AOL Problems anyone???

[Samai139]

I'm probably opening myself up to a "barrage" of dump on AOL comments, but, here goes:

Today, I got an urgent message from AOL saying I had to call a certain 800 number. To make a long story short, it seems over 80 spam mailings were sent from my AOL screen name. When the fellow who took my call asked me if I knew anything about this, I said no. He then proceeded to tell me I had to change all my passwords--for two different screen names--and to make sure I never, ever, download files from people I do not know. I cannot for the life of me recall downloading any files from anyone I don't know.

I did write an e-mail to an escort who was reviewed very favourably on this site, and he sent me a photograph, which I downloaded. It's possible I suppose that this is where the "Trojan (how appropriate, now that I think about it!!!) Horse came from.

Question: Have any other AOL users had similar problems? If so, how do you avoid repetitions? Or is AOL just being over protective????

Thanks

[+ Lucky]

If spam is coming from your address, I don't think AOL is being overprotective. It is a serious situation to begin with, and I wonder if it's the same escort Huey wrote about.

[Guest countryboy76]

I've encountered the same situation as well, someone sending a large amount of spam using one of my screen names. The guy I talked to at AOL said that in order for someone to do that they had to have my password in order to access the screen name to send the mail. Which meant that they could possible get into other things that I had listed under that particular screen name.

 

It's pretty good that they watch out like that and shut things down on you to keep any damage to a minimum, expecially if you bank online and pay credit/bills online.

 

I think the best way to avoid problems is to get used to changing your passwords on a regular basis, and just watch watch you opn and download.

 

CB76

[marc anthony]

Also, besides being careful about what you download, you need to be careful about typing your password in messages that "appear" to come directly from AOL. Sometimes you get what appears to be a message from AOL itself, and it asks you to provide your password.

 

DON'T!

 

Aol never asks for your password, and anyone that does will soon be using your screen name for spam.

[Samai139]

Thanks for the comments:

I have never given my AOL password to anyone, so I can eliminate that possibility.

I'm also reasonably careful about downloading files, but now I'll be even more so.

I guess what bothers me most is that there is ANYWAY that someone out there can get my password---because they have to go through AOL to do it. The only people who have that password are the people at AOL. I do not write it down; I do not share my computer with anyone; I never give it out; and I do change my password---perhaps not as frequently as I will from now on, but it has been changed.

Does anyone have any idea, other than someone inside AOL giving out passwords for screen names, how anyone could get access to these passwords? Obviously I am not the only one, if AOL has a whole apparatus for dealing with the problem.

[Guest ncm2169]

Samai, I can't address your immediate problem, except to say that I've been an AOL member for over 6 years and have never had a problem with stolen passwords. I'm definitely not a tech expert, but I can't see any way it could happen unless you inadvertantly gave it out.

 

I will say, however, that the quality of AOL's tech support and customer service staff does vary from time to time. In the past several months they seem to have added many new people who, at least in my case, have given me flat out wrong info.

 

If I were you, I'd call AOL back and ask to speak to a SENIOR tech person. If you're persistent, you'll eventually get a senior person who may or may not give you a different explanation than you got before. Good Luck!

[Guest Les]

Unfortunately downloading almost anything from an unknown(and some known) source can be dangerous... music, movies, pictures or even text files can contain malicious script. The only things that will protect you is having a good antivirus program and a firewall. Make sure your firewall stops outgoing as well as incoming. I also use this:

 

http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/scriptsentry.asp

 

Script Sentry has saved me lots of headaches.

[HotDad]

First, I think we need to acknowledge that there is a fundamental difference between email which is actually sent by someone who is logged on as you and email which APPEARS to be sent by you.

 

I've used AOL forever. Only once did I encounter a similar situation. At that time, I determined that the spammer hadn't gained access to my account or to my password. Rather, they had simply used my email address as the "Reply-to:" WHile the AOL email client doesn't let you do this, many other tools do. To the average user an email sent this way will look like it came from you. How did I spot this? I cstarted to receive a rash of bounced email to addresses I did not recognize. One came back with the original message.

 

As to how someone could get your password ... One day, feeling adventurous, I actually clicked on one of those things I should have clicked on. It downloaded a file. The file was a compiled executable, but a 3-rd party email address was visible as plain text. On a whim, I changed all my passwords and ran the file. When I was in AOL, a realistic looking Windows dialouge box appeared and asked for me to renter my password. The trick here was that the password request wasn't in a IM window or an email message, it really looked like the program was aking for it. The popup window was indistinguishablew from all other AOL windows. I told them my password was "fucku". To be safe, I removed the program, did a virus scan, and reset all my passwords.

[Guest Big14U]

I too have had someone place my email address as the return for spam. I've had this happen with both AOL and Hotmail email accounts. Not much one can do. The last time it happened with Hotmail I had over 2,000 emails in 24 hours asing me to remove them from my non existant mailing list. It took about a week for me to finally get down to my normal amount of spam. I've had the same hotmail account for over 6 years. Hotmail is very poor in reducing spam.

AOL now has a much much better system that allows you to block and report spam. Since I've started using it the spam in my AOL box has been reduced by about 25%.

One of my solutions is to use one of my screen names in AOL as the email address I give out to any site requesting it. Ie for entry into contests. I also only use that screen name when perusing the internet for those interests that usually create spam, ie porn, shopping.

 

I'm hoping for that federal law that would make spam a crime. Unless I sign up for the email I don't want to see advertisements for pussy, pet products, ink cartridges, home mortgages, etc.

[Samai139]

Les~~

Thanks for the tips. I've downloaded ScriptSentry, and will install a beter firewall than the one I have. I have Norton anti-virus and update it every other day from the live online downloads. I think I'll also call AOL, because I KNOW I have given my password to absolutely no one, ever. Therefore when spam goes out with my screen name, there must be some variation that someone is using, other than signing on with my screen name AND password.

[Guest Tristan]

Yes, I had the exact same problem. AOL prevented me from logging back in, had me call the 800 number, and change all my passwords. Someone had used my Screen Name to send an unspecified number of users an inappropriate message. While this was an inconvenience, I am glad, as some have mentioned, that AOL monitors this kind of abuse.

 

I believe I may know how this occurred. There is a scam in which you receive an Instakiss from Love@AOL. While this is a legitimate site, which I was told is not part of AOL, it has been apparently repeatedly used as a scam for getting a person's password and then using that person's SN to send e-mail to other users. I was very tired and in a moment in which I was not thinking clearly gave my password to get the Instakiss message. (I had never given out my password before to anyone.) I immediately realized what I had done, but it was too late.

 

I can't be sure this was the source of the problem, but will never be caught offguard again. Further, the person at AOL told me that because the Instakiss scam was a common problem, the best thing to do was never answer an Instakiss message again even if I am not asked for the password. (AOL did not seem to have a way of screening out the bogus Instakiss messages from legitimate ones.) I intend to follow this advise. Who wants an Instakiss anyway? :-)

[LovesYng]

>I was very tired and in a moment in which I was not >thinking clearly gave my password to get the Instakiss >message. (I had never given out my password before to >anyone.) I immediately realized what I had done, but it >was too late.

 

If you immediately realized what you did wrong you should have change the password right at that point. Don't feel bad, a lot of us have messed up on AOL at times, but we learn....

 

When in doubt I whip it out:+