The mrs is having her email constantly hacked by spammers that send out a load of shitty links to her address book.
The password has been changed numerous times but it still keeps happening....
so,
a) how is this possible? is it likely there is malicious software hidden somewhere that registers the new password?
b) how can it be stopped for good?

Sounds like some kind of spyware.
Glary utilities or similar should clear the code and I can't recommend Zone Alarm enough for preventing it. Zero problems since I was pointed toward it
Hark at me coming over all techy

Mine has been hacked four times in the last week!

Edit.....Each time it has happened, my contacts have received emails about property and coffee. I use bt mail!

I had to use another computer to change my password and security question the first time it happened, as I couldn't complete the necessary changes on the one I usually use.

dubmeup wrote:
It may not be the case now but I seem to remember installing ZA some moons ago and it was detected as spyware. I could just have been extremely tech naive at the time

yup i got a bt one - didn't open the attachment and nothing shown up yet as a virus but its bloody annoying

oioioi wrote:

I'm guessing it's a Windows machine?

Try adw cleaner, which is specific to browsers.

Personally, I'd boot up a live disc and change the password in the session, and then use a client to receive the e-mails through. Thunderbird is my client of choice, and it's also made by the same people as Firefox, if that makes a slight bit of difference.

Odds are they're either using the secret question to get access again, or they may have reset the secondary email to one of theirs. What I would do is:

• Change your password - Ideally use something with uppercase, lowercase, symbols and numbers
• Change your security question
• Check your secondary (recovery) email/phone number
• Run your anti virus, Spybot S&D, and Malwarebytes. Clear up any threats found

That should sort it out and stop it from happening again.

peeps should be using non alpha numeric characters in their p/w's also, throw a few of em in there as greencard just said.

plain text passwords are easier to crack all else being equal.

Cheers for the replies...

I'll be forced to have a go at implementing some tomorrow & see how it goes!

Personally I don't bother with an email client anymore but I have seen stuff like hotmail repeatedly hacked despite sensible usage.
Gmail seems tougher but there are other providers out there. ISP's used to offer their own email but it seems as if they're leaving it to places like hotmail to take up the slack nowadays.

andyh wrote:
This is a gmail account which was created because the former account at BT wanted to start charging money to use it since they were no longer ISP!

If its gmail then you can login to the webmail and click the 'details' button at the bottom of the inbox to see the ip address activity.