Computer Help??

[cecdoo]

Apparently something has attached itself to my address book and is sending out spam emails to everyone in my book. I use aol with their McAffee security controls and have done a complete scan, but nothing turned up. Any ideas? I am not very computer savvy, but know enuff to be dangerous:think: Thanks Craig

[mini-muffin]

Well that explains the last email I got from ya. Wish I could help I'm not that good at figuring those things out. I'm sure one of our computer guru's will get on here soon.

 

Margaret

[Squidley]

That explains a lot, I have been getting them too and just sent an email back asking about it. We'll have to see what others say as I dont have any skills in that dept.

[SilvrT]

Here's a little "trick" that used to work ... not sure if it still does.

 

Create a new entry in your address book with name of 000000000 (that's zeros) and email addy of ooooooooo@nowhere.com (false addy)

 

This becomes the first entry in the address book

When the "bot" sends to this addy, it will get a fail and once a fail has been detected, the bot stops.

 

That's how it used to be but that was years ago so like I said, dunno if that still works.

[SilvrT]

Download / install Spybot S&D ... follow the setup and do a complete scan and then clean all things found.

 

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/

[KarlS]

That happened to me once when I was using AOL. It was NOT in my computer, I had to contact AOL and they took care of it. Someone had gotten access to my mail box and was sending 1000's of e-mails and instant messages using my mail box. They had me change my password and then was apparently able to find and stop it. I spent 3 days running spy ware and everything I could find and nothing helped until I contacted my then server AOL.

Good Luck.

[Guest seuadr]

That happened to me once when I was using AOL. It was NOT in my computer, I had to contact AOL and they took care of it. Someone had gotten access to my mail box and was sending 1000's of e-mails and instant messages using my mail box. They had me change my password and then was apparently able to find and stop it. I spent 3 days running spy ware and everything I could find and nothing helped until I contacted my then server AOL.

Good Luck.

they don't even have to have access to your mail box, they can send emails from any address they want. spider bots search the web and pick up emails here and there and use those to send the spam out with. seems like a legitimate address to the recipient, afterall.

 

i also agree, spybot s & d .. that program is fantastic.

[Wanderer]

And they continue to use Microsoft and Windows:think:

[SilvrT]

One thing that some folks do is send out forwarded emails. They address them TO: everyone in their contact list. This email now has embedded in it all those addy's PLUS all the addy's of whoever forawrded it to them, and so on.... Spyware/viruses somewhere on somebody's computer can pick up those addy's and start distributing spam emails using any one of those addy's as the SENDER.

 

Never put peoples email addy's in the TO box when you send to multiple recipients... use the BCC box for that and NEVER forward such emails... create a new one and copy/paste the body part of the message, leaving out all the other "crap" such as all those embedded email addy's that it was forwarded to.

[SilvrT]

And they continue to use Microsoft and Windows:think:

 

Unfortunately, some of us... well, in fact MOST of us... HAVE TO and that's just the way it is. Those, like yourself (I believe you're on a Linux or MAC machine?), who are fortunate enuf to be able to do all they "need" to do on a MAC or Linux box are.... well, fortunate. That being said, such situations as this are not exempt just because a given person is using a Linux or MAC machine.

[jonesy]

use spy-bot and also malwarebytes, install them, update them, now heres the important part to get whatever is on your machine, restart, hit f8 while it restarts, pick safe mode, run malwarebytes, then spybot, in full scan, doing it in safe mode gets the buggies before they can load.

[Wanderer]

Unfortunately, some of us... well, in fact MOST of us... HAVE TO and that's just the way it is. Those, like yourself (I believe you're on a Linux or MAC machine?), who are fortunate enuf to be able to do all they "need" to do on a MAC or Linux box are.... well, fortunate. That being said, such situations as this are not exempt just because a given person is using a Linux or MAC machine.

 

I've been using Linux for 10 years and I disagree with the statement "MOST of us ... HAVE TO." The fact is "MOST of US" use our personal computers for email and internet - that's pretty much it.

 

The real truth is "MOST of US" fear what we don't understand.

 

Not being confrontational, just an opinion. Try PCLinuxO/S - no need to install you can run it Live from your CD

 

PS: In 10 years I've yet to get spy ware or virus.

Edited April 21, 2010 by Wanderer
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[cecdoo]

Thanks for all your help so far, I am working on it, have done the scans, but nothing shows up? Thanks again, Craig:think:

[SilvrT]

I've been using Linux for 10 years and I disagree with the statement "MOST of us ... HAVE TO." The fact is "MOST of US" use our personal computers for email and internet - that's pretty much it.

 

The real truth is "MOST of US" fear what we don't understand.

 

Not being confrontational, just an opinion. Try PCLinuxO/S - no need to install you can run it Live from your CD

 

no "confrontation" taken my friend. You "may" be right but I don't believe so and here's why. Many people also use their PC's for gaming... how many games do you find on the shelves of stores for a Linux box or for that matter, even a MAC? Many people use specific software due to being compatible with their friends and/or work which IS NOT necessarilly compatible with Linux OS. Sure, there are workarounds to a lot of that but... it's much simpler to stick with the "norm" ... what other's are using so, having made that statement, maybe "have to" was literally incorrect.

 

Personally, I would probably use Linux (you may recall other similar discussions that I'm no stranger to it); however, certain software I run at home cannot be run in a Linux environment for example, my Income Tax package, my Remote Connection to work, MS Access, and my games. I have ran dual-boot systems (Linux and Windows) but it's a pain in the butt to re-boot just to run certain apps so, it's much simpler just to stick with Windows.

 

BTW, I apologize for what might seem to be hijacking this thread as this discussion isn't addressing the issue brought forward.