My Hotmail email hijacked!

Hector


Joined: 26/08/2008
Posts: 2352

Message Posted:
17/01/2010 20:02

Got a call from a friend asking if I'd sent him an email from my hotmail email saying that I'd bought an iphone from x website & how wonderful it was etc. etc. I hadn't and now I find that others in my address book have also had the same email from me. I checked my address book and it's now empty. I've changed my password but what else can I or must I do? Any advice much appreciated.

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
17/01/2010 20:09

Hector, leave your hotmail email (webmail) account for what it's worth (really not much) and take a (free) gmail.com (webmail) account. Forward the messages you get in your hotmail account for a couple of weeks to your new gmail.com account. And you're safe. I'll send you an invitation for gmail.com. Up to you (read about it) - take it or leave it. Regards, DC

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
17/01/2010 20:10

Hector: Invitation to accept a free gmail.com account sent to: echrguard-cyprus@yahoo.co.uk .

Hector


Joined: 26/08/2008
Posts: 2352

Message Posted:
17/01/2010 20:13

DC

Thanks. I already have a gmail account although haven't used it. I forward any emails from there to my Hotmail account.

I'll reverse the process. How has someone got into my hotmail account & wiped out my contacts?

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
17/01/2010 20:13

My buddy in the UK had the same problem last month - only cure (from Microsoft) was to ditch the Hotmail account and open another one. He did not like that idea so he ditched Hotmail all together and signed up with Gmail - just be sure you are not using Internet Explorer by the way - it has a known problem with security, to such a degree that the German government have put out a message to all Germany not to use Internet Explorer. Never known this sort of response before so it must be a serious problem!



I use Gmail all the time and have never had a problem but then I do not and never have used Internet Explorer either, Firefox is my preferred browser and I never have problems with that either.



As for your address book - its gone I am afraid unless you can find a magic way of getting it back you just have to start again. If you made a back up of your book then you are one jump ahead, if not, sorry!



By the way, its the Chinese that have cracked IE and got into address book

walkerscott


Joined: 13/08/2009
Posts: 901

Message Posted:
17/01/2010 20:13

report it to hotmail.



and change your password again.

YeniTom


Joined: 29/12/2009
Posts: 198

Message Posted:
17/01/2010 20:22

Certainly report it. If they get enough complaints like this they may do something about it

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
17/01/2010 20:23

RE msg 6, walkerscott: (...) and change your password again. (...)

=> Sorry, worthless. The damage has been done and can't be undone unless you have a back up (but why would you care to have a back up, eh? It doesn't happen to you, does it...?! ). Read Waddo's msg 5, which I second 100%.

Hector


Joined: 26/08/2008
Posts: 2352

Message Posted:
17/01/2010 20:23

Thanks people. I've found this help link (it appears I'm not alone) , just trying to make sense of it. Not sure if the hijacker still has access to my account nor why they would actually take my contacts as opposed to just copying them.



http://windowslivehelp.com/solutions/safety/archive/2009/04/29/recent-reports-of-account-hijacks.aspx

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
17/01/2010 20:43

Good link but sad - so many ways to close the stable door after the horse has left! Typical Microsoft I am afraid.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8463516.stm



Not us says Bills Boys! They are perfect of course.

splinters24hr


Joined: 17/01/2010
Posts: 66

Message Posted:
17/01/2010 21:51

Hi,



Sounds like you may have a trojan on your machine, do a virus scan as a matter of urgency using a good virus scanner, if you dont have one then i recommend AVG(free) just do a google search and download the free version.



if you have any passwords on your machine they may have got hold of those as well, so be sure to change those as a matter of urgency, particularly any related to online banking or finance.



Sometimes a banks and other official sites can be compromised by another site masquerading as the official site, always check any secure sites where you enter your credit card details or other personal details starts with https://www this shows that any information sent back and forth is securely encrypted.



Dont open any emails from anyone you do not know and be careful where you surf!



Good luck



Dave

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
17/01/2010 22:02

Good link but sad - so many ways to close the stable door after the horse has left! Typical Microsoft I am afraid.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8463516.stm



Not us says Bills Boys! They are perfect of course.

Hector


Joined: 26/08/2008
Posts: 2352

Message Posted:
17/01/2010 23:40

I use Firefox rather than IE8. It seems this is a common occurrence recently.

http://windowslivehelp.com/solutions/safety/archive/2009/04/29/recent-reports-of-account-hijacks.aspx



No answer from Microsoft Hotmail as to how they are going to stop this happening. How much information about me have these hijackers managed to get?