Is it just me, or is there a rash of hacked/spoofed Yahoo email accounts?

[Paul F.]

Starting about a month ago, a couple people I know had their Yahoo email accounts suddenly start "emailing" spam to people in their address books... with no evidence left in their out-boxes.

Over the last few weeks, this phenomena has struck several MORE people I know... for some it's their primary email address, for others, a "throw-away". But everyone they've ever emailed from that account is now getting Spam from the Yahoo address.

NOW, I've just noticed on one of my Yahoo email accounts (actually only used for craigslist, and a spam-catcher) is doing, or has been "done from" the same thing!

Nothing in the out-box, strong password, but a few bounce messages in my inbox. Don't actually see any evidence that my account has been compromised - just seeing that my email address is being used (or being spoofed) to send spam.

Am I the only one noticing that this seems to be a genuine problem going on at Yahoo?

[space-time]

this has been going on for 2-3 months, I get these message from Dad (no, he didn't send them). It's usually a link to some stay-home-make-money scam, at least it was like that a while ago. now I don't bother to check.

bottom line: Yahoo=Spamville. Ihave nut check my yahoo email in ages.

[Robert M]

Paul,

Very common. It isn't just yahoo accounts. It can happen with any email address. The spammer doesn't even need to use your account. Just needs to plug your email address into the system as the "sender" address and the SPAM will appear as if you've sent it.

Robert

[Paul F.]

Oh, I'm well aware that emails can (and often are!) spoofed...
I just find it curious that more or less all of a sudden, I've seen this statistically significant surge in Yahoo accounts of people I know being the "senders" of the Spam (or rather the victims of the spoofing).

Does have me curious about Yahoo's security... given that no less than SIX people I know are "sending/being victims of spoofing" spam to people in their address books.

[Robert M]

Paul,

I suspect it's less an issue with yahoo itself and more an issue on the machines. For example, everyone I know who has a yahoo account that has suffered from this issue uses a Windows machine. So, in my mind, it's more a Windows machine related issue than a yahoo problem. 'course, I can't prove this is the case by any stretch but it's an observation that stands out in my mind.

Robert

[Paul F.]

Robert;
Entirely possible in a couple cases... but the two guys I know best are one Mac user, and one who only uses the account web-mail.

Like I said, it's the coincidence of so MANY users I know at one time (including MINE... which I only use as web-mail) getting the spoof/spam treatment that has me curious...
I could explain away any individual occurrence as "stuff happens... particularly with providers like Yahoo.."

[blooz]

I've been getting emails with friends' names on them at least once every two or three days. They all start off with "Hey, this is really exciting" or something like that and I immediately trash them. Go one from "Apple" again today saying my password had been changed and i should click on a link to let them know if it was me.
Old password still works.

[bhaveshp]

I've seen the same spam from hacked Yahoo accounts sent from several relatives.

The spam I received clearly showed the account was actually hacked, not spoofed, as the entire address book was spammed.

I warned my relatives to use more secure passwords as the ones they used were weak enough to be hacked into.

[chopper]

"The spam I received clearly showed the account was actually hacked, not spoofed, as the entire address book was spammed."

I saw this as well. the guy, older gent, only used web mail and had no local address book to hack.

[cbelt3]

Yep. A friend started sending them to me. I told her and she said "well, guess I need a new computer". Windows users.. the normal response for a viral infection is to replace the hardware too. Sad.