An email has been sent from my account, but I didn't send it.

limegorilla · December 18, 2018

So here is the thing. I am anal about security - or have been for the last year and a half. My email account (a Gmail one by the way) - since its creation - has been under 2FA - LastPass Authenticatior. No one has access but me. I sign out of everywhere. So, I was surprised to open my inbox up today to see a scam email. Not the nature of the email, but it's contents. Because, according to this email, I have sent this scammer an email last year. So I thought, Ok, this is just a slightly clever scammer trying too fool me. But if I go into my sent folder, sure enough, last year on the 2nd of October I sent him an email.

Now it is obviously fake, although I have locked down all my accounts, reset 2FA, and all passwords. I did not send this, and I know every security system has holes, but according to My Account page on Google, there is no other device connected to my account that is unusual, and all of them are here with me now. They all require a password and a usb key fob for access - something that is around my neck. I do go to school so it is entirely possible that someone could have has access to my computer, but I doubt it as it is with me. The email is obviously not written by me, for one, I have a cousin called Chris and funnily enough, call him Chris. Other than that, the email does not include my usual signature and signs off with 'LG' a shortened version of my username, LimeGorilla, rather than my actual name, which would have been LD. There is no app that has e-Mail access, other than Edison, which I have only just started using. So, my question is, is it possible to send an email to someone and make it seem as if they have already sent you an email? I have included it below if you wish to see it. I have blanked out some parts for obvious reasons.

Quote

Hello friend , is end of the year now i have not hear from you. please get back to me with the way out on your transaction waiting for your quick response

Sent: Monday, October 02, 2017 at 10:11 PM
From: "Liam Doyle" <**********@gmail.com>
To: directivecenter@diplomats.com
Subject: Chris

Hey guys!

Crrissy told be to contact you regarding the assignment. He is being waaaaaaayyy too tight lipped about it.

Anyway, what do you need?

LG

Mira Yurizaki · December 18, 2018

It's pretty easy to spoof the sender of the email to yourself once you know how to talk to the SMTP servers. You don't even need the actual credentials of the person you want to send the mail to. It's basically like sending a letter to someone with the recipient's address as the return address.

I did this as a prank to my friends back in college.

Edited December 18, 2018 by M.Yurizaki

Fasauceome · December 18, 2018

Did you leave your PC open and someone came and used it without realizing your email was signed in instead of theirs?

That or carbon monoxide poisoning, make sure you're not forgetting things you've done.

limegorilla · December 18, 2018

7 minutes ago, M.Yurizaki said:

It's pretty easy to spoof the sender of the email to yourself once you know how to talk to the SMTP servers. You don't even need the actual credentials of the person you want to send the mail to. It's basically like sending a letter to someone with the recipient's address as the return address.

I did this as a prank to my friends back in college.

Brilliant thanks. Crisis over lol

6 minutes ago, fasauceome said:

Did you leave your PC open and someone came and used it without realizing your email was signed in instead of theirs?

That or carbon monoxide poisoning, make sure you're not forgetting things you've done.

I have a Bluetooth dongle which locks my computer if I am more than 5m away from it, which is also around my neck, so possible but unlikely

As far as forgetting things, I can't remember what I had for breakfast to be honest soooo