Computer went nuts. Help!

[Dawgluver]

Just checked my home account, and to my chagrin, I just sent out ads for male enhancement to everyone in my contacts. Except I didn't! Been deleting and making phone calls like crazy. I'm currently running a full scan using Avast Antivirus, which was already running in the background. I've always been very careful, and have never had a computer virus before. What else do I need to do, and what the heck happened?

 

[bakechef]

It may not have been a virus, but your password on your e-mail may have been breached.

Change your e-mail password and any other accounts that use that same password.

 

[forty_caliber]

Try running a free scan here.... HouseCall - Free Online Virus Scan - Trend Micro USA

Sounds like you have a trojan on your machine.

.40

 

[joesfolk]

I am no computer guru at all but I once had a virus which took over, accessed my contacts list and sent e-mail virus' to all on the list. I have no idea where I got the virus but I assumed that I got it from someone else's computer which must have done the same thing.

 

[Dawgluver]

Thanks guys. This is freaking me out, and I'm not easily freakable. Will change my PW, and use the scanner you suggested, .40. It does sound like a PW breach.

 

[pacanis]

I didn't get anything
I guess I'm not on your list for male enhancement.
Just sayin'

 

[Dawgluver]

I didn't get anything
I guess I'm not on your list for male enhancement.
Just sayin'

I'll forward it to you, Pac.

 

[Dawgluver]

Clean antivirus screening. Good. But I will miss my old password.

 

[DaveSoMD]

You also might be able to go back to an early restore point for your system. I have had to do that before when the anti-virus scan didn't fix the problem.

 

[Dawgluver]

Good idea. I keep getting "mail undeliverable" messages, which means I don't need to do so much 'splainin. SIL did reply, and I sent a ”do not open this” message.

What a mess.

 

[Steve Kroll]

That stinks. I've had same thing happen.

This may or may not have anything at all to do with you or your computer. Anyone with access to a relay mail server can send broadcast email with your address in the "reply to" field. So it could've come from anywhere. The good news (if you can call it good news) is that many email servers on the recipient's end automatically identify and reject such an email, so it won't reach everyone it was sent to (which is why you are getting the "undeliverable" notices).

 

[Dawgluver]

Makes sense, Steve. Still deleting "undeliverable" messages. Whew.

What kind of sick, twisted *%#€ comes up with this stuff?!?

 

[Andy M.]

This happened to me. Ads for bootleg Viagra went to all my contacts. I got some interesting replies.

 

[Dawgluver]

It's like a trip down memory lane. Addresses I haven't seen for years get an invite for Canadian enhancement products from my email address. Am thinking of turning them into a Christmas card of sorts.