 02:25 PM

some of these wonderful little programs also collect email address from address books then take them with them to the next computer and send from there, so they are 1 step ahead of you, and you dont know where they came from.

Casper · 20-09-2005, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XT UTE 68

Spewin, So I look like the bad guy and can't do jack to fix it.

Correct

RED_EL_XR8 · 20-09-2005, 02:29 PM

It either your PC or someone who has your address in their address book or a mailing list your on, that should narrow it down..

MITCHAY · 20-09-2005, 02:29 PM

Yeah sure is possible cause i remember a little while ago someone on here had a virus sent to his computer using Laminges address.

Ive got Norton, Spybot, Spyware Blaster, and Ad Aware. Ive just got the plain Windows Firewall and ive never had any viruses (other than that from my brother being a dumbarse and downloading random s**t) since weve had our router

Our account has never received any dodgy emails so the filters on the server side are doing their job well.

XT UTE 68 · 20-09-2005, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Casper

Correct

Well that's just great isn't it, I feel great about the world now, Might go back to my shed and play with the cars.

XT UTE 68 · 20-09-2005, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

Ive got Norton, Spybot, Spyware Blaster, and Ad Aware. Ive just got the plain Windows Firewall and ive never had any viruses (other than that from my brother being a dumbarse and downloading random s**t) since weve had our router

Our account has never received any dodgy emails so the filters on the server side are doing their job well.

Same got Norton, firewall, Ad aware and they never turn up anything.

EA2BA · 20-09-2005, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

Yeah sure is possible cause i remember a little while ago someone on here had a virus sent to his computer using Laminges address.

YUP

, I got one

MITCHAY · 20-09-2005, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XT UTE 68

Same got Norton, firewall, Ad aware and they never turn up anything.

I always find Spybot and Ad aware detect a lot more than Norton does. If Spybot could only be bought in stores, I would pay for it cause thats the reason why my computer runs so good now.

Donut Queen · 20-09-2005, 02:50 PM

I've also got emails from people claiming I sent them an email or whatever and I never did but in these cases I think the idea is just that they send them to a heap of different email addresses and if you respond then they know that's a legitimite email address and can send you more spam. People are more likely to respond if they think they might have sent an email first, even if its just to try and find out what they supposedly sent so the strategy probably works.

RED_EL_XR8 · 20-09-2005, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

I always find Spybot and Ad aware detect a lot more than Norton does. If Spybot could only be bought in stores, I would pay for it cause thats the reason why my computer runs so good now.

All except your Spell & Grammar Checks.

xespac · 20-09-2005, 03:07 PM

I've used the e-mail maniplator programme's ... for educational puposes... and all i'm going to say it works, even a computer newbie will be able to use it.

Basicaly I can send an e-mail to a someone and they will read my e-mail address*fake address* as for example: billgates@microsoft.com. You can also get the senders IP address if you know what you're doing.