Apologize if this was asked before but lately I have been getting a few emails from people in my address book that I confirmed with them, they never sent!

It's typically a small sentence with a link that they want you to click for something.

Guess I have a few questions...how is this happening? Anything happen if I open the email?...What do you do if you're the one getting hacked?

 

same thing was happening to me; I changed my password and then deactivated my account...

 

You need to figure out if it's your account or their accounts (i.e. if you all know each other, it might be a hack into a friend's e-mail or social media account w/e-mail addresses).

If your friends have gotten similar e-mails, narrow down the scope: if someone got a similar e-mail from someone not in your address book, it probably isn't you.

If you click on the link, chances are it will download something undesirable to your machine.

I think you may need to deactivate your current e-mail account if someone has your address book-- otherwise, no one will know if e-mails are coming from the hacker(s) or from you.

G/L.

 

More than likely THEIR email accounts are hacked and they need to change their passwords.

 

Change your email password, stat!

Use combinations of letter, numbers and punctuation.

For example, if your name was William, and easy and secure password would be:

W!11!4m

 

I am receiving the emails from my friends. Some of them do not know who my other friends are so it can't be me. I believe THEY are the ones who need to change their passwords or deactivate their accounts.

I've never clicked the links in the body of the email because I obviously know it didn't actually come from them.

 

so, I have to change MY password too? OR are you referring to the person that the email came from?

 

^The person the email came from needs to change their password.

 

Usually is when you or people who have you in their contacts check their email from a public PC which has a virus on it and not your PC. Run a SAS or MBAM on yours to be sure and change your email password.

 

I suggest changing yours as a precaution, especially if it is not letters+numbers+characters.

Run MalwareBytes or SuperAntiSpyware as Whiskers suggested to make sure it isn't you...

 

this is a clusterfuck.


should I change mine too?

 

What is the old one and what would you change it to if you did?

 

Surprised nobody brought this up before.
I received my first weird email about 6 months ago but 2 other friends have sent me these kind so was curious.

 

If you read this thread change all your passwords, you are being hacked.

Or maybe not.

 

May I recommend: "Clu5t3rfu(K" ?

 

Usually these links will take you to some site that looks identical to your original log on screen. So when you try to login again on this fake sign in page they have your user name and password.

 

should be changing passwords every 6 months or so anyways

 

old one: Justnspace

Hmmm, Thanks bearcat for the new password suggestion!!!!!!

 

So what's your e-mail account user name?

 

justnspace@gmail.com