Spam Emails

[nfn]

My hotmail account keeps sending out emails randomly to people in my contacts list re various shopping websites. I have AVG, Zone Alarm and use Mozilla Firefox but somehow these don't appear to have protected me from whoever is instigating this. I never open emails I don't recognise so have no idea how this has happened. Any advice would be very welcome as my contacts are being very good about it so far but the novelty will soon wear off!
Thanks in advance

[squarebear]

You don't have a virus.

Your email address will be out on the internet somewhere and spammers will have grabbed it and made their adverts appear as though it's from your address.

People are more likely to open emails if they recognise the sender (you).

Unfortunately, once you're on a spam list, it's next to impossible to be removed. The only solution is to set up a new hotmail account and be careful where on the net you post it.

[nfn]

Thank you very much, it's a relief to hear it's not a virus at least. I'll open a new account and redirect my contacts there. Thanks again

[ChuckFickens]

I disagree with squarebear on this one.

I reckon that your account has been hijacked.

if it was people sending emails that just look like they come from you they would not be sent to your contact list only, they would be sent to 100'000's of people.

You haven't by any chance tried to use on of those site that says they will tell you who has you blocked if you enter your sign in and password by any chance? as that's how this normally happens.

it's easy to solve a hijacked account, just change your password.

click the link below and look in one of the little boxes on the left for change password, click that, sign in with your current password and change it.

[squarebear]

Chuck means a site like this:
http://www.square-bear.co.uk/mitsuku/msn.htm

I knocked this up to show to someone how easy it was to get valid email addresses and passwords. I got 8 in a short space of time. It's known as SPIMMING and is growing especially among younger MSN users.

Naturally, I don't do anything with the email details, I just inform the users how stupid they have been.

It certainly won't hurt to try changing your password first and see if that helps. You should change it here:
https://account.live.com/ResetPassword.aspx

[nfn]

Thanks guys. I've never logged into one of those sites squarebear so not sure if that's what has happened, I will change my password chuck but I think it's going to be safer for me to change my email account completely (I've already done it actually) as that account was the one where all my Parish Council and various committee stuff went to. My mates forgave me for the odd spam but not sure the borough council will take the same view if it keeps happening. Not that they'd necessarily recognise spam from the drivel they send out lol. Thanks again for all your help
NFN