HELP. Anybody computer savvy out there?

Some sh1t has got hold of my email address and sent a hellish scam email to everybody I know pretty much saying I need money as I'm in Istambul having chemo therapy and been robbed so send money.
I'm purple with rage as the phone has never stopped ringing with concerned friends and my email in box is bulging.
Does anybody know how I can send anybody and everybody I have ever emailed to say that I'm firmly in Scotland and luckily in good health?

I am really upset about this and if it is a male who is responsible I would kindly remove all parts of his male anatomy.

It is bad enough that I have been also receiving 100s of emails recently offering me ways of increasing the size and effectiveness of my male appendage plus plenty of females to use it on (I'm a female OAP) but to send my friends an email saying I have cancer is about as low as it gets.

I will change my email address asap once daughter gets home and tells me how to do that.

What a start to a Monday....livid.

 

First thing to do is change your password, once you do that they won't have access to it.

Then compose a message, you should see an option by the box where you put in an email address, either cc, send to all or similar.

Click on that and you should get an option to select from your address book

 

Hi,

First off, know what its like, but do not take it personally as its probably all done by remote computers, so it unlikely anyone has attempted to hack you directly.

What is important is not to reply to any of the links or open any of the attachments contained in those mails.

Often many email providers have quiet good Spam filters acting automatically, though you often have some means of adding them yourself.

When your friends and contacts receive those scam mails they likely know its just that, such mails are common place.

Do not know myself, but sure others will tell you how to send a mail to all your 'contacts' in one go, but you need to mention what email program you are using.

If it was me, I would be running some good AV scans etc to ensure no little bugs are on your pc.
Assume you are using some protection AV and Firewall and regular scans ?

It also sounds like you could use some new email addresses and ditch your current one.
I find having several the best way, one throwaway type for general use /surfing/ forums, one for more personal contacts and another just for banking.

 

What a bummer thing to happen. I have had similar but not as bad as what you’ve described. I am now in the habit of regularly changing my password. Good advice from @ricky101 and @Zigs .

 

I think there's some malware that can send mails purporting to be from you to everybody in your address book.

 

Thanks so much all for your help and sympathy. I have got hold of BT and actually spoke to someone who could speak English....well he was Irish but I'm used to that twang being married to a paddy. Oh god the paddy comment is no doubt non PC but I don't care the mood I am in
The bast,,d hackers had evidently managed to change my old password and got the security question changed too so I couldn't change the password...good god almighty. Anyway the BT guy was extremely helpful and has manged to change the password his end so the hackers can't get in again.
Many thanks for good advice @Zigs and @ricky101 I really like the idea of having various email addresses. I think I will do as you suggest.
Oh I don't know, I hardly ever answer the phone these days and wait for it to go to answer so avoiding most call centres, now email is very much loosing it's attraction as you wade through spam which somehow your computer doesn't seem to filter out as well as it used to.
All this is not helped by the fact that I am only 1 step on from an abacus and find all things computer goes straight over my head!
This episode has taken up well over 4 hours of my life already. We had a humdinger of a frost last night and I had intended lifting my Dahlias this morning, now I don't have time as need to go out. they will be ok to leave until tomorrow.

 

glad you'm getting it sorted Silu

 

Hi,

It can be concerning but if you follow some simple steps you can keep quiet safe.

For extra emails, why not try Googles own Gmail ? you may think uggg.... Google, but with so many users who is going to know you are in there are well ?

Also it remove you from the BT mail accounts and hopefully gives you a clean start.
Gmail also has some quiet good security options including 2 factor, so a fair bit harder to hack.

You do not mention if you are using any security products on your computer ? - a good suite like Norton makes thinks very simple and secure, just £23 a year from Argos and it covers up to 5 devices including tablets and smart phones.
Buy Norton Security Deluxe and Utilities 1 Year 5 User at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for Laptop and PC software, Laptops and PCs, Technology.

Also think your weakest link might be your daughter if she is active on the usual sites.
Perhaps give her a totally separate device and email account so any dubious contacts/places she goes to cannot compromise your accounts.

 

Might be worth checking your computer for password stealing malware. If that's how it was done you might have simlilar, yet undiscovered problems, eith online banking, Paypal, ebay, Amazon, etc.

 

Hi everybody, again thanks for all your really good advice. I have changed my email address and going to set up a separate 1 for banking. I had been using Firefox but husband who has same email was using Outlook. Both of us have HP computers but I had a mishap with mine ( I am beginning to think that computers and I are not a marriage made in heaven ) and post cat managing to tip a whole cup of coffee on my computer I have been using a Apple IPad........badly.
I will ask daughter to download Malwarebytes ( many thanks @shiney and @Scrungee for this). She knows way more about computers than either I or my husband. This feat is not difficult tho.Daughter has her own computer and emails etc @ricky101 so can't even blame her. A friend who phoned to make sure the email was a spoof also thinks it likely that it's the provider that has been hacked......all very tedious.
However this affair has confirmed to me that I have some very caring pals and likewise on GC lots of excellent help and advice which I am very grateful for.

 

BT was hacked back along, not sure how long ago may be 18 months etc was in the news
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwin_Yzh0ZrXAhUBQBoKHbMbB1oQFghEMAI&url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/714016/BT-and-Sky-customers-Yahoo-cyberattack-1-000-compensation-each&usg=AOvVaw2swdCzNnqNdGwtElKw3_tc

If you read first line you will read that security question were taken

 

I was with BT Yahoo then and what they did was block all access until I had reset the password via the email I received.
It was only Yahoo and BT was moving away from them at around the same time. Never had an issue but I would guess people went and added the same password again as that’s a common mistake to make. Never ever have the same password for various online stuff.