How Did This Happen? Help Experts!

[annie2005]

I am wondering if any computer expert could explain how this happened.

 

My boyfriend wrote me a message from his sister's computer.

He is on Earthlink, she is on AOL.

 

I am on Yahoo.

 

I replied to his note on his Earthlink email address and it ended up in HER

AOL email messages!!!!

 

It wasn't a good thing to happen as it was a very PERSONAL email.

 

Could anyone tell me how this happened and how to prevent it from happening

again....If it means anything, I had copied and pasted a website to 123 greeting cards in the subject of the letter.

 

Thanks so very much for explaining how this happened and how to prevent it from happening aagain.

 

Sincerely, Annie

[TCH-Andy]

Hi Annie,

 

Welcome to the family

 

I would guess the answer is in your comment "I replied to his note" If you used reply, rather than typing in his email address manually, and he had sent it from her account - then you would end up sending the email to his sister, rather than him.

 

 

To make sure it doesn happen, send a new email to him - rather than just hitting the reply button. Or, if you do reply, delete the reply address and replace it with his email address.

[annie2005]

Thanks for your reply, the only thing you might not understand is this email was sent from his earthlink email account NOT from her AOL account.

 

He doesn't even have her password so that would not be possible to send it from her acct, yet my reply email ended up in her account.

 

That is what I don't understand.

Thanks, Annie

 

 

 

 

Hi Annie,

 

Welcome to the family

 

I would guess the answer is in your comment "I replied to his note" If you used reply, rather than typing in his email address manually, and he had sent it from her account - then you would end up sending the email to his sister, rather than him.

 

 

To make sure it doesn happen, send a new email to him - rather than just hitting the reply button. Or, if you do reply, delete the reply address and replace it with his email address.

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[Head Guru]

*TCH-Dick wonders what was in that e-mail ?

 

[TCH-Andy]

If he used her computer - which dials in through AOL, then he would have her password (or it was stored on her computer). Using her computer, the email was almost certainly sent from her email account.

[annie2005]

/me wonders what was in that e-mail ?

 

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[annie2005]

That is why it is such a MYSTERY to me.

 

His email had only his earthlink address on it when I replied to it.

 

It did NOT have her AOL address on it.

 

All I can think of, is it went through (or into) OUTLOOK EXPRESS when I replied.

 

It absolutely had his email address not hers.

 

Still need an explanation so it doesn't happen again.

(It had a kinda naughty sexy ecard, the address for it!)

[annie2005]

How do I stayed Logged In?

 

I have to add my ID and password each time.

 

I think I had checked the wrong box when I registered.

 

Thank you.

[stevevan]

If we could see the full headers of the message, that would help decipher where it went and how. Without that, we're merely speculating what may have happened.

[annie2005]

Speculation is fine...I already have written Earthlink for a personal answer; I wouldn't want to post personal information (email addresses) on a public forum but thanks for the offer.

 

 

If we could see the full headers of the message, that would help decipher where it went and how.  Without that, we're merely speculating what may have happened.

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[annie2005]

When I get a reply from Earthlink, I will share their explanation here at this site.

Annie

[TCH-Thomas]

I was just gonna suggest that you write them an email.

 

Just out of curiousity, how did you find these forums? Are you hosted by TCH?

[annie2005]

I found these forums just by typing a question in my Yahoo search area.

 

I am still having to log in each time I reply, could you tell me how to STAY logged in.

 

By the way, I am a 34 year old lady...It may have sounded when I was referring to my 'boyfriend' that I was a teeny bopper!

 

I was just gonna suggest that you write them an email.

 

Just out of curiousity, how did you find these forums? Are you hosted by TCH?

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[annie2005]

I am absolutely AMAZED at all the technical support at this site.

 

IT IS GREAT!

[Madmanmcp]

There is no way an email can go to an address that it is not addressed to. Check all the emails for addresses in the TO:, FROM:, and CC: fields. Do you have a "Sent mail" folder and can you check what was actually sent and to where.

 

How do you know she got it? If she told you than maybe she received a copy some other way. He could have sent it to her or printed it out and she just read a copy of it or she could have read it from his email. Knowing about the contents of an email doesn't necessarily mean she received it. Did you actually see this email in HER email program?

[TCH-Thomas]

I found these forums just by typing a question in my Yahoo search area.

 

I am still having to log in each time I reply, could you tell me how to STAY logged in.

 

By the way, I am a 34 year old lady...It may have sounded when I was referring to my 'boyfriend' that I was a teeny bopper! 

 

I was just gonna suggest that you write them an email.

 

Just out of curiousity, how did you find these forums? Are you hosted by TCH?

 

 

Ah ok. I was just curious.

As you already did, send them an email, I think they are the only ones who can answer unless you ask the others involved.

[annie2005]

 

This actually happened TWICE.

 

Once when using his cousin's computer, when I replied to his earthlink address email, it ended up in his cousin's email address. This was another AOL address.

And his cousin's & sister's computers are on 'broadband', not dial-up, if that makes any difference.

 

Yes, he actually saw the email in HER AOL account, she showed him.

 

I am very anxious to find out how this happened.

 

I know it has something to do with the computer it was originally sent from.

And I think it must have something to do with Outlook Express.

And I think it might be connected to clicking on the 123 Greeting address

that was included in the email.

 

Since you are the EXPERTS, I was hoping for an explanation.

Got any more ideas?

 

I know you think my email had her AOL email address on it, but I still have the email in my SENT BOX and it has HIS EARTHLINK ADDRESS ONLY.

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

Annie

[Madmanmcp]

Without seeing the actual email SHE received its hard for anyone to say how she got it. We can give several possible explanations but these are just pure guesswork.

 

If you have read what you have sent and there is no indication that it was sent anywhere except HIS email, then the issue is down the email chain. ISP's do not send emails to different places, the servers follow a protocol for delivering messages based on the address, if the address says xxx@earthlink.com it is impossible to arrive at anyplace on *@aol.com.

 

So if the ISP's mail servers can't do this it has to be either human or software intervention at the original receiving location. Does the cousin have access to his computer? If she does maybe she got access to this email and forwarded to herself. Maybe he forwarded it to her for whatever reason.

 

Several software reasons can be imagined...none of them are possible unless she is a topline programmer, which I will assume she is not.

 

Bottom line is you need to access the email she has to figure out how she got it.

[annie2005]

Since it had the 123 greeting website in it, and this website was checked, could it have been re-directed to the AOL email as spam or bulk mail?

 

The two times this happened, each email had the 123greeting website, copied and pasted inside the subject area.

 

I do not have the answer, all I know is it was in her email account and it was addressed only to the Earthlink acct. and NO, he didn't forward it...he was amazed it was there and NOBODY has his earthlink password but himself...I don't have it either.

 

 

Without seeing the actual email SHE received its hard for anyone to say how she got it. We can give several possible explanations but these are just pure guesswork.

 

If you have read what you have sent and there is no indication that it was sent anywhere except HIS email, then the issue is down the email chain. ISP's do not send emails to different places, the servers follow a protocol for delivering messages based on the address, if the address says xxx@earthlink.com it is impossible to arrive at anyplace on *@aol.com.

 

So if the ISP's mail servers can't do this it has to be either human or software intervention at the original receiving location. Does the cousin have access to his computer? If she does maybe she got access to this email and forwarded to herself. Maybe he forwarded it to her for whatever reason.

 

Several software reasons can be imagined...none of them are possible unless she is a topline programmer, which I will assume she is not.

 

Bottom line is you need to access the email she has to figure out how she got it.

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[Madmanmcp]

Since it had the 123 greeting website in it, and this website was checked, could it have been re-directed to the AOL email as spam or bulk mail?

 

The two times this happened, each email had the 123greeting website, copied and pasted inside the subject area.

 

I know very little about this "123" website so I can not comment on it. But at face value I would say it means little. I would assume one of you is placing this link in the email, or you have software running that places the link in ALL of your emails. This company is only interested in everyone clicking the link and spending money on them. They have no interest or reason to send your private emails to his cousin.

[annie2005]

I had copied and pasted this 123greeting ecard in each of the two emails that showed up in the AOL email account. (It is NOT on all my emails and like I said, only these two with this address in them showed up on his sisters and his cousins (a man not a girl) AOL emails.

 

I will let you know when I hear from Earth link.

 

I am wondering more and more how this happened!

 

 

 

Since it had the 123 greeting website in it, and this website was checked, could it have been re-directed to the AOL email as spam or bulk mail?

 

The two times this happened, each email had the 123greeting website, copied and pasted inside the subject area.

 

I know very little about this "123" website so I can not comment on it. But at face value I would say it means little. I would assume one of you is placing this link in the email, or you have software running that places the link in ALL of your emails. This company is only interested in everyone clicking the link and spending money on them. They have no interest or reason to send your private emails to his cousin.

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[Madmanmcp]

Please let us know how it turns out. From past experience I know they will ask for a copy of the email including all headers. They may also ask for a copy of the email from the other end...which you may not be able to supply.

 

Good luck.

[Dark]

If you are using Outlook Express just right click on the message and select properties then the detials tab and it should show the complete path headers that the message took.

[annie2005]

Thanks Dark but I don't use Outlook Express with my Yahoo account.

With my Internet provider's email acct. it DOES go through outlook express but I prefer using Yahoo for me email.

 

Following is something the EXPERT TECHNICIANS here failed to mention:

 

When we send email from any computer, these are stored in Tempory Internet Files and if we go to Tools, Internet Options and click on Temp Internet files, then click on view files, then open the first folder, we OFTEN will see something called 'showletter' and it will show emails that we received or sent. (Before we run disk clean up)

 

Try it and see for yourself.

 

However, I am almost certain, this sister did not even know how to do that, and she would have had to send the email to herself. (She didn't)

 

So keep trying to think of how it happened.

 

I am still waiting on a reply from Earthlink.

Sincerely, Julie

 

 

If you are using Outlook Express just right click on the message and select properties then the detials tab and it should show the complete path headers that the message took.

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[Deverill]

Welcome to the forums Julie/Annie2005,

Either you accidentally sent it to the wrong address or once it was delivered it was improperly made available to her.

 

You mention Outlook Express(OE). Does your boyfriend/his sister use OE? If they use the same computer it may be in an OE file that she could access. Also, if he has his Earthlink password memorized in a password manager feature of Windows then she could get in without needing to know the password.

 

Also, if he sends something to you and her and you accidentally hit "Reply All" then it will go to him and her. Could this have happened?

 

I would bet my life (which I don't do lightly) that Earthlink didn't just happen to send it to her account on AOL... what are the chances of them even knowing her username if they wanted to - she's not their customer.

 

I'm sure you didn't email her so it's likely that either she's a little sharper than you think she is and found the file fragments or it's something like OE leaving the email in a folder they both can see.

 

Now, if your email was through Totalchoice Hosting then our techs would be able to check headers for you to see what happened

[Madmanmcp]

Following is something the EXPERT TECHNICIANS here failed to mention:

 

Sorry if my answers were not up to your expectations. But I never said I was an "expert", you did.

[annie2005]

Well, I couldn't accidently send it to the wrong address because I just clicked on reply...I do not even KNOW his sister's aol address.

And he DEFINITELY would not have her address on our private emails to one another....

 

I imagine they do use Outlook Express on his sister's computer.

He has Earthlink dial up on his own computer at his home but he is visiting his sister in FL and using her computer as well as his cousins sometimes...They both have AOL as their provider.

 

No, he only sent the email to me as it was very personal.

That is why we are concerned that others were able to read it!

 

It is easy to access outlook express if it is the computer that has the dial up provider's email account...What I mean is, all we have to do is go up to that little envelope in the top bar, right beside the history arrow, and click on that tiny arrow beside the envelope and we can access the email of the Internet provider for that computer.

 

But that wouldn't be a private email from Yahoo or Earthlink, that was different than the Internet provider's email address....

 

Make sense at all?...I teach beginner computer lessons, that is why I am so stumped at how a email from Yahoo to an Earthlink address ended up on a AOL address of the computer that was being used to send emails back and forth.

 

Julie Ann (I was using my middle name as my ID and forgot and wrote my first name.)

 

 

Welcome to the forums Julie/Annie2005,

  Either you accidentally sent it to the wrong address or once it was delivered it was improperly made available to her.

 

  You mention Outlook Express(OE).  Does your boyfriend/his sister use OE?  If they use the same computer it may be in an OE file that she could access.  Also, if he has his Earthlink password memorized in a password manager feature of Windows then she could get in without needing to know the password. 

 

  Also, if he sends something to you and her and you accidentally hit "Reply All" then it will go to him and her.  Could this have happened?

 

  I would bet my life (which I don't do lightly) that Earthlink didn't just happen to send it to her account on AOL... what are the chances of them even knowing her username if they wanted to - she's not their customer.

 

  I'm sure you didn't email her so it's likely that either she's a little sharper than you think she is and found the file fragments or it's something like OE leaving the email in a folder they both can see.

 

  Now, if your email was through Totalchoice Hosting then our techs would be able to check headers for you to see what happened

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[annie2005]

I am so sorry, Madmanmcp...My comment did sound like I was being a smarty pants....I know just a tiny tiny amount compared to what you guys know and I appologize.

 

I want and need you all to figure this out.

 

I still haven't heard from Earthlink but like someone here said they will probably want more information and I am sure the emails have been deleted...I still have the sent one, but the only address on it is my boyfriends earthlink address.

 

Sincerely, Julie Anne

 

 

Following is something the EXPERT TECHNICIANS here failed to mention:

 

Sorry if my answers were not up to your expectations. But I never said I was an "expert", you did.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Madmanmcp]

Sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion Julie.

 

I imagine they do use Outlook Express on his sister's computer.

 

So, with this information we may have your answer.

 

Unless this computer had separate logons for him and her, and if the Outlook program was used by each one then all mail for both of them would be readable by both.

 

Outlook is a single Program with a single database (unless its setup for multiple users) and you can set it up to download mail for multiple accounts. BUT, all the mail for each account will end up in the same place and anyone using the program will see all the mail.

 

So what I imagine happening is your male friend went to his sisters computer and added his account to her Outlook and downloaded your email. His sister came back and opened outlook to check her mail and found HIS sitting in all of hers.

 

Now I would check her computer and make sure HIS account has been removed otherwise she may end up with more of his mail.

[Deverill]

I imagine they do use Outlook Express on his sister's computer.

He has Earthlink dial up on his own computer at his home but he is visiting his sister in FL and using her computer as well as his cousins sometimes...They both have AOL as their provider.

If he is using POP3 to get his Earthlink emails into Outlook Express on her computer then he has just basically given her access to any of his downloaded emails. When he reads the email it is downloaded into OE which is simply a file on her computer. At that point security basically goes out the window.

 

Even if he was using a web browser to read the email there are caches to be concerned with. Neither earthlink or AOL screwed up and nothing mystical happened... it's just that if you use my computer I can figure out what you did in most cases.

[TCH-Dick]

Can we see the header of the email he sent to you?

[annie2005]

I checked the full header ...the TO, only has my email address and the return path ONLY has his address.

 

I would not put the email header here because of privacy reasons.

What do you want me to look for in it?

 

It did NOT have his sister's AOL address.

 

I am going to print the email here, when he discovered my note in her email.

I need to go copy it to paste it here.

Be right back.

Julie

 

 

Can we see the header of the email he sent to you?

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[annie2005]

This is how Outlook Express works on MY computer.

 

I have an email account with the Internet Provider that I pay a monthly fee to, and with that account, I can check my email through outlook express...But ONLY with this email account, no others.

 

I even have a second email address through my provider and I cannot check it's email through outlook express.

 

If I am on a different computer, I cannot check my email through outlook express.

 

I asked my boyfriend if he went to the trouble to download his emails to outlook express and he said absolutlely not...Only twice has an email between us shown on other's emails...Once on his cousins computer (which he used to write me) and once on his sister's (wrote me from there also and retrieved my reply there)

 

I have many people use my computer with many different email addresses and none have ever shown on my outlook express except mine from my own Internet server....

 

If I send anything from the web or downloaded pictures, they go through my outlook express and would have my name that is on my billing.

 

By the way, here is the complicated procedure to be able to have outlook express on Yahoo...So NO, my boyfriend did not have his mail go to Outlook.

 

 

Outlook Express allows you to add a new email account to your existing profile. This means you do not have to replace your current settings in order to send and receive Yahoo! Mail messages. Here's how:

 

From the Tools menu, choose "Accounts."

Select the "Mail" tab.

Click the "Add" button.

From the Add menu, click "Mail."

In the text box labeled Display Name, type your name and click "Next."

In the Email Address box, type your Yahoo! Mail address (be sure to include "@yahoo.com") and click "Next."

Under "My incoming mail server is a..." select "POP3."

Type "pop.mail.yahoo.com" in the Incoming Mail (POP3, IMAP, or HTTP) Server box.

Type "smtp.mail.yahoo.com" in the Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server box.

Click "Next."

In the Account Name box, type your Yahoo! Mail ID (your email address without the "@yahoo.com").

In the Password box, type your Yahoo! Mail password.

If you want Outlook Express to remember your password, check the "Remember password" box.

Do not check the boxes labeled "Log on using Secure..."

Click "Next."

Click "Finish."

[annie2005]

A little background.

 

My boyfriend has been in Florida, at his sister's, since Jan. 1...coming back in April.

I had written him a 'very personal' note that basically said I will be anxious for his return and told him what I wanted him to do with his tongue on my body !!!!...along with a cutsie seductive ecard.

 

Now, keep in mind, everyone was standing around the computer, including his 13 year old niece....they were getting ready to go out for supper and a fun evening including kareoke.

 

Ok, here is his reply:

 

"Dear Sweetee...........some way or another.......one of your emails

got into my cousins email box......He told me, this email is for you.

Well my sis and niece were standing right there when it was opened

and it was not a nice scene....I would suggest

that our sexy messages be kept to a minimum.......I had a lot of questions to

answer.....and it was not a happy scene......also the ecard websites that come from other sites should probably be stopped.... I need to watch it here until April when I get back home...Miss you baby and love you and I know you understand.

.........x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0 from your guy."

[Madmanmcp]

I have an email account with the Internet Provider that I pay a monthly fee to, and with that account, I can check my email through outlook express...But ONLY with this email account, no others.

What controls your email is the POP3 protocol, if your ISP uses POP3 for your email then you can access your email from any other computer with any other type of Internet Connection (ISP), using any email program that also supports POP3. The instructions you gave for Yahoo are basically generic instructions to add an email account in Outlook Express...it can be used for other accounts.

 

For instance, I have created several email accounts for my domain hosted here at TCH, I also have an account at an ISP (Prodigy), an account on my Cable Company, and an account here at work. When I go on vacation and bring my laptop I have Outlook configured to download my mail from all these accounts. It ends up all together on one computer inter-mixed in Outlook.

 

I asked my boyfriend if he went to the trouble to download his emails to outlook express and he said absolutlely not...Only twice has an email between us shown on other's emails...Once on his cousins computer (which he used to write me) and once on his sister's (wrote me from there also and retrieved my reply there)

 

What email program did he use to read and send this email? It was done on his cousins computer so this would be the "how" it got on her computer for her to read. As we have said, the ISP can't send it to her, it had to be something the sender (you) or the receiver (him) has done.

 

I asked my boyfriend if he went to the trouble to download his emails to outlook express and he said absolutlely not...Only twice has an email between us shown on other's emails...Once on his cousins computer (which he used to write me) and once on his sister's (wrote me from there also and retrieved my reply there)

In both of these cases where someone else has gotten your email, HE was on that computer.

 

I have many people use my computer with many different email addresses and none have ever shown on my outlook express except mine from my own Internet server....

 

Yes, this can be easily explained. They did not use Outlook Express to check their mail. AOL has its own mail program and anyone can check their mail from any computer and no one else can see their email after they log out. There are also lots of web based programs that allow you to access your email from anywhere. TCH use Horde, Webmail to access mail...and no one else can see others email.

[annie2005]

We have written HUNDREDS of emails back and forth since he has been in Florida...some from his sister's computer and some from his cousin's computer.

 

WHY, IF HIS EMAIL IS GOING THROUGH OUTLOOK, WOULD ONLY TWO OF OUR EMAILS SHOW UP IN THEIR ACCOUNT?

[Madmanmcp]

We have written HUNDREDS of emails back and forth since he has been in Florida...some from his sister's computer and some from his cousin's computer.

 

WHY, IF HIS EMAIL IS GOING THROUGH OUTLOOK, WOULD ONLY TWO OF OUR EMAILS SHOW UP IN THEIR ACCOUNT?

 

Without direct access to the computers or the persons involved there is not much more I can tell you. The common factor here is him, he was at each computer so something he did cause those two emails to be in the wrong email program.

 

When you are at a computer other then your own, you need to be careful with sensitive material such as email. There are ways to recover or uncover data leftover on a computer. There are also ways to leave it behind accidently for others to easily read.

[Dark]

Bottom line is an e-mail will NOT magically appear in someones inbox unless you specifically mailed it to them. You must've accidentally sent the message to her inbox as well.

[annie2005]

Nope, 'Dark', the email was NOT sent to her.

I do NOT have her email address plus in the header it only has his address in the sent area.

 

The only explanation that makes sense to me, is when the ecard was clicked on, it diverted to her email box as a spam. (Both times this happened, there was an ecard site to click on involved.)

 

Bottom line is an e-mail will NOT magically appear in someones inbox unless you specifically mailed it to them. You must've accidentally sent the message to her inbox as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[TCH-Rick]

Without being able to see the headers of the emails and the settings on the individual computers there is little we can do here but make guesses. It would not be wise to post that information here. If this were a problem with an account we host we would have referred you to the Help Desk where private information can be provided. In this case, you will need to contact Tech Support at AOL and/or Earthlink and allow them to have a look as they would have access to the information needed.

 

I am closing this thread.