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Check your Hotmail accounts

by Paul Myers
7 replies
If you have a Hotmail account, check it to see if the vacation autoresponder has been turned on, with a message you didn't install.

This morning, I sent out an issue of my newsletter. I got vacation responses from 4 separate people who've been subscribed for at least 4 years each. They all had the exact same pitch in them... with the same horrible grammar and the exact same affiliate link.

I don't see that as being a likely coincidence.


Paul
#accounts #check #hotmail
  • Profile picture of the author SuzanneH
    Here's how to check (from Hotmail Help):

    Set up an automatic vacation reply

    If you're going to be away or if you won't be able to access your Windows Live Hotmail account for awhile, you can set up an automatic vacation reply for your account. Anybody who sends you an e-mail message while you're away will automatically receive your vacation reply.
    To set up an automatic vacation reply:
    1. Sign in to the Windows Live Hotmail website with your Windows Live ID (The e-mail address and password that you use to sign in to Windows Live programs and services such as Windows Live Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger; Microsoft services such as Xbox, MSN, and Office Live; and anywhere else that you see the Windows Live ID logo.) .
    2. On the Action bar, click Options, and then click More options.
    3. Under Manage your account, click Send automated vacation replies.
    4. Click Send vacation replies to people who e-mail me.
    5. In the text box, type the reply that you want people to receive while you're away, and then click Save.

    Notes

    • To stop using the vacation reply, return to the vacation reply settings, click Don't send any vacation replies, and then click Save.
    • Because replying to junk e-mail (Unwanted, unsolicited, or illicit e-mail or other electronic messages, including spam.) can frequently lead to even more junk e-mail, make sure that you select the Only reply to your contacts check box if you don't want to send automated vacation replies to junk e-mail senders.
    • If you have your vacation reply turned on, when you sign in to your account, you receive a message to remind you that your vacation reply is still turned on.
    Suzanne
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  • Profile picture of the author Angela V. Edwards
    Thanks for the information, Suzanne. That's what people will need in order to make sure they DON'T have a vacation response turned on.

    From Paul's post, it sounds like this is almost a system-wide spamming of Hotmail accounts. I wonder how something like that happened? That's kind of scary for those of us who have free, web-based email accounts.
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    • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
      Angela,

      If I were to guess, I'd suspect that the accounts got hacked or phished, and the person taking them over just set up the autoresponse to spam people who emailed those addresses.

      It'd have to be a fairly large number of accounts to make that worth the effort. It's for electronics, and the return addresses quoted in the body of the messages are from China.

      I've seen idiots do this with their own accounts before, but I've never seen a situation where compromised accounts were used this way.


      Paul
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      Stop by Paul's Pub - my little hangout on Facebook.

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  • Profile picture of the author Angela V. Edwards
    Yeah, I guess there's a first time for everything, huh? This sort of thing is pretty scary, though. Thank you for letting everyone know about it, Paul.
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    • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
      Checked with some of my security-savvy friends. This isn't new, but it's also not a big (as in, wide-spread) problem. On the flip side, it's not limited to Hotmail. It's hitting a lot of free webmail systems.

      What appears to be happening is that some of the scum are simply doing weak password guessing and re-setting accounts that they manage to crack.

      So, the answer is to use better passwords!

      Easy. And worth it, since getting access to your email account can mean the creeps get access to any other accounts you use that address for. Example: That's your main PayPal address. They go to PayPal, ask for a reminder of your password, it' emailed to your address on file, and... The creeps own your PayPal account and anything that's linked to it.

      Same with any other system where you use that address.


      Paul
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      Stop by Paul's Pub - my little hangout on Facebook.

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  • Profile picture of the author philk49
    Thanks I'll have to check my HotMail account for this problem and a good reminder to change passwords regularly. Now if I can only remember what I changed them to.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Silvester
    Hi Paul,

    I had several of my clients reply with a vacation response yesterday with the exact same Import/Export opportunity. And I remember reading your post...so I personally call each of them on the phone and told them whats going on.

    Thanks Paul,

    Michael Silvester
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