Well it seems that my email has been hacked again and anyone and everyone in my address book were sent emails displaying my email address as the sender to advertise for improving your brain function and a link - no subject line.

My apologies to anyone of the Forums who may have received this email. I did not send it, don't open, just delete.

I can not understand how this happens as I do not open any emails if I do not recognize the sender's email address. I do have a preview pane, is that how they are getting through even though I don't open?? I have up to date anti-virus and malware(SP?) on my pc.

Melody,
No problem, knew they weren't from you. A couple of tips that may help.
1)change your password to your e-mail account.
2)never open any e-mails which have been forwarded from others, even if you know who they are from.
3)Ask all of the people on your mailing list that if they ever forward an e-mail you have sent to please remove your e-mail address from the forward copy. I have seen instances where someone has opened up one of those joke or "chain letter" e-mails and it will show that it has been forwarded dozens of times and hundreds of e-mail addresses appear in there. If anyone on that list has either malware or a virus it can potentially be sent to all of those addresses. (I rarely forward e-mails but when I do I just cut and paste the main body into a new browser and then check the BCC box (blank carbon copy) next to the addresses of whomever I am sending the e-mail out to. That way all the e-mail says in the "TO" line is "UNDISCLOSED RECIPIENT" and those e-mail addresses will never show.
....By the way, when I say I paste in a new browser, this is what I mean...
While my mail account is open I click on my internet browser (Internet Explorer, Foxfire, etc) and go to my mail account and compose from there. I then go back to my original browser which has the content of the letter I am forwarding. I drag my mouse over only the content I wish to forward and right click on the highlighted portion, then I click on the word "copy". (This is for those who don't know how to copy and paste). I then go back to the e-mail I am composing and somewhere in the body I right click again. I then click on paste and voila!, the content has been copied and pasted into the new e-mail. I then BCC it to whomever I am sending it to and noone has any idea how many people received this one e-mail or who any of them are. Much safer that way all around. And don't forget to put a subject title onto that e-mail before you send it. I never open any e-mails without a subject title, 99% of the time it's either SPAM or malware.

What type of security do you have. You mentioned virus. I have been using Norton Internet Security(Virus protection is not adequate anymore) for over 15 years and have NEVER had a proble. It costs me approximately $50.00 a year to protect 3 computers. My son and daughter both use ONLY Norton and have also never had a problem in over 15 years.

I have Norton also, because the reviews in P C Magazine and others praised it so highly! So far, so good.

Thanks for the advise everyone. I too do not open emails if I do not know the sender, but do open forwarded emails if I know the sender.. Guess I will have to stop that. I do forward emails on occassion and have been trying to remember to strip the other email addresses out. Have not used the BCC though - will add that to my routine. I always use a subject line.

As for security I have Norton but do not know if it is just antivirus/maleware or if it is Internet Security, will have to check that. The funny thing is I have been reading my personal email via HotMail during my lunch/breaks at work (the office is okay with it as long as we are on our lunch or breaks) and haven't actually signed on to my own PC in probably a month or more. The office definitely has powerful protection running, but I'm running a quick scan of my office pc right now.

Upgrade to Norton 360. Does everything!

You can get a single or 3 user license at reasonable cost at buy.com.

It goes on sale at least once a month.

http://www.buy.com/prod/norton-360-v5-0-.../220947709.html