VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

Hart · Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 7:22 am Post subject: my email spoofed?

So I received this notice from MAILER-DAEMON AT ns0.nextit.org:

Hi. This is the qmail-send program at ns0.nextit.org.
I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following addresses.
This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out.

<ykpoon@sigea.it>:
Attenzione! Utente Inesistente.

--- Below this line is a copy of the message.

Return-Path: <brian@brianhartproductions.com>
Received: (qmail 17750 invoked from network); 15 Jun 2006 08:04:09 +0200
Received: from unknown (HELO email-lists.com) (221.175.116.45)
by hnl.it with SMTP; 15 Jun 2006 08:04:07 +0200
Received: from 196.38.110.2
(SquirrelMail authenticated user brian AT brianhartproductions.com);
by email-lists.com with HTTP id Ab44qw9z077349967;
Thu, 15 Jun 2006 04:57:40 +0000
Message-Id: <a45Hq0.squirrel@196.38.110.2>
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 04:57:40 +0000
Subject: Canadian online drugstore
From: "Lashanda" <brian@brianhartproductions.com>
To: <ykpoon@sigea.it>
User-Agent: SquirrelMail/1.4.3a
X-Mailer: SquirrelMail/1.4.3a
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

<html>
<body>
Good morning! 
more than 100 products for your 100% health 
great prices, 24/7 customer support 
Just have a loot at our site: <a
href="http://fijbsj.everbestrep.info/?67664497">Canadian onIine
dragstore</a> 
Best Regards, 
OnIine Pharmaceuticals 
</body>
</html>

I'm assuming my email has been spoofed and is being used for spam. The question is what do I do about it? I have no idea, other than shutting the account down (which I hate to do) and starting up a new one.

Any of you web savvy people have any suggestions?
_________________
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Brian Hart Productions

tackerman · Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 7:31 am Post subject:

Bruce · Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 7:39 am Post subject:

Someone is using your email address as a return address on their spam. When it hits a bad address it's bouncing back to you. Presumably they are only using your alphabetical address and not actually using your email account. There's not much you can do about it, and in theory spam filters ban the actual sender's address in Italy or China and not yours.

I wonder sometimes though when I send out larger mailings and get little response, because my main address has been abused so many times.

Welcome to the 21st century!

B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

SoundsGreat-Elaine Singer · Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 7:45 am Post subject:

It has happened to me on my main email account through my ISP. I wrote to the ISP support folk asking what to do. They said nothing - it happens sometimes. Every once in a while I still get a message like that but now I just delete them and don't worry too much about it.
_________________
Elaine
The Youthful Mature Voice (Emeritus)
Senectitude is not for the faint of heart.

Hart · Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 7:53 am Post subject:

Well, that makes me feel a little better. I've had a personal account spoofed before now that I think about it.

I just can't let this adversely affect my fledging business. Especially now that it's my main (and soon to be only) source of income.
_________________
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Brian Hart Productions

Doc · Guest

Brian,

This can also, sometimes, be the work of a worm-type virus. The worms get into your contact list and hijack them, sending out e-mails using not only your e-mail address, but your ISP as well. Make sure you are using a reliable anti-virus utility and that you frequently update your definition (data) files to keep it current. Scan at least once per week after performing that update.

Sometimes, too, anti-virus utilities may identify a worm or trojan horse virus but are unable to remove it. When, that happens, a reputable anti-virus developer (manufacturer) will provide separate work-arounds available at their respective websites. Generally, you can use the update from any reputable anti-virus developer regardless of who developed your particular anti-virus utility.

Worm viruses are generally simple to remove (as are trojan horses) and do little if any internal damage to your system. But, they're extremely annoying when they hijack your e-mail contacts list and start sending out bogus e-mails.

Also, be sure to configure your anti-virus utility to scan e-mail messages as they arrive to your inbox.

Hart · Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 8:27 am Post subject:

Doc,

Thanks for the reminder. I'm up on all that. Antivirus scans automatically every day at 4am and automatically scans incoming and outgoing messages. Also automatically checks for and installs updates daily. In addition, I will use the Housecall online scan from time to time just to double check. I also scan weekly with Ad Aware and Spybot. Call me paranoid. Had a virus take down the entire network at the last company I worked out. Scares the heck out of me.

Anyway, I don't think there's a worm or trojan unless my virus database has been compromised. I'll check on that just to be sure. I think I've just been spoofed.
_________________
Hart Voice Overs Blog
Brian Hart Productions

Doc · Guest

Brian,

Good man! That's not paranoid - it's smart! Wink

Just wanted to throw that out there in case. Plus, there may be others who can benefit from it.

I repair computers on the side and way too often, I see things like this happen.

Also, if spoofing is the case, your ISP needs to accept the liability for and fix this issue.

SoundsGreat-Elaine Singer · Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 8:36 am Post subject:

Travis · Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 9:01 am Post subject:

Most likely scenario - somebody who has you on their mailing list has a worm. The worm is sending out thousands of emails to everyone on their mailing list, and using the same list for "sent-by" and "return" addresses. The worm is quite likely being used by someone to send out spam, using your "friends" hijacked machine to avoid detection by anti-spam systems.

I have actually been able to determine which of my associate's machine is the culprit by noting the various "to" and "sent-by" addresses I received in the bounce back messages, and figuring out who would have those addresses. I called my friend, who was glad to find out what was going on. "I was wondering why my computer suddenly seemed slow. I let my anit-virus expire just a week ago. I wos going to renew it next week!"
_________________
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www.VOTalent.com

Doc · Guest

Elaine,

You're welcome.

Thing is, at that point it's out of your control. You have no access to their e-mail servers. However, if you have your own domain and use your own web host for your outgoing e-mail (as I do), then it becomes the responsibility of your web host. While ISP's and web hosts use the same POP3 (or IMAP) and SMTP for all their clients, it's not difficult for someone to "spoof" your e-mail addy. However, your IP address is unique whether it's static or dynamic.

IOW - whoever provides you with your e-mail server should accept responsibility, or at least, assist you in resolving the issue. Your earlier post indicating that your ISP said there's nothing can be done and "it happens sometimes" is pure copout!

Deirdre · Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 11:08 am Post subject:

My IP Techs told me the same thing Bruce said above.

No virus, just bullshit use of my domain name as a bogus "reply-to" address.
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Alan B · Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 1:50 am Post subject: Re: my email spoofed?

Mike · Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 2:23 am Post subject:

Hart · Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 4:13 am Post subject: Re: my email spoofed?