I think my Gmail got hacked. Suggestions?

mauve · 01-01-2013, 03:13 PM

Looks like I get to ring in the new year with my email gettin' hacked. Yaaay.

Today I log into my gmail account to see a list of emails that Gmail was unable to send.

They are all to addresses I have never seen. And the text of the emails are all in Russian. Wheeeee. Looks like I got hacked.

The thing is, I've looked at my security reports from Google and it appears that my particular email address has only ever been accessed from my personal computer, from my usual browser, during hours I'd normally be home and checking on it (which is like twice in the past month because it's an old account). Even under my list of "Recently Sent/Received Emails" in my account report, it only shows the few emails I personally sent out to the few contacts I have on my list. None of these random "failed emails" are showing up in my account history, yet here they are in my inbox. Similarly, I occasionally find emails in my Spam folder that are from my same account, which I never sent out. I also started getting chat requests from random people I don't know, which I always decline.

I've changed my password several times, most recently, today. Gmail has some sort of added security measure in which you use both your email and your phone to log in, but I don't REALLY want to give Gmail my cell phone number.

Anyone have any other suggestions as to what's goin' on and what I can do about it?

Krylo · 01-01-2013, 03:40 PM

Sounds less like you got hacked and more like you're getting spoofed.

Which means there isn't much to do about it.

Basically how this usually works is someone who has you in their address book gets a virus. The virus checks the address book, and then sends the addresses back to a main database where they're spoofed into the 'from' section of the e-mail. The accounts receiving these spam e-mails think it's from you, and thus failed to returns go to you.

What you should do is not read any of those, delete them, and run a virus scan to make sure you haven't been infected by a phishing worm as well.

Other than that, though, they don't actually have access to anything but your e-mail address as data, and there's not a lot you can do about it.

Reason I say it seems more like spoofing is because there's no record of your account being accessed by outside forces and those e-mails aren't in your sent box, etc. Which normally happens when you actually get hacked.

Nikose Tyris · 01-01-2013, 04:14 PM

Krylo has the right of it.

Professor Smarmiarty · 01-01-2013, 04:20 PM

I think you guys are too easily discounting so some of paycheck/faceoff/fight club scenario where Mauve unknowingly has a second life as a russian internet billionaire.

mauve · 01-01-2013, 05:44 PM

Nyet, nyet, Comrade Smarty, I am just ordinary American woman, and I am having the normal American emails.

Thanks guys. Virus scan has been run and all appears normal. I'm annoyed that there's nothing I can do about it, but at least no one has actively accessed my email accounts.

01-01-2013, 03:13 PM	#1
mauve So Dreamy Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Someplace magical Posts: 6,863	I think my Gmail got hacked. Suggestions? Looks like I get to ring in the new year with my email gettin' hacked. Yaaay. Today I log into my gmail account to see a list of emails that Gmail was unable to send. They are all to addresses I have never seen. And the text of the emails are all in Russian. Wheeeee. Looks like I got hacked. The thing is, I've looked at my security reports from Google and it appears that my particular email address has only ever been accessed from my personal computer, from my usual browser, during hours I'd normally be home and checking on it (which is like twice in the past month because it's an old account). Even under my list of "Recently Sent/Received Emails" in my account report, it only shows the few emails I personally sent out to the few contacts I have on my list. None of these random "failed emails" are showing up in my account history, yet here they are in my inbox. Similarly, I occasionally find emails in my Spam folder that are from my same account, which I never sent out. I also started getting chat requests from random people I don't know, which I always decline. I've changed my password several times, most recently, today. Gmail has some sort of added security measure in which you use both your email and your phone to log in, but I don't REALLY want to give Gmail my cell phone number. Anyone have any other suggestions as to what's goin' on and what I can do about it? __________________ Yoo Hoo!

01-01-2013, 03:40 PM	#2
Krylo The Straightest Shota Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: It's a secret to everybody. Posts: 17,789	Sounds less like you got hacked and more like you're getting spoofed. Which means there isn't much to do about it. Basically how this usually works is someone who has you in their address book gets a virus. The virus checks the address book, and then sends the addresses back to a main database where they're spoofed into the 'from' section of the e-mail. The accounts receiving these spam e-mails think it's from you, and thus failed to returns go to you. What you should do is not read any of those, delete them, and run a virus scan to make sure you haven't been infected by a phishing worm as well. Other than that, though, they don't actually have access to anything but your e-mail address as data, and there's not a lot you can do about it. Reason I say it seems more like spoofing is because there's no record of your account being accessed by outside forces and those e-mails aren't in your sent box, etc. Which normally happens when you actually get hacked. __________________ I am very tired.

01-01-2013, 05:44 PM	#5
mauve So Dreamy Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Someplace magical Posts: 6,863	Nyet, nyet, Comrade Smarty, I am just ordinary American woman, and I am having the normal American emails. Thanks guys. Virus scan has been run and all appears normal. I'm annoyed that there's nothing I can do about it, but at least no one has actively accessed my email accounts. __________________ Yoo Hoo!

01-01-2013, 04:20 PM	#4
Professor Smarmiarty Sent to the cornfield Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: K-space Posts: 9,758	I think you guys are too easily discounting so some of paycheck/faceoff/fight club scenario where Mauve unknowingly has a second life as a russian internet billionaire.