AOL Mail hacked, dont open that iffy-looking email you got from an AOL account
However, this isnt your run-of-the-mill case of hackers taking control of peoples accounts and using them for nefarious purposes. The cyber criminals are employing a method called spoofing to fool people into opening these messages.
Heres how AOL describes spoofing, according to this official blog post
"Spoofing is when a spammer sends out emails using your email address in the From: field. The idea is to make it seem like the message is from you – in order to trick people into opening it."
AOL also says that the messages dont come from AOL, and do not make contact with AOL Mails system, and are merely manipulated to make it seem like that to the recipient of the message.
Fortunately, there are a few ways to tell whether youre the target of a spoofing attempt. If you get any "mailer-daemon" error messages that dont match up with any emails youve sent out, that could be a sign that youre a target. You only get such messages if you attempt to send an email to an account that doesnt exist or is no longer active. Also, if you get emails from accounts which also indicate that you sent them messages you didnt write, you might be a target of spoofing.
To combat this threat, AOL recommends that you change your password, but considering that spoofing doesnt necessarily mean your account is compromised, were not sure how doing so would help here. Overall, if youre Eagle-eyed, and follow the above tips youll likely be able to avoid any spoofing-related headaches.