Email accounts under attack

 I have been getting emails from a friend and knew it was spam so I ignored it.  Today, I realized that the same spammer got hold of my email information and is sending out emails to all of my friends.  '

Emails may read Excelent drugstore! Try it! (email)

or...

Hello friend,

Everything goes well. I buy a handbag and a pairs of Nike shoes from website (link) 5 days ago and got it today.  It is really very nice and so fast. The price is also very best .They are almost the same with the original ones. Any assistance on prices or other problems you can free to them ! The payment way via paypal, the safe for us.

I did not click on any links but my email was still violated. 

I changed my password, but the damage was probably already done.  They farmed my account for email addresses and are using my email address to cover their fraudulent address.  Fortunately, this is my Spam/Phish email.  It is the email I put in forms so all the junk mail does not go to my real account... I used it actively in the past, which is the only reason they were able to get me friends' names. 

To let my friends know not to open such emails, I sent emails out to all of my friends saying don't open emails from this address, plus I set a 3 month vacation response to the email account in question explaining that the account has been hit by a spammer. 

If you have had this happen to you, change your password and consider changing your email account and setting an auto vacation responder on the account.

~Feel free to comment on your own phish experiences and add links to related sites in the comment section www.smellphishy.com