Help! Phone is e-mailing spam to all my contacts.

[smrivera80]

I've been reading the Google Help Forums, and it seems that this is popping up quite a bit lately, especially from users of Android devices, though the replies from Google contributors seem to want to quickly dispell this. It's definitely not the phone, but something's causing these accounts to be vulnerable to a takeover. Here's a link to one of the threads about the issue, and there are links to more on that page:

My Gmail account was hacked ! - Gmail Help

 

[DesktopDevin]

Sounds more like a keylogger has been installed on the droids, but something unusual about the hijacking of the accounts.

Normally when the account is hacked the person hacking it usually changes the password and alternate email so you have to work a lot harder to regain control of the account.

This is one of the reasons I will not root my droid and put another rom on it or go out downloading pirated apk's to install , you never really know what you are loading. And when you find out something is wrong ...the damage has been done.

 

[slinky]

my girlfriend has this problem too but its her hotmail its never done this before she linked it to her phone (htc eris)

I've changed the password three times from one of my hotmail accounts. I have no idea how this is done but the same group of chinese businesses have sent emails to my contacts on this account. none of my other hotmail accounts had a problem.

 

[smrivera80]

Slinky, just for the sake of clarification, the three accounts that are being hacked into are the ones linked to your Droid? And the others that are fine are not?

If that's true, it certainly lends credibility to the fact that the hackers are taking advantage of a vulnerability in the mobile software...and not just with Gmail!

 

[atisho]

my girlfriend has this problem too but its her hotmail its never done this before she linked it to her phone (htc eris)

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

IM+ was sending out spams using my hotmail account. I installed it thru Google Play and was sure it was legitimate. I uninstalled the apps one by one and it took me a few weeks to find out this was the app sending out spams. I once complained about it in twitter and not sure anyone noticed or took any action. And not sure if the latest version is still doing it. Maybe the paid version doesn't do this. There is already ad showing in the app and sending out spams is a little crossing the line. Those spams were also advertisements about viagra or some other prescription drugs. I am sure IM+ is not the only one doing this because my friend's android was doing this and he didn't have IM+.