[lynn P.]

For some reason a junk email was sent to some on my contact list on my Hotmail account. I got the 1st clue yesterday while sitting next to my daughter, who got an email from me on her IPOD, while I was sitting next to her. I look this morning and got several emails from those contacts asking me why I sent this. Its an advertising for work at home site. I don't know a lot about computers, so could someone tell me how this could happen and how to prevent this??

[Perna]

Somewhere along the way you probably clicked on an ad or page link to learn about working at home (or filled out a questionnaire and clicked that you were interested in that subject) and it was a site for collecting your information off your computer (if you click on their link, they are able to do that) rather than a legitimate site to help you.

Nothing you can do about it now but just make sure no one clicks on it from you or the problem just keeps going round and round, getting bigger and bigger. Hotmail is not secure, is free so has a zillion people with accounts and is easy for bad guys (and/or gals) to hack into. I make sure I have email accounts at places I pay a bit for each year, they have better security and keep out the obvious bulk riff raff.

I don't click on generic/"interesting" links and if I really want what is being offered by/to explore a link, I give one of my "throw away" email addresses because I know I will get crap. I have 10+ email addresses and protect some better than others (don't ever give them out except to very well known sites like my bank, for example). One thing one learns with multiple email accounts is the breadth of crap out there as one will get bogus bank offers/warnings at sites where you know your bank does not have that address so it has to be an information theft attempt.

I had a good friend who had a hotmail account that was hacked and I got a message telling me she was in Paris for the weekend, got robbed, no money, passport in the hotel room, cell phone, etc. gone, embassy could not help her, etc. please send money to this account lovely story but I know my friends! She has a husband and children who would have solved the problem, she would not have been in Paris (can't afford it :-) etc. Remarkably, when she called me a couple days later to tell me about it (never reply to such a message as the bad guys/gals have control of her account -- happens on Facebook everyday) she said she had one friend who had sent money. That's all they want, for free the baddies get money and no way to be traced.

Common sense works best on the Internet. The US Government does not have your email account, is not going to email you! No large business like Apple or Microsoft does either and they're not going to send you a free anything. Valid information is not sent, without you asking for it, by email; do not give ANY personal information in an email, only at a legitimate site (like your bank or major store you trust) and don't go to the site using an email link, type it into your browser yourself so you are in control.

Do not forward most jokes, "important health messages" or other mass emails as they are usually collecting email addresses along the way (might be how your work-at-home thing got in, someone else sent you something and you dutifully sent it on but not before it collected your address book along the way). If you are not sure about an email, check it at http://www.snopes.com/ or similar site (and see just how long the myth has been wandering around the Web and where it came from/its purpose). Lots of people think forwarding stuff is better than no contact with you at all and think they're too busy to write a little note to their friends. Delete the crap they send and/or ask them not to forward you stuff (or give new friends a "junk" email account to send to until you are sure they aren't the type to just pass on such stuff). If you like all the hearts and flowers and sweet poems, chain mails, jokes, etc. know that you are probably putting your email account and perhaps your personal data at risk; create a special account just for those sorts of things and do not forward them (without taking them out of the bulk email and creating your own with the pictures/sentiments you like, and "starting over" knowing that what you send is safe).

Mostly, don't just mindlessly click on emails and links in emails because they are from a friend. Think about the friend, their actual email address, what their interests are and why they would be sending such a thing to you. Think about yourself and what you like! If you read the title and decide you are not interested in what a friend sends, then just delete it without reading it! If you read the title and decide it is not like your friend to be interested in such stuff (like your friends were asking you, why did you send that email to them) just delete it. If your friend really thinks you'll like something and sends it to you, presumably they are going to write a personal note and title the email something interesting instead of generic! If you delete something they actually sent that interests them, they're presumably going to follow up! "Did you get my email about. . ." and then you can say, "Oh, yes, I got it. . ." (and if you are not interested in the subject, leave it at that or add, "very interesting" :-) or explain you weren't sure if it was junk or not and deleted it, tell me what it is about?

I have one email account that was mostly crap so I put in a security thing so everything went directly to my "trash" folder! I'd quickly scan the trash folder to make sure no one I knew or nothing I wanted had come in and then exit (and had my settings so the trash was deleted on exit). Don't forget, if someone sends you something important, they will follow up! Legitimate businesses (my credit card, cell phone, email/web accounts) often ask for or have a couple of your email addresses; they'll make sure you see the bills! :-) Don't be afraid of your email, take charge of it.

[lynn P.]

Thanks Perna for all the information. I changed the password for now and from now on be aware of what I click on. It wasn't easy changing the password either.

[ECHOES]

Thanks for posting this, Lynn.
I received that email from a friend and I had no idea why she sent it!
First, there was not message with it, and we never send an email to one another with no message.
And, second, it isn't an ad my friend would be interested in because she already works from home and is successful.
So.. now I know it wasn't 'really' sent by her.

[lynn P.]

Originally Posted by ECHOES

Thanks for posting this, Lynn.
I received that email from a friend and I had no idea why she sent it!
First, there was not message with it, and we never send an email to one another with no message.
And, second, it isn't an ad my friend would be interested in because she already works from home and is successful.
So.. now I know it wasn't 'really' sent by her.

Thanks Echoes. Yes I was very puzzled at 1st because I didn't send my daughter an email and she got it while sitting next to me. Then I logged onto my account and here too - 2 friends asked me "did you send me an email". It had no title and no text...just a link which isn't typical of my style lol. I had no idea a company could access your contact list - very scary. I would have been so embarrassed if they sent out an indecent link.