Spam/phishing using my very unique name

[omni550]

Just received an email from a friend asking if I had sent her an email this morning from:

myfirstname.myUNIQUElastname122@roadrunner.com

Content:
I hope all is well. It's just a short message to share what I found the other day (and a clickable link)

It looks very legit, but I don't have a roadrunner (Time Warner) account.

I do send all sorts of emails to my friends with links/info I think they would enjoy. I fear a friend might accidentally click on an email like this, thinking it is legitimately from me.

Is there anything I can do?

omni

 

[Walt34]

Maybe email roadrunner.com? If they care....

 

[braumeister]

At the least, ask your friend to check the email to see if it actually came from that account (have him hover over it, not click on it). That could easily be spoofed too. If someone opened a roadrunner account in your name, it should be easy to get them to delete it.

 

[RunningBum]

I guess you could send your friends on email warning them about this, and to make sure it only comes from your real email address.

I had a pretty sharp one come to me recently. I am treasurer of a running club. I got an email apparently from the president addressing me by name, asking if I could make payment today (that day) to a vendor, and he would send me the payee info. Signed with the president's correct name. But it didn't come from his email, but rather "clubpresident52(at)comcast" or something like that. So I verified with the email address I knew that he didn't send it. Both our names are on the website with our roles, but not my email. And we are a small club. A bit of work to do that phishing. I wonder what would've happened if I'd just replied to him to send the invoice.

 

[omni550]

Thanks for the suggestions.

My friend deleted the email right after she heard back from me that it was not legit, so there's no way she could hover over it. But it's something to remember, if there's a next time.

After posting here, I did send out a "Do not open" email warning to many of my friends about this roadrunner email. One responded, stating he'd received the same email "from me" a few weeks ago, had decided it was bogus, and deleted it.

omni