Email appeared like it was from me
Hi, my boss got an email that had my name in the email address from field, but it was like: myname@something.jp, not myname@myrealaddress.com. She clicked on the link and got a bad virus, as well as an attack on her bank account.
The question is, how did the spammer get my name and know to send it to her? Did it come from one of my email accounts?
About two months ago I had a virus, could someone have gotten her email and my name then? She's pretty freaked out.
The question is, how did the spammer get my name and know to send it to her? Did it come from one of my email accounts?
About two months ago I had a virus, could someone have gotten her email and my name then? She's pretty freaked out.
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Mine was worse- I didn't click a link, I got an email from a colleague, clicked on the email to preview it, and immediately got infected. I took it to my computer guy, who put in his USB drive, which Instantly got wiped. He got rid of the virus, gave me the laptop back, and I said, "Did you delete that email?" (Should have done it myself). He said no, he didn't, but I should. I closed preview mode, right-clicked on it to permanently delete, and got infected again.
I sent an email to the lady asking her not to email me again because she was sending me a virus, and went back to my computer guy. He cleaned it again, I opened my email and there was an email from the lady saying, "what virus??". And I got infected again. So I blocked her and got it cleaned again. Been fine ever since.
I sent an email to the lady asking her not to email me again because she was sending me a virus, and went back to my computer guy. He cleaned it again, I opened my email and there was an email from the lady saying, "what virus??". And I got infected again. So I blocked her and got it cleaned again. Been fine ever since.
ASKER
Thanks for the clear information, appreciated.
Thank you mel
It is for that reason I always leave the "preview" off. The problem is when you are dealing with the daily influx of messages and see the name of the sender which you recognise. It can happen to anybody. The problem is with HTML format of just about all modern email messages. It would be impossible in this day and age to read your messages all in plain text because HTML format and embedded images has become the default, whether they be from the bank, your ISP, from Experts-Exchange, and so on. The very format that allows for the transmission of attractive messages is the same format that allows malicious code to run when opened and even previewed.
It is for that reason I always leave the "preview" off. The problem is when you are dealing with the daily influx of messages and see the name of the sender which you recognise. It can happen to anybody. The problem is with HTML format of just about all modern email messages. It would be impossible in this day and age to read your messages all in plain text because HTML format and embedded images has become the default, whether they be from the bank, your ISP, from Experts-Exchange, and so on. The very format that allows for the transmission of attractive messages is the same format that allows malicious code to run when opened and even previewed.
You need to implement top notch spam control to filter this stuff out. Good spam control does not depend on email address, but rather the sender (IP and other header elements) and information in the body of the email.