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My father-in-law has begun to receive spam emails in which the subject line says "For [my father-in-law's name]" and from "[a relative's name]" (real names omitted to protect the innocent).
In the body of the email is a valid URL but with an invalid addition that is a redirection to a work-at-home website. For example www gramzbakery com really exists, but the link in the email is www gramzbakery com/images/ which does not exist and is the redirection.
Getting such emails is common to many of us and from addresses of people we know. Delete and forget. But what boggles me with what my father-in-law is getting are the personal names. The email he got today "For [my father-in-law's name]" said it was from his granddaughter, but the yahoo email address was not hers. The email address is a valid one and belongs to an Imelda (last name withheld) whom we don't even know. Last week he got an email also supposedly from his granddaughter (it wasn't), and again the yahoo email address wasn't hers, but was a different yahoo address and is (or was) a valid one belonging to an Edna (again, someone we don't know). Last week's website link in the body of the email was a totally different URL than the one he received today, but the same redirection occurs to the same work-at-home webpage.
The concern is not that these spams are landing in his in-box - the concern is that relatives' names are masking real but unknown yahoo addresses. How can that happen especially when he does not have his granddaughter's full name in his address book nor in his computer and yet her full name appears as the supposed sender? The only link I can see is that my father-in-law, his granddaughter, and the other relative whose name appeared as a sender are all on Facebook. It can't be something with yahoo email because my father-in-law doesn't have one, don't know about his granddaughter, but the other relative doesn't have one either.
Is this something he needs to worry about or just run antivirus, antimalware, antispyware, clean out his cookies, and when the next one comes in just delete it and forget it and move on?
The emails are coming from personal names because they have access to his account and therefore his contact list. So they can pull names out of the list and attach their own email address. As SkinsGuy mentioned, he will want to change his password and if it happens again, he may want to change email providers (ie moving from Yahoo to Gmail or something of that nature).
He should already be running antivirus software but since this is a case of someone getting access to his username/password and doesn't necessarily involve any files, antivirus software may not protect him in cases like this.
What is real funny is when you receive email from an address that's a ripoff of one of your own. And I wouldn't open any links that you aren't 300% sure of the sender anyway, that's just asking for trouble.
It does not mean without doubt that the account has been compromised. You'd be amazed what "Spam Bots" are capable of.
Is your FIL one of THOSE people?
The forwarder of those joke emails that contain 100's of peoples addresses and that he forwards on to 100's of other people???
That's one sure way to make sure your email gets spoofed by spammers.
The sure fire way to tell if your account has been compromised is to log out and back into it. If someone is going to hack your email account, the first thing they would do is CHANGE THE PASSWORD so that you cannot.
It does not mean without doubt that the account has been compromised. You'd be amazed what "Spam Bots" are capable of.
Is your FIL one of THOSE people?
The forwarder of those joke emails that contain 100's of peoples addresses and that he forwards on to 100's of other people???
That's one sure way to make sure your email gets spoofed by spammers.
The sure fire way to tell if your account has been compromised is to log out and back into it. If someone is going to hack your email account, the first thing they would do is CHANGE THE PASSWORD so that you cannot.
Great link! Much appreciated!
No, my FIL is not one who forwards anything. However, he does surf the 'net often depending on whatever hobby he has at the moment. Perhaps he landed on a website that wasn't on the up-n-up and didn't know it.
I have strongly encouraged him to change his password.
It does not mean without doubt that the account has been compromised. You'd be amazed what "Spam Bots" are capable of.
Is your FIL one of THOSE people?
The forwarder of those joke emails that contain 100's of peoples addresses and that he forwards on to 100's of other people???
That's one sure way to make sure your email gets spoofed by spammers.
The sure fire way to tell if your account has been compromised is to log out and back into it. If someone is going to hack your email account, the first thing they would do is CHANGE THE PASSWORD so that you cannot.
Very true! I have a former co-worker that sends me forwards on a regular basis. I just made a separate folder for all of his emails and I send them there. At one time, I had over 400 emails (none of which I opened) from him...all forwards...lol!
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