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Increased spoofing following pwning alert

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  • Last reply by Stans

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I was recently alerted by Tbird that I had been spoofed (I think it had been in 2021 but was certainly some time ago). I had problems with my BT email a short while ago due to a problem with SMTP which was successfully resolved and a new password applied. Since this was some time after the recorded pwning I assumed that the necessary change had been made. However, after months of no spoofing I am now receiving regular spoofs. Can the spoofers have been alerted by the pwning notice?

I was recently alerted by Tbird that I had been spoofed (I think it had been in 2021 but was certainly some time ago). I had problems with my BT email a short while ago due to a problem with SMTP which was successfully resolved and a new password applied. Since this was some time after the recorded pwning I assumed that the necessary change had been made. However, after months of no spoofing I am now receiving regular spoofs. Can the spoofers have been alerted by the pwning notice?

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Thanks Stan for your comment. It wasn't the fact that my email address was out in the ether but the coincidence that spoofing went from zero recently to renewed occurence that made me ask. I didn't mark the issue as solved in order to be able to make this comment, but I'm resigned to having to accept the situation that, unless I change my address, the risk remains. Regards, NorJean

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You should know, that changing the password for an email account that was involved in a data breach, does not remove your email address from that breach. The breach happened, and there's nothing you can do to reverse that fact. Unscrupulous people already have your email address, and changing your email account's password doesn't magically remove your email address from the hands of these spoofers. See https://haveibeenpwned.com/FAQs

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Chosen Solution

Thanks Stan for your comment. It wasn't the fact that my email address was out in the ether but the coincidence that spoofing went from zero recently to renewed occurence that made me ask. I didn't mark the issue as solved in order to be able to make this comment, but I'm resigned to having to accept the situation that, unless I change my address, the risk remains. Regards, NorJean

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That's right. As long as your email address is out there, expect such activities from multiple actors. The recent increase in spoofing could be the same guys renewing their campaign or new actors altogether who've recently gotten their hands on your email address. They don't need to be alerted by the pwning notice. Such an alert is of no use or consequence to their activities. You could change your address, but even that doesn't guarantee your new address won't be a part of a breach some day.