Windows Phone and Hotmail Spam

[go1218]

I have Nokia 1020 Windows Phone and last night all my contacts were sent spam emails.  The spam went out via my hotmail address, which I don't normally use.

My phone and PC were both off at the time, but the Windows Phone synchronises contacts between phone, pc and on-line, so they are available at Outlook.com. 

Microsoft sent me a message to say my hotmail account had been hacked.    As advised, I have changed my passwords.

It is not a good thing to happen.  I hope it doesn't happen again.

I wonder if any other Windows Phone user has encountered this?

[BandOfBrothers]

Thank you for the heads up. 

My partner uses the Nokia Lumia 435 and a Hotmail Address. 

Shes not encountered the Spam activities you mention but I have suggested she changes her password anyway as a precaution. 

Password Changes are Something that should be actioned  regularly. 

[kids]

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@go1218 wrote:

I have Nokia 1020 Windows Phone and last night all my contacts were sent spam emails.  The spam went out via my hotmail address, which I don't normally use.

My phone and PC were both off at the time, but the Windows Phone synchronises contacts between phone, pc and on-line, so they are available at Outlook.com. 

Microsoft sent me a message to say my hotmail account had been hacked.    As advised, I have changed my passwords.

It is not a good thing to happen.  I hope it doesn't happen again.

I wonder if any other Windows Phone user has encountered this?

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It is unlikely that you phone has been hacked but it is your Hotmail account that has been compromised.

One way is to set up two step verification and whilst nothing is really secure this does make hackers life more difficult as it requires a manual response from you to access your account.
Two step verificaton

[froggerty]

These sort of emails are getting more and more common and frequent, most usually sent to you perporting to be from one of your contacts or even friends and family, the opposite as well, your freinds, contacts etc being sent a message perporting to be from you and within that email there may be a link that opens automatically if you open the message and will infect all your Windows devices. It is essential that you and anyone else that has and is yet to experience these sort of emails is to change your password(s) and to prevent it recurring change them regularly and if you get an email perporting to be from someone you know send them back a seperate mail informing them of it and tell them to change their password. There is a way to find the source of these emails, do not open them, just right click on the notification text, a box will come up, click on 'veiw source. then a box will come up with a lot of script, right click on it and choose 'select all' and or 'copy' and then paste it and send to your email account providor. 

[go1218]

I have changed my password and as suggested I am setting up the 2 stage verification process.

However, I am finding that this is not a task for the faint-hearted. 

Yesterday, my PC and windows phone were syncing.  Today they are no longer on good terms and I am constantly being asked for the password.  Hopefully I may resolve the issue!

[froggerty]

If all your devices are using Windows there should be no need for 2 stage verification, this may be what's causing the non-sync situation, if you have the same account across the devices with the same user name and password there should be no problems.

[go1218]

I have discovered Microsoft on-line support. You can communicate with them via a "Chat" box.

I had to generate a special app password and input to the Outlook password box: 

https://account.live.com/proofs/manage

That seems to have now replaced my normal password, but has cleared the problem.

[kids]

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@froggerty wrote:

If all your devices are using Windows there should be no need for 2 stage verification, this may be what's causing the non-sync situation, if you have the same account across the devices with the same user name and password there should be no problems.

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I use 2 stage verification for 4 Hotmail / Outlook accounts on six Apple devices without a problem.

Although not necessary it does give an extra later of protection if anyone tries to sign into your email. It requires an physical response from the account holder via a mobile device to authenticate the sign in request,