Knowledgebase

This article contains information about unauthorized mail being sent from an email address which you control.

This article will address these issues:

• Someone is sending from your email address
• You're receiving bouncebacks for emails you never sent
• You are receiving spam from your own email address
• Your contacts say you have sent spam to them

There are two issues that could be causing unauthorized to be sending from your email address.

First: Your email account credentials may have been obtained by a third-party.

Second: You may be the victim of 'spoofing'. Please follow the directions below:

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If your Contacts received spam from you, or if you find that your email credentials may have been obtained by an unauthorized party, we suggest taking the following steps as soon as possible.

1. Make sure your operating system is up-to-date. Be sure you've downloaded and installed any critical Windows updates from Microsoft, or Mac OS updates from Apple. We recommend enabling automatic updates.
   
   
2. Check for viruses and malware. Run a scan on your computer with trusted anti-virus software. If the scan detects any suspicious programs or applications, get rid of them immediately. Here are some links to our favorite free anti-virus and anti-malware applications:
   
   Microsoft Security Essentials – Free Windows Anti-Virus
   Malwarebytes Anti-Malware – Free Anti-Malware
   
   NOTE: We have no connection with these programs, or their companies and can't comment on their effectiveness. We can tell you, though, that trying all of these programs often makes a large difference, as does having the latest updated versions.
   
   
3. Change your password. You can reset your email passwords in cPanel > Email Accounts. Make sure you choose a password that contains a combination of numbers, characters, and case-sensitive letters. Never reuse your email password on any other website. These steps will help strengthen the security of your account.
   
   
4. Finally, you can use a secure connection when signing in to your email. In cPanel > Mail Accounts > More > Configure Email Client > Then use the SSL settings to set up your email client for added security. This setting helps protect your information from being stolen when you are connecting to the mail server.

Also, to make sure that no one gains unauthorized access to your account:

• Never tell anyone your password or grant them access to your cPanel, and don't write your credentials down.
• Never send your credentials by email.
• Never give out your password after following a link sent to you in an email. Access email directly in your email client or by accessing webmail by typing yourdomain.com/webmail in your browser's address bar.
• Don't reuse your email account password on other websites. 
• Periodically change your password.