Delivery Status Notification (Delay)‏ - postmaster@mail.hotmail.com

[Teedo]

Anyone else getting these? I got about 60 of the emails yesterday.

I'm guessing some spammer has taken over my hotmail account and is sending out emails to everyone. Not sure how they would have gotten my password, Definately not from guessing or a word list.

[goof]

They don't have to take over your account to cause those messages, your email account is probably still safe.

They are probably just using your email address when they fake the 'from address' in the spam they're sending.



Edit: Info on 'backscatter' spam: E-mail spam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[shmoo]

maybe that notification email is itself the spam?

[Desmo]

What's your email address Teedo?

[shmoo]

and your password.

[HughDMan]

Yep I was sending emails to all my contacts about an iphone 3gs. I changed my hotmail password and that remedied the situation. Spyware/Malware/Antivirus programs reported Nil.

[MADOGA]

I get a few of these from time to time, it is due to spammers spoofing your email address very easy to do in that it makes it look like their spam has come from your email addy, unlikely to be anything bad other than using your email for spam.
the bounce backs are just spam sent to a dead email addy

[JAFA]

Yeah I had that shit happenning too. DUnno how to fix it though. Might try the new password like HughDMan said.

[Rhino]

Jafa, It's not password related because they're not necessarily logging into your account (Hugh may have had a different problem). It's the username that's the problem.

The best way to reduce that sorta stuff is to not have your name or words from the dictionary in your email address. Makes it very easy to dodge.

It's counter to what you would do because an email address is an identifier, but therein lies the ease at which they can do what they do.

If you get too much spam or you get those message, change your email address and keep the following in mind.
bob@something will get spammed.
b0b (with a zero) is less likely to.
mB0byea (a username that looks like a password) is much less likely too.
Or use your name/full name without vowels and a few numbers mixed in for good measure etc...

This also leads on to passwords:
Use sentences for usernames or passwords using caps and numbers. The above example as a password:
mB0byea1 (my Bob yahoo email address - 1 is for Janurary if you want to change it every month)

On a slightly different note, I also use LastPass for password management.
It's encrypted and stores all your info locally.

[polonY]

If I ever meet a spammer in person I intend to kill them with a brick. What could they possibly be trying to achieve?

[goof]

You know Wayne Mansfield lives in Perth, right?

[Rhino]

Profit. It's big business

[polonY]

You know Wayne Mansfield lives in Perth, right?

Thankyou very much.

VENDETTA!