Hacked email address

[Fenway]

Someone is sending emails with my mom's name as the sender, but the email address isn't hers or one she's heard of. It's from a yahoo account and is sending a suspicious URL to people that my mother knows. If I had to guess, whoever set it up got her name from FB, because the sender is listing her name as Firstname Maidenname Last name. The only place she uses that format is FB.

If it was a legitimate account obviously I'd have her change her password, but it isn't, so I'm not sure what steps to take.

[boilermaker]

Contact yahoo's security site and they should be able to delete the account for her.

http://security.yahoo.com/article.ht...aid=2006120501

[Delaney21]

This is happening to a lot of people right now.

[dragonfly_71]

So if I understand this correctly someone set up a yahoo e-mail account using an email address they made up but then in the profile section, instead of entering their name they entered your mother's name? I wonder if you are obligated to give your real name or if you can make something up. If you can use anything you want in the profile section then your mom may not have much recourse. I guess the people receiving the e-mails can report them as spam.

[Katie1]

I have received several e-mails over the past few days with the subject "For Katie" and the sender's names as my mom and various other people, all facebook friends so I am sure they are targeting people through facebook. It seems to be the same kind of spam in each e-mail. I don't know if there's anything that can be done.

[VASLP]

There is a virus going around that hacks your email and facebook just by opening the email. They are typically blank with no attachment. It does no harm to your computer just hacks your account. If you get an email that is vague, devoid of info, or sent by an acquaintance (with their first name last name) but no address just delete it without opening it.

[Fenway]

So if I understand this correctly someone set up a yahoo e-mail account using an email address they made up but then in the profile section, instead of entering their name they entered your mother's name? I wonder if you are obligated to give your real name or if you can make something up. If you can use anything you want in the profile section then your mom may not have much recourse. I guess the people receiving the e-mails can report them as spam.

Yes. This, exactly.

[jesseybell]

I am getting emails in my junk folder with my husbands name as the sender (though in a weird format - ie First Name Last Name instead of Last Name, First Name" with the subject saying "For me(my first name)". I've made sure not to even open any of them.

[karlatta]

Yeah, I don't think there's anything you can do. Stinks.

[lbs27]

I've also gotten the For Lori subject line e mails from my BIL and SIL only though. Haven't opened any of them. But there is something going around for sure. Does anyone use Hotmail and been getting pop up chat windows? It happens whenever I open my hotmail (on any computer) and it looks like the person that wants to chat is my sister's e mail address, but it's not her and there is enough oddity that you can tell it's spam. It includes a link in the chat window. Totally icky.