Tech: Strange email from Elizabeth B

Subject: RE: Tech: Strange email from Elizabeth B
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Nov 25 - 11:36 AM

Thanks, Howard. I didn't know how to get hold of you, but you were the one I thought could get through to you.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: Strange email from Elizabeth B
From: Howard Kaplan
Date: 03 Nov 25 - 11:15 AM

I've just phoned Elizabeth. She's aware of the problem and is working on getting it solved.

Subject: RE: Tech: Strange email from Elizabeth B
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Nov 25 - 10:04 AM

There was a question on the Facebook page and I referred her over here to look for a solution. From Vikki Appleton Fielden:

I'm posting here in hopes that someone who knows ELIZABETH B might be able to get in touch with her.
I've received a very dodgy-looking email from her @ddress and suspect she's been hacked. I'd like to let her know, but obviously, sending a message to that @ddress won't do it. Is anyone able to get in touch with her some other way?

Subject: RE: Tech: Strange email from Elizabeth B
From: Johnny J
Date: 03 Nov 25 - 07:08 AM

What do you mean by "Some of Us", Joe?

Forum members or your own personal contacts?

If it's the former, we should all be concerned about the security here.

Not likely from Mudcat itself, but many of us are on email lists for Zoom sessions. That's why I use BCC for sending the Mudcat Singaround email.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: Strange email from Elizabeth B
From: GerryM
Date: 03 Nov 25 - 06:56 AM

Joe, I agree with DaveRo. Someone may have gained access to Elizabeth's contact list (or your contact list, if your pastor isn't on Elizabeth's list), but probably doesn't have access to her email, and unfortunately there's not much she can do to stop someone from spoofing her address, short of getting a new one and informing all her contacts.

Subject: RE: Tech: Strange email from Elizabeth B
From: DaveRo
Date: 03 Nov 25 - 05:24 AM

Joe Offer wrote: But what can I do about it? I don't want to email her because I'm sure her email is compromised.

Her email may not have been compromised. It's very very common to get spam which spoofs the sender address.

If you hit 'reply' - without sending it - does the reply go to a different address? (i.e. does the email have a different 'reply-to' address.) If so it's almost certainly a spoofed sender address. And even if the reply does go to the same address it does not prove her email account is compromised.

What can you do about it? Nothing much. Some ISPs' email programs have a spam button to let them know. Let her know if you can, as you're trying to do, but it doesn't mean she can or has to do anything if she can access her email account OK and there's nothing odd in it.

(If she sends mail to multiple CCs, she should use BCC instead. That's one way her friends' email addresses get onto spam lists.)

Subject: Tech: Strange email from Elizabeth B
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Nov 25 - 11:39 PM

Over the weekend, some of us received two identical "Happy Saturday" emails from Elizabeth B of Toronto (name withheld).

Good afternoon,
I hope your day has been wonderful. I apologize for bothering you, but I wanted to follow up, as I sent you an email and have not yet received a reply.
Please let me know if you got it.
Sending best wishes for the weekend,
Elizabeth

I'm sure this email was not written in Elizabeth's inimitable style. And besides, I received a very similar pair of emails from a pastor in town, so I'm sure it's fraudulent.

But what can I do about it? I don't want to email her because I'm sure her email is compromised. I asked my pastor friend what he did to fix the problem, and he got a new email address - but that's such a hassle.

Anybody know how to fix this? And does anyone have a different way to contact Elizabeth beyond trying to contact her by her compromised email? If you do, can you let her know this problem is happening?

Thanks.

-Joe-

P.S. I'll move this message to the BS section sooner or later, but not yet.
P.P.S. Don't give out her full name.