URGENT! Danger: new spam trick on gmail
No images or links are being posted here, just for a change.
This evening, I was about to empty the Spam folder in my Gmail account.
There was an email from "me" and when I hovered over it, there I was, with my avatar and gmail address, sending a SPAM email to myself??!!
The email subject was: "Ohio Safety Congress & Expo 2014. Simple and Profitable. globalpowerads dot com"
Whatever you do, DON'T click on that if it came up as a link. I certainly didn't!
Has anyone had a similar experience? This is my first time. Does gmail have a means where I can report the theft and use of my gmail account to send spam emails?
If someone has stolen my gmail address and is using it to send SPAM, it's not going to do me the power of good and I could become blacklisted as a SPAMMER! Goodness knows what rubbish is being sent out under my name!!!
I've had that email address ever since gmail came into being and this is the first such incident in over 10 years. Isn't technology wonderful? NOT!
If anyone has had a similar incident or knows the best way to fix the situation, I would appreciate some advice. I won't be opening or deleting the email until this is sorted out!
:( george
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Was surprised I got a notice about a security issue with Google log in. Since gmail is connected with the same password - just changed it to a more difficult one to break. Suggest to clean your boxes (it's spring time) and do the shuffle. ^_~
Thanks, Linda - a good cleanout is certainly in order, even if it's autumn here. I have no idea of the repercussions of this hacking. Would it be worthwhile putting a message out to my G+ circles to say that any message from these idiots was not sent by me?
:) G!
Yeah, fall down on these guys hacking. Perhaps make a statement about all your concerns, prefaced with an apology to those who did get a message 'from these idiots". There should be repercussions considering Google does it's share of pulling sites for having guest bloggers for various reasons.
How are things going? ^_~
A message has been sent to 64 people in my various circles. I'm hoping none of them received the scam/spam message from "me"!
:) george
Good grief! Am so sorry for your plight. :(
Were any to your G+/WA circle of friends? I know I didn't receive one.
Security is and will become a central issue as we expand globally.
I do a cleaning of all my email accounts in the spring and fall. See leoemery's blog. Whatever is in your trash and spam files, permanently delete manually, then change your settings to delete daily or weekly.
If you haven't already:
--Check each browser you use. Each must have a valid security certificate. Chrome allowed theirs to lapse on two occasions I know of.
--Delete your browser history and your readers daily or weekly. Especially after research of your niche/keywords and after you have written an article. Minimize your bookmarks file and review your bookmark bar having only the daily accessed ones there.
--Check your computer's firewall and security settings. Mine alerts me of any site I enter that is not secure.
--Check your cookie file. Delete any you do not recognize.
--Check SSL with your domain registrar for your site. You may need to purchase one if you did not when you first purchased your domain. Many cover your domain for a year gratis, after that you are given an option to purchase.
--Unsubscribe or change passwords to any site you downloaded from, to make sure their encryption is intact. I do this with any site that emails me more than twice weekly, pronto.
Hackers will find any security hole within your network, your domains, and your associate connections. Hackers are criminals.
Set aside time one day of the week to check your security settings, especially if you allow one or more of your browsers to auto-log you into sites.
If there is anything I forgot, hope our WA pioneers and ambassadors will add or provide correction to my checklist. Sadly, we often live and learn with consequences. I have lost two businesses to hackers who are quite proud of themselves and their methods of stealing your web presence.
Regard yourself and your presence on the web as privileged access, take control of your computer security. You can purchase applications like Norton or Juniper. Symantec has 'endpoint protection'. There are many free applications available too. Get one with an extra firewall. Each will alert you when your security is compromised.
Hope this isn't too much to reveal at once, but our overall security settings are paramount to survival. We must protect our name, our business and our brand.
Thank you immensely for your blog--URGENT, my friend. My heart hurts for your plight. Our WA community is secure, or I wouldn't be here. ^_~
Hi George. I got a notification from gmail that someone was trying to hack my account and to change my email password immediately. I did and found out that it was an IP coming in from Viet Nam! It's crazy out there and a good thing for all of us is to change our passwords frequently. I know it's a pain however; we need to protect ourselves!
G'day, Sharon! Such is new technology that despite whatever security measures we take, someone will find a way to bypass them with some clever software or reverse engineering. I don't store passwords on my computer, but that makes no difference, it seems!
:) G!
I've often got spam mail 'from' me 'to' me.
It's relatively easy for ppl who like fiddling with code to get your account name. Can't say I've had my profile pic sent to me though.
Just follow the instrctions below mate ~ you'll be right. I personally am creating mail accounts all the time. I give out certain addresses to certain ppl. They act like a funnel, the least trusted up the top of the funnel. They rattle their way down through several levels with multiple addresses at each level & have a working addy at the base of the funnel...
Sorry about that information mate, I know upon reading this you will probably want to take your computer for a swim, but you take the good with the bad, & if it wasn't for email, I'd barely ever talk to anyone...
Sometimes I talk to myself, but sending myself spam is a step backwards. As suggested, I've come up with a mind-numbing new password and fiddled a few other things on my a/c settings. I guess I'll never know what crap has been sent out in my name until complaints start coming in that I'm a spammer. Bleagh! Agree that email is my prime source of coms most of the time. Plus the odd blog.
:) G!
Changing your pw is all you need to do George (more to the point, the only way to protect your account).
Whoever did this is probably running some interesting piece of software that shoots your data back to you (not from within your account, but somehow from a sent mail etc).
So don't be concerned over other ppl receiving spam from you, I don't believe that is what is going on here mate. Rest easy, you've changed your pw, which is only insurance, very unlikely you needed to do that at all.
I've had ppl actively hacking away at my accounts, with the same account security as you have George. It can be done, though unless you have something of value that they are hunting for, don't stress (Just back up those naked pics of the royal fam with the president mate - ok).
T is right, fix it and quick!! Sorry that you had to go through this. Technology is fab, however it is equally accessible to low lifes as well...sad face sad face!
Narsty business, Andy - I'm part way to fixing it with a new, improved password. I'll change my avatar as well, methinks...
:) g!
That's a great first step. Make the password difficult. I had a horrible experience when I started here with WA again in October. I hadn't used my Paypal account for a long time but used if for signing up with WA. Not long after I found someone had stolen my Paypal ID, had changed the password, changed notification to his own mobile and had ordered several things using my Paypal. Made me sick to my stomach - literally.
Here are Googles instructions, if you can still sign into your account:
https://support.google.com/mail/checklist/2986618
Thanks for the link, Tria - I had google sending me around in circles, but did manage to send them a message with a screenshot of my spam folder. The reply was an instant message, saying they can't respond, but will use my info to make gmail a happier experience! YAY!!! Now, I'll go and investigate that link you've provided. Password changed as you suggested - hope I can remember it!
:) G!
Sorry George - that you've had such a rotten experience. I couldn't help smiling at the instant email from Google - says it all really!
Thanks for the heads up!
I would suggest you edit this to put a space between the website name and .com because it does come up as a link and people not properly reading this post are likely to click on it instinctively...
Thanks, Stephanie - I've removed the link possibility to that crowd. All I can do now is wait and see if they've managed to do something nasty using me as a scapegoat! Not a good feeling at all.
:( george
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So sorry to hear this is happening to you George. I haven't had this happen yet, at least I hope not, as far as I know. I find email so frustrating! I would probably think it best to change your password to something more difficult as many others have already pointed out. Just in case. Hope it all gets sorted out soon! Best wishes :)
Thanks, Sherry - just when you think you've invented a solid foolproof password, someone cracks it! There's all manner of software invented to do this. So, another one invented, and the moral of the story is: do it regularly and baffle the bastards! No harm done that I know of at this stage.
:) george