Advice Req'd Email hacked?

[jp1982]

A female friend of mine sent me a text, warning me that she thought her email could be the victim of hacking. She believes the hacker is another one of her male friends who in all honesty is a bit of a stalker. He offered to hack someone’s (ex-husband) email for her before (she declined) and has done some other “tracking” of computer usage, so is not adverse to this behaviour and seems to have knowledge of subjects from private emails between me and her, and her and her other friends. Since that we put together a few emails as testers, to see if he was viewing but no feedback as yet.

Since this conversation I’ve noticed my email behaving strangely. When I open my BT Home page there is a box with a little mail icon. When I have new mail this icon usually comes up with “2 new” or something similar. This is removed when the inbox page is opened and viewed. Recently when I’ve opened my Home page there has been nothing displayed regarding new messages but when I check my inbox I’ve found there have been several new messages. Does this mean someone is viewing my inbox page? Nothing gets opened but it seems weird my Home page is ignoring new mail. My computer is running a little slower than usual and seems to be having trouble with internet explorer. I am currently using Mcafee virus protection. Also when I’m in my inbox the icon keeps rotating like it’s updating instead of remaining as an arrow.

For the computer people out there, is there cause for concern in what I’ve wrote? Is there a way of checking when email inbox’s are accessed? Are there any programs that I could check for in my computer that shouldn’t be there?

Mods have also posted in The lounge.

Thanks in advance.

Jim

[Xerstead]

Firstly change your passwords. If you have forgotten your password some sites offer a prompt question, if this is too obvious, ie mothers maiden name/Date of Birth, Someone may be able to figure out what it is and gain access to your account. If so pick another memorable date, or add a spelling error you can remember.
It is possible to get software (or hardware) which records whats happening on your computer. If your 'friend' hasn't had physical access to your computer this is more unlikely.

[randlemarcus]

Google Spybot Search & Destroy, download and run it. See if it picks up any dubious software.

If so, might be a really good idea to take a screenshot and email it to yourself. If it disappears, you know the little fecker realises he's been rumbled

Once you've done the spyware thing, update your AV, and run a check.

Now you have a reasonable chance of the machine being clean.

Change your email password first off. Then change all your other passwords.

Lastly, check you dont have remote desktop turned on and accesible from the internet.

If you do find stuff, throw the results up here, and we'll have a shufti as to whether its worth calling the police, as if he is hacking your PC itself, its relatively easy to prosecute him. Webmail, not so much.

[FourWheelDrift]

jp1982 said:

Mods have also posted in The lounge.

You do realise the moderator who moved it to here would not have looked in here first to know?

I'll close this one and use the other, it's in the right place here.