I've recently noticed a Windows Live Messenger hijacking trend. Some contacts, specifically the ones who tend not to sign in as often, randomly come online, throw in a spam message with link, and go offline. As I mentioned, the hijackers tend to target the contacts most often online. I am also getting some vulgar usernames sending me likewise vulgar links. Obviously you wouldn't want to open op the links, and especially not enter your Messenger username and password, one of the links directs you to a website asking for your Messenger account (yes, I did open the link :/). How many other people are having this problem, and what are some ways you can combat it?

The poll questions options are: Yes, I am getting spam from messenger, or am sending spam, and No, I am not sending or receiving spam via messenger.

Heh, someone I rarely talk to that pops online somewhat frequently uses an alias (Mike, for the record). About once a week (give or take) he signs on and sends me a spam message about acai berry pills, and his alias is stripped away with his email address showing instead (default for MSN I believe, correct?). So annoying. I've tried to inform him of the situation, but have had no luck.

At least 5 people on my contact are doing that, and honestly some of these things are so obvious, i have no idea why people click on them and get infected...

Most of the infected are people whom i rarely talk to and i know have little to no knowledge about computers and perhaps digital security... >.>

At least i'm logging in my msn using Gmail so when it sends those fake links, even through email that you have to log in to hotmail or what not, i can instantly tell its fake heh.

Ditched hotmail a long time ago. That web mail service? is just spam bait. As i know you can't inform them, it blocks incoming but leaves outgoing open perhaps? Best you can do is block them...

Amusing story though, my OLD hotmail account got hacked into and used for this purpose. I saw myself log into my own old account and start sending mail out, so i went and killed my Hotmail account. Not sure how that happened since i haven't used my hotmail in over 4-5 years but yeah, somehow they managed to grab passwords for the account....

Seems to be a recent trend, and I think it is effecting many more people now.

in my opinion, people who sends these virus links when offline is most likely to be already infected by those viruses.=o

Yes, my friend mentioned he got a virus infection and then the spam started, though I doubt the spam from strange usernames is from a virus.

Yes, only those who are infected send those spam messages and appear offline when you go to reply.

I do not use instant messengers. They can be viri conduits.