e-mail return problems with mail I never sent

"Return Messages" as in messages with "RE: Blah blah blah" as the subject line or return messages from the server saying that a message you sent couldn't be delivered?

In the first case - those are just classic spam. There isn't much you can do at this point other then filtering them out and not responding to them. Get yourself a "throw away" email addy and use that for on-line registrations and such.

If it's the server sending you the error messages and you haven't actually sent them then someone is sending you spam but trying to do it in a way that defeats most spam filters. They forge you email addy into the header and that tricks the remote server into thinking that it came from you. Then they just send the e-mail to a non-existant account and the receiving server sends the "Can't be delivered - no such address" reply back to your server.

There really isn't a good way to stop any of them. Depending on your mail host you might get them to do something if you complain to them about people forging your addy. I wouldn't hold out much hope though. Sorry.

Sounds to me as though someone's computer on which your email is in the address book has been infected with a baddie which "spoofs" email addresses stolen from the infected machine to make recipients of its self-propagatin scheme think they're getting an email from someone they know. As long as your machine comes up clean when you scan it with your own currently updated antivirus, its highly unlikely you are the source of the problem. There isn't much you can do about the "Failed Message" auto responders, other than ignore them.

When a failed message comes back it is usually as an attachment and can contain a virus. Don't open them and be sure your anti-virus software is up-to-date.

I was getting those kinds of returned emails for about a week. Finally bought some new Norton (it was getting close to time anyway), upgraded and now they must be automatically dumped because I don't get them anymore. Yay!

Well, all the scans came up clean, and our NortonPro is on auto update. Thanks for the info, I'm not going to worry about it.

Hmm...I've been getting another strange e-mail lately. It has the headline "Today", but no subject, and no attachment. It appears to be an actual file, not a proper e-mail folder (it has a different icon). What the heck is it?

cav- Recently, I have been getting a bit of stuff like that. I don't sweat it, and simply blow it away!

I am also getting mail (on my ISP E Mail) that is delivered to the wrong E Mail address!

Phoenix, it doesn't delete the same way as the regular spam. I suppose it's the "devil you don't know" that gives me concerns.

I get so much junk e-mail, I end up deleting about 90% of it!

I don't even open it, if I don't know the sender.