email virus WhatsApp - sending itself to all in my address book

I did

And you are 100% in lala land.

And as you seem to know what caused it, you will be able to fix it. Good luck.

James Mitchell1 wrote:

let me rephrase that for you

No need, it was nonsense before, I don't need it rephrased.

Let me try to explain email to you. You have created a Google Gmail account. Google then stores your account on their server. Whenever you check your email in your web browser, or in an application like Thunderbird, those are email clients, merely accessing data from that server. If anyone, from anywhere in the world, accesses your account, such as to send an email, those emails will be stored in the Sent folder. Any client, such as Thunderbird, accessing the server, will find that message in the sent folder when it searches for new messages.

Unless the fairies intervene 😝

That seems to be the case.

I think some people here just want some help and getting all 'shirty' and sarcastically lauding superior knowledge around doesn't get anyone anywhere.
Could it be that when this link is clicked in the email that the iPad is compromised and sends password details out?

Since an Apple ID can't have a primary email address belonging to a domain owned by Apple (as I understand it) then a lot of people like me will have a Gmail primary address.
Indeed it looks like the problem rests with Gmail but I certainly did not disclose my Gmail password at any time yet this email has got sent to lots of people (using my Gmail and not leaving any evidence in any sent folder) that have hitherto only received emails from me (and who are not listed contacts) on my iCloud account.

Yes, that is a possibility. Many phishing attempts will ask you to enter personal information, such as your email address and password. They make it look nearly identical to a different, legitimate website, so people will think they are on that site, and enter their password. Then the scammers have access to it, and use it to send out more scams to others.

But I didn't enter anything anywhere so the details must have been gained surreptitiously and completely without my knowledge.
This is what is scary and I'm not a complete idiot having been a programmer and having used Macs since 1986.

Then it was probably a lucky guess or brute force attempt as I mentioned earlier.

Sorry but I know a little bit more about email servers than you do. Been doing this since before you were born.

the sent mail folder was only checked to see who the emails went to.

you are talking in circles. please quit. you must be getting dizzy

adbase wrote:

Since an Apple ID can't have a primary email address belonging to a domain owned by Apple (as I understand it) then a lot of people like me will have a Gmail primary address.

My Apple ID is my Apple domain email address.

James Mitchell1 wrote:

Sorry but I know a little bit more about email servers than you do. Been doing this since before you were born.

And yet you know so little, quite a feat really.

So now you purport to know how old I am... more unfounded claims. You are trolling in circles, saying that people are wrong without explaining why you think that is.

Despite the fact that many people have had the same thing happen? Despite the fact that some of us have been doing this since before you were born you continue to ape the Apple line.

To bad Apple does not have an ignore user button so I could just plug your name in and never hear from you again.

Your name does say it all though.

He is an 'expert' no need to tell him anything, even your age, he knows everything, wonder why he bothered coming here.