False emails from some of my contacts

[#1]

Occasionally I receive an email supposedly from one of my contacts, but when I check their actual email address it is clearly false. These emails always address me as "Dear Charles", which is my correct given name. The content of the message is always a link to some supposedly rogue web address (which I don't open!), and the email is signed off with the correct given name of my contact.

This has been happening just occasionally over a period of more than 12 months. Do you think it is my address book/email account that has been hacked at some stage, or is it the result of hacks on some of my contacts?

[#2]

More likely the contacts e mail address book has and everyone in their address book suffering the same.

[#3]

Thanks Gel. So presumably this must be quite common. I can't be unique in having half a dozen or so of my contacts who have had their address books hacked?

[#4]

I'm registered with SpamCop, and just forward such e mails to them, but always as an attachment so they can see headers/ identify senders ISP.

[#5]

I have just received another this evening. So if you say that you always forward them to Spamcorp it therefore means that you receive such emails yourself and therefore I am not unique. i am also relieved as you reckon that is the sender's contacts that have been accessed by a third party.

[#6]

Hi there, it's called 'spoofing'

Your friend / contact almost certainly has had their account detail copied from a genuine email they have sent. It's nothing to be concerned about, just tell the person that sent it (in case their account has been compromised) and delete it.