Gaming Hotmail Account Hacked ???

[CannonFoddr]

I don't think it has actually been done ('Hotmail Hacked') but maybe someone else has had a similar experience & like to share

First - a bit of background

I have a Hotmail account that I use for virtually everything where I need to 'sign up' for something - whether it's for Forums/Download Demo/Customer Support - whatever,so I do expect quite a bit of Junk/Spam mail. Luckily Hotmail catches most of them - although a few may get through

When this happens I log onto Hotmail via Web browser - look at the name/subject, then select the tick box & [Delete].
(This prevents it showing up in the Preview window)

• My Hotmail account's "contacts" only contains a select few friends and software support addresses
• I use Thunderbird @ home that contains close Friends/Family & some work email addresses (but NOT the same names as in Hotmail contacts)
• At work I use 'Outlook 2003' & the address book only contains WORK related email addresses

Now some of my friends in the past have been contacting me, asking 'Why did you send xxxxx e-mail to me', to which I say - 'I didn't'
- after which I discovered the only people complaining were the one whose name was in my Hotmail 'Contacts'

So there's me thinking: "Hang on, why only them ?"
- so I changed my password just in case someone figured it out - but it still kept happening

So I've now deleted all but one address from my Hotmail contacts (The only one remaining is Microsoft own 'report Spam' email) - Guess what -- No more problems
- What I get occasionally now is a reply from Microsoft saying 'Thank you for submitting an email to us.....' which seems to me that I'm STILL getting emails that automatically pass themselves on

To the best of my knowledge this hasn't happened to me with Thunderbird or Outlook - So I've gotta ask

Is there such a [spam/junk] email that once delivered, will scan your Hotmail 'contacts' & send a copy on (perhaps once you've logged in) - even if you don't even open it ??


Oh - & in case anyone thinks - "Ah but the 'from:' address could be faked - they've got your email address from somewhere else & used it"

Well I can tell you that I asked one of those friends to forward a copy BACK to me, & I examined the header (although I'm no expert) it did look as though it came from my Hotmail account.
In fact one time I checked my 'sent' folder & luckily caught one occurrence of a 'spam' Email in there (I guess the other times I cleared it out without realising)

& NO - I can't stop using the Hotmail address. I've signed up to so many forums etc that it'll take a long time going round & resetting to something new

 

[prowler]

That's why most people have multiple e-mails.
I have three, two for spam, one for real.

But to your bold question, I wouldn't think so. Microsoft will be in alot of crap if it could.

 

[CannonFoddr]

I didn't mention this but I do have in fact something like 7-8 Email addresses - the thing is that I don't use some anymore.
I only got them 'cos some sites 'register' Emails for you when you register certain products (e.g I was once with Orange network & got an Email when I registered my phone - now moved to Nokia & they've given me one because I signed up to OVI for software downloads etc etc)

What I usually have is
1 Work,
1 For signups (+ possible Spam) - The Hotmail one
2 for Family (1 for my young Neices/Nephews - Easier for them to remember Uncle.Nick instead of the one for other relations which is something like n1ck.b0swell)

 

[Cannonman]

i would think that it was hacked from a technical standpoint maybe you opened a spam message and this happend

 

[Hop2089]

Always delete your spam mail unless you know that it's from a trusted source that you subscribed to and never open the spam email and especially the attachments unless you know where it came from.

 

[CannonFoddr]

i would think that it was hacked from a technical standpoint maybe you opened a spam message and this happend

Always delete your spam mail unless you know that it's from a trusted source that you subscribed to and never open the spam email and especially the attachments unless you know where it came from.Well I don't really know about that

As I said in first post
QUOTE

When this happens I log onto Hotmail via Web browser - look at the name/subject, then select the tick box & [Delete].
(This prevents it showing up in the Preview window)

So I don't open the email at all - it doesn't even get a chance to show in the Preview

I do this because I've read somewhere that even when you preview the mail - the email can still do SOMETHING (even if it doesn't run a virus or anything).
IIRC just by 'previewing' an email it can allow it to confirm your email address exists to the spammer allowing them to spam you even more,
so if I don't 'preview' then surely the email can't 'report back'

 

[ProtoKun7]

I have had mail supposedly from banks (which I don't even use); I lol'd once when the sender was "Alliance and Liecester"

Spoiler

Also, I have 1000 POSTS! Welcome to the red ribbon world.

 

[Splych]

Woah. This gets me thinking...
Maybe I should make another E-Mail for games and what not. Then my main, just for friends and family. But that would be a hassle, so I could just make a new email for family and then end of conversation.

 

[Twiffles]

Seriously, I have like... 4 Yahoo, 3 Hotmail, 4 Gmail, 2 Private, 1 Hello Kitty, 2 AOL, 1 AIM, 1 from ISP, and 2-3 ones for on difference places. Oh yeah. >_>

I swear, it is a waste.

The only time I actually read the spam folder, at all, is if I registered something and the activation email isn't in the regular inbox. Since my spam is always those "Free Offers Now!" or "You Just Won [blank]!"

 

[Acetic Orcein]

I have had mail supposedly from banks (which I don't even use); I lol'd once when the sender was "Alliance and Liecester"

Spoiler

Also, I have 1000 POSTS! Welcome to the red ribbon world.

Lol! I love that.

 

[Ferrariman]

Stop using hotmail as primary.

 

[Strider]

Check if the mails that supposedly came from you really are from your account.

The one who received such mail should look into the headers. The 'received' lines show from which server the mail came. I doubt it's really your hotmail account but simply one of the usual spammers who caught on your email name and fakes it to send mail, it happens all the time.

 

[CannonFoddr]

Check if the mails that supposedly came from you really are from your account.

The one who received such mail should look into the headers. The 'received' lines show from which server the mail came. I doubt it's really your hotmail account but simply one of the usual spammers who caught on your email name and fakes it to send mail, it happens all the time.Funny enough I got one today when I checked my Hotmail (7:07am) & I checked the header (Right click on message & select 'View message Source'

Right at the bottom just before the actual message I saw

X-Originating-IP: [121.23.17.89]
From: xxxxxxxx
To:
Subject: RE:
Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 07:07:34 +0000So I checked the IP address (121.23.17.89) and got this
QUOTE

121.23.17.89 site info
121.23.17.89 server location:Langfang in China
121.23.17.89 ISP:China Unicom Hebei province network

So yes it IS coming from somewhere else yet using my email address BUT here's the clincher

Somehow it seems my Hotmail account had also sent emails out WHEN I LOGGED IN today to my one-&-only contact ([email protected]) @ ~7:07am, without me actually sending it (I know this as there is a email in my 'Sent' folder

Remember: I logged into Hotmail @ ~7:06-7:07 - & I saw in my Inbox the Email from China & the one from Hotmail stating 'Thank you for reporting spam' (both of these showing 7:07am) and I hadn't even looked at a preview/read any or done anything yet

This is a little worrying - what else has been sent when I've logged in the past.
Is that why I'm getting 'failed delivery' emails for addresses I've never seen before

EDITED: Forgot to mention the 'failed delivery' emails also contained the same message as the China one & were apparently 'sent' around the 25/1/10

 

[EyeZ]

The world of Hotmail eh?

I have received messages from my contacts saying "why did you send me this"? when I know I haven't sent them anything.

Also messasges from the Postmaster "your email could not be sent", and i'm like what e-mail? i haven't sent any.

So the only solution is to put up with it, or not use Hotmail at all.

 

[playallday]

*sigh* Sounds like you have a virus...

 

[CannonFoddr]

*sigh* Sounds like you have a virus...

Nope..UhUh....No way

I'd done a full Disk Backup restore ~7th Jan 2010 (only because I had a spring clean of unused programs & wanted a 'clean' registry).
Scanned using programs below BEFORE going online, then going online to use the online scanners & I've also re-use everything regulary - say... one program and/or one online scan nearly every weekend (which reminds me - gotta do it this weekend) - PC been given clean bill of health [nearly] each time

Any 'suspect' files found at any time - I submit to www.virscan.org to re-check (which usually comes back 'clean' anyway)

Spoiler

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Malwarebyte Anti-malware
SuperAntispyware
Spybot Search & Destroy
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ESET Online scan
Panda Security 'Activescan'
Kaspersky Online Scanner
Symantec Security Check

and also IF my PC WAS infected - why only Hotmail Webmail affected & not all the Email accounts set-up in Thunderbird ???
Why hasn't my other webmail accessed Email accounts not been affected either ???

Nope it's definately something to do with Hotmail IMHO (although never had this problem with my Hotmail.co.uk address IIRC

)