Google account hacked! What do I do?

[timd23]

So after replying to a Craigslist ad for a job a few weeks ago I started getting spammed like crazy. While it was annoying, I wasn't too worried until I started receiving a billion failure to deliver messages ( as if I had sent these non existent addresses multiple emails). So I went to details and saw that I was logged in in 8 different places all across the world. I logged off all of them and changed the password immediately. For a few days everything was fine and it happened again. And again. I've changed the password 4 times and it keeps happeneing after a few days. Nobody has access to my phone or my laptop besides me, so any fowl play is being done at internet level. Any suggestions?

Sent from my Rooted Evo using Unicorn Blood

 

[Xopher]

Do you have an alternate email address set up in your Google account? One for sending forgotten password requests? I would check all your account settings and see if anything else has been changed.

I would also suggest changing your password to something random, making it more difficult to guess.

 

[sasha]

Are the spam e-mails in your "Sent" folder? If so, run an anti-spyware scan, and change your pass and security question.

If they're not in the "Sent" folder, then it's an automated software spoofing your e-mail address. Spammers use this tactic to cover their tracks. This happened to me with my AOL account. What I did was deleted all contacts out of my aol address book emptied all spam folders all sent mail folders changed password and haven't had the problem since. It also started when I replied to a Craig's list ad.

 

[tropper]

I second Sasha's post she has it right for sure.!

 

[BSG75]

I second Sasha's post she has it right for sure.!

The problem is that the OP said he saw the account in use in multiple places all over the world. That is a problem.

Do you only ever use the laptop, or could it be another computer that is compromised,like at school or someone else's computer? I suspect a trojan somewhere, if it keeps finding your changed passwords.

If someone is repeatedly getting your passwords, one of your devices is compromised. It's unlikely the problem is outside of your network. If you use lastpass or something, change that master password too.

Fresh install of the laptop. That's what I recommend. Copy off your data (documents, movies, pictures). Don't copy anything you don't need. No settings. Don't blindly copy the entire My Documents.

To be safe, when copying data off, I recommend booting into an Ubuntu live CD. Then attach an external hard drive. Then copy your needed files off. Don't just plug the drive into your running laptop because if there is a virus, it could jump to the external drive. Do the fresh install. When that's all done, copy the data off your external drive.

If you use Carbonite, that would work, too.