How am I getting 'returned' email I never sent? Weird...

[tjdee]

I have been away from my email for awhile--sending nothing.

But I checked back in last week and I had "returned" email. Some of them had attachments (that were titled "message" and "Your email" and "Your Music").

Here's what's interesting. Some of the recipients of the emails were people I know through a guy who I'm no longer speaking with. Some of the recipients were people he works with (I can tell by the email addys). Most of the "returned" emails say that "this message was originally received by XYZ.com." and goes on to say why 'my' message was undeliverable. (XYZ.com being his work's domain and where I'd been mailing him.)

So...does his work computer have a virus? How can he (or his computer) send email from me that isn't from me (I guess the return path?)? Is someone trying to get me in trouble with my email provider--I mean, if I just got the undeliverable emails...what have "I" been delivering?? Uh...huh?

[pagerbear]

1. You've been spoofed

Someone who has your address in an address book or emails from you on his computer triggered a virus that sent out emails pretending to be from you.

[tjdee]

8. So he did it on purpose?

Is that the only way it could have happened?
Any other explanation?

:crazy:

[RobertSeattle]

2. Netsky Virus

The Virus spoofs both from and to email addresses so someone who has you in an address list has the Virus. It's a real pain. Just hit the old "Del" key.

The whole SMTP email protocol was based on trust and "doing the right thing" --- spammers and virus writers have destroyed that ideal.

[frylock]

3. your freind has the virus..

it sends mail to other people in his address book using a random address (yours) as the sender.

[bamademo]

4. Someone else's computer has a virus that you sent email to

Some viruses or worms strip addresses out of the Contact list and uses those addresses to email the worm or virus to others.

I would scan my drive just to be on the safe side.

[bif]

5. Spam.Delete.

the spammers keep getting smarter and smarter.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

6. Delete these messages!!!

They're all ways of sneaking a virus into your computer. You're getting mail from people you barely know because your e-mail is still in their address book.

Under no circumstance open any of the attachments.

The "returned e-mail" is just the latest scam to get you to open the message and infect your computer.

Maybe some computer expert can tell you more and better.

[Another Bill C.]

7. Someone's got a virus.

And it's someone with your address on their e-mail list. The virus picks an e-mail address from their list as the originator and sends infected e-mails to the rest of the addresses. This is to hide the actual origin and prolong the life of the virus.

[tjdee]

9. Thanks for the quick replies everyone!!

Ah.......

So he's got a virus.

But he still has me in his address book. I'm going to pretend I don't care about that. :crazy:

THANK you everybody...once again DU screws my head on straight.