Several of my email contacts tell me they are getting unsolicited emails offering various medical supplies!!!. The emails apparently come from me!! I've been told my email folder may have been hijacked?? I thought that was cars or ships or planes. How do I find out if that is the case and how do I deal with it please??

It is not likely your email folder has been hijacked. Your email address may have been used and there is nothing you can do about that. Badguys can fake the return address of any spam to make it appear as though it came from any address. In that case, all you can do is use another email address and retire the other. Then make sure you don't post the new one in a public place.

However, your computer could certainly be infected by a program that seeks out your email "contacts", then spams them. So you need to IMMEDIATELY ensure your system if free of malware. Please read this then start a new topic here.

Thank you Digerati, What a wealth of info on this site. Im going to do just what you say and let you know what happens, Once again thank you.

Sorry to be a long time replying. Malawarebytes can find no problems with my email folder. So it looks as if some Canadian medical website is just using my email address. Coincidentally a friend who also received offers from the Medical site asked me how I knew he was contemplating a certain ' helpful' tablet!! I hadnt the heart to tell him otherwise and just acted the innocent. Thanks for the excellent help. :

I hadnt the heart to tell him otherwise and just acted the innocent.

I think you should educate him and tell him the truth - that someone stole and is "spoofing" your email address to spam others and they need to be careful who they give their email address too, and where they post it. It should never be posted in public places, like in a post on these forums for example as badguys troll forums, social networking sites (MySpace, Facebook, etc.) and other public locations looking for valid email addresses to use, and to add to their spamming lists.

I've just put him in the picture. He didnt realise it was possible to hijack an email address. Everyone is sure to be more careful now, including yours truly. Thank you again for all the help.

Actually, it is really easy for a badguy to use any return address he wants - even made up ones. But they typically want to use valid addresses so recipients think it safe.

Note a common way email addresses get out is through email jokes that are forwarded and forwarded. Every should ALWAYS use BCC (blind courtesy copy) so no one can see anyone other's address. But sadly, many folks just add their own contacts to the list and pass it on. The email ends up on an infected/compromised computer, and soon a badguy has a new list of known good addresses.

So, I don't forward jokes anymore.