Susan G
Hi-
 
I've been with Comcast for years (not because I like them, but because there's really no other choice where I am.) 10 days ago or so I got an email saying, "Our records show that a secondary user on your Comcast account recently changed the email password on his/her account." I changed the password on my primary and secondary accounts and then still got some spam, which I ignored. I hadn't been bothered by spam for probably 15 years or more before that.
...

STOP!
 
You need to file a CONSUMER COMPLAINT FORM with your state to stop this. Once the AG of your state is aware of this, they will likely remove your name from their list. The BofA used to have their sub-accounts for Visa and the like, used to do this, and force you to pick up one of their "security" programs for some money.
 
These are internal scams, by Comcast, and the state needs to address this directly. It is being done in states where the security is lax, and the folks at City hall and at the Capitol are not smart enough to nail it down ... and in California, the state of mis-information to confuse politicians, none of whom know anything about computers!
 
A copy of the complaint needs to show up on the offices of your STATE REPRESENTATIVES, and the SENATORS for your state.
 
This is all I can help you with. Security is not exactly an issue, but the problem is on their side, not yours ... these spams are being added via their server, not your computer ... although if you are downloading all your messages, that is an issue ... they can blame you for it, even if it is not the case.

bluzdog
I hate Comcast. Customer service sucks and they price gouge on everything. I cut the cable and went with internet only. I told them I wanted internet only and to cancel cable and phone but they cancelled my whole account. That started an unfortunate chain of events that took days to resolve. I bought my own modem, router, Ooma box and media pc. Now I only pay Comcast for internet but I'm considering Century Link. The media PC solution is slick.
...

Comcast is not really the issue. You make it sound like no one else can do this, and several banks have been doing this to your credit card for years by adding charges, and then saying that you have to sign up for a security BS of some sort. I closed the account, and 3 years later they were trying to collect the yearly charge and that bill went straight to the AG office in the State of Washington ... and since they had a record of the fake transactions ... it was pretty clear they did not want to close down your card ... so they could rip you off even more.
 
The law allows for this. In my book the only solution is remove the politicians that are supporting those laws immediately. ****ing and moaning is not gonna help ... you have to fight fire with fire sometimes, and some banks, and Comcast, need to be put in their place. The FCC is not gonna give a damn, because one of the guys is from Comcast more than likely, and he will change the wording around, so people ... don't know nothing!
 
The law is the problem ... allowing people to intentionally cheat, and there is no security in these banks, or Comcast, to protect your account, unless they can rip you for it. That's robbery ... legal robbery!
 
 

Well I am a sort of conspiracy person. I don't think  conspiracy is a bad word. There really are conspiracies. 
I don't necessarily think that this is a conspiracy, but I would be careful in watching who is coming to you since anyone can claim to be from Comcast in order to get at your personal info.
 
If this is legit, I at least respect that they flagged something potentially bad. I don't think Comcast would be attempting to collect another fee and this makes me think it's someone else. It appears that someone created a problem and is now offering a solution...buyer beware.
 
My son works for Comcast. I could ask him if he knows anything about it. It doesn't really seem legit to me.

Hi,
 
On email "security".
 
In the old days, specially, most of the security was an issue on PEOPLE'S COMPUTERS, not on the local mail server that houses your emails until YOU download them.
 
There is something you can do here.
 
NEVER EVER NEVER EVER NEVER EVER (GOT IT?) DOWNLOAD the emails with Outlook Express or any other email utility. Why? ... you are bringing the trash onto your computer ... and this is what Comcast and all other providers want you to do ... so they have an excuse to sell you some security, because the Norton/McAfee or whatever, are not good enough to stop all this stuff, and when they do, they have a tendency to lock up your computer, and you have no idea what is going on! And get frustrated when your computer locks up ... with no notes from these "programs"!
 
What can you do about it?
 
You stop using Outlook Express and other utilities.
 
You go ONLINE, to their website and click on mail ... and read it there, etc, etc ...
 
There are issues here ... please note:
 
1. You can not "SAVE" these, as the Comcast utility intentionally breaks the emails up, so you won't be able to read them tomorrow. They save it as html jibberish that can not be recompiled and put together because the advertisements on the edges are no longer there tomorrow. This is intentional to punish you for your lack of knowledge and not downloading the stuff so you have to pay for their utilities!
 
2. Printing these is an issue half the time. I'm on a network inhouse (4 computers, sometimes 5) and every other day, it INTENTIONALLY will not "find" the printer. In one example, I had just gotten printed a couple of poems in the same computer. So you know this is NOT a computer or your "programs' issue at all! You have to find alternatives. Ex: I use the "Snipping Tool", and copy the content to Word or Write, and then print it. Or if you don't need the colors and the thrilling edges, just copy it to Notepad, add the date and information and (do this so you can file it and such).
 
3. TEST your print if you did an external (Write/Word/Notepad) before you delete the email.
 
4. DO NOT EVER save anything on the "server". This is always a good reason to have it removed and it get "lost". magically.
 
5. Pictures, you open, and then "Save As" (right click) on your computer. Same as Attachments, but you better make sure you KNOW what these are and where they come from. In other words, you open then (it will be on their server) and then you look, etc, etc, and decide what to do with it.
 
6. More details as needed but this is the "basics". Getting rid of an "email client" would be the first and most important part of the whole process. It will be hard to say that you have a spam problem, when everything is on their machine, not yours, and not likely that yours is causing the issue.
 
7. Lastly ... the email address on your details and the like, and website ... gotta write it in such a way so that bots have a really hard time chasing it ... in other words, showing the address directly is not a good idea. For example ... have a little flying bird and have people clicjk on the bird to bring up the email address or such.
I wrote this in a hurry and at work ... hope this helps.
==========================
 
Starise:
 
I work for a cable company, and I know a few internal things but selling an extra this and that is something that my company does not do. Comcast, has sent me this offer in the mail ... and continues to do so, at least once a week.
 
And now they want to cut down the streaming ... but they don't have soccer, like EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga ... and then think one game a week is glorious! And ... just so you know ... I have the MLS ticket, and paid for it so I could watch Galaxy games, and I can't watch Galaxy, Earthquakes, Timbers or Sounders's gam3es, all of them hacked and locked down by Comcast. This complaint is now at the State of Washington AG and at the FCC and another complaint is filed against MLS for false advertising, and I want my money back with penalties for interest and not attempting to address the issue. And in the end, Comcast, is the problem, not me ... I want the games ... but Comcast won't allow the feeds to come through.
 
The internet service is OK, but it has nasty hesitations in the evening, but around here the wiring is older than grandmamma, and my mom! And I'm almost 65! 

Sorry to hear about these problems Moshkito. I guess these companies are getting more aggressive. I almost never check my mail at comcast although I have a comcast account I have the mail server forward it and another account into my gmail account.
 
I have the phone/internet/cable with comcast and so far the only problems I had was the picture was slightly bigger than my 55" tv screen. As it turned out I had the setting wrong on my cable box. It took only 5 minutes to fix it. I am paying for the HD package which is a duplicate of most watched standard channels only in HD format. I really like the HD picture...but I think the number of channels advertised is a bit misleading since I have duplicates. All in all I would only save a small amount if I dropped phone and Cable. I would still need to keep the internet because it's the best around here compared to a phone company modem and I'm not really ahead if I go with the dish network. Verizon is the closest competitor and I don't think they are head and shoulders about comcast.
 
Where are you Moshkito? It seems that the comcast system there isn't as robust as it is where I live and I'm out in the sticks pretty much.
 
Maybe one solution would be to send the comcast mail to another server. 
 

Starise
...
Where are you Moshkito? It seems that the comcast system there isn't as robust as it is where I live and I'm out in the sticks pretty much.
...

Portland/Vancouver. The system here is old, the wires are looping on the poles, and they are not interested in moving things underground for better service. My neighborhood got sewer and some underground wires a year ago, so it's a matter of time before Comcast has to move the wiring, but I think they are milking the cow until it's dead before they spend a nickel if they have to. I doubt they will in my lifetime.
 
I'm OK with the internet service as is, I don't need/want the huge speeds, because they are not necessary if you have the bandwidth, so them telling you that better is coming, means that in 6 months it will cost more! My company did that once, and has not done so since, and instead make the other service available which has been successful.
 
Btw, check out the reasons why the Comcast/TW did not go forward ... Comcast would not provide assurances that they were not going to control the streaming ... where as Charter/TW apparently has provisos that they will allow streaming to continue as is. If this happens, I will be looking to move to a Charter/TW area ... so I can hopefully get better service. Comcast here, only gives us a kick in the butt, and 12 years working for cable, means, to them, that I'm just another jerk out there! A supervisor in Beaverton said it, btw! And it cost them ... when I filed the complaint with the State of WA Attorney General ... I met the lady in Vancouver that oversees the Cable contract ... and her words were ... I just love to see these! BOOM. PUNISH with heavy fine, and the next morning 3 techs were at my place and replaced all wiring ... most of which was 25 years old and cracked!

Hi-
 
I've cooled off a (little) bit, and to those who asked if I was sure I was talking to Comcast, I'm pretty sure I was, unless someone intercepted our call, since it was the same number I've always used for them. I received a few more spam emails, but none today. I use Agent as my email client (have for many, many, many years) and I routed the ones I received to the "junk" folder to train it, so maybe that's that.
 
I wouldn't have been as bothered about this if the rep had said something like "We offer a (paid) service to block spam..." or something similar, but this wasn't that. It was more like "Take step one, two, three," and then bam, next click was to sign up for their "service."
 
I use Comcast for Internet, TV and phone and as I said, there's really no alternative (for Internet, at least) out here in the sticks. I've considered dropping their phone service, but then they'd jack up the price for the others.
 
Thanks, all-
-Susan

Apparently Comcast is claiming that there was no security breach on their part, but that thousands of passwords for Comcast customers were just carelessly lost by those customers visits to evil websites. Hence they feel no obligation to mitigate their customers' losses.
 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/11/09/comcast-says-its-not-to-blame-after-200000-accounts-were-illegally-put-up-for-sale/
 
 
 
 
 

Hi
 

Susan G I wouldn't have been as bothered about this if the rep had said something like "We offer a (paid) service to block spam..." or something similar, but this wasn't that. It was more like "Take step one, two, three," and then bam, next click was to sign up for their "service." ...

 
It's a literal impossibility. The sheer amount of some of these is nearly 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 times the size of the mail server, and sometimes more. And many of the addresses have the dot one letter over and or a small number changed here or there, and the spoofing is so well done that it is nearly an impossibility to check and chase.
 
it can be done, eventually, but the time element in it is insane, and there are too many of them, and a lot of leads ends up in a dead end. Many of the folks that do these things are people that DO KNOW their code, and I can easily tell you that half the folks at most ISP's or Internet providers, are nowhere near the class and ability that some of these folks have.
 
My old roomate was/is a security and mail server specialist and then some ... and he deals with a million customer company, and the number of hits they take daily is beyond our capacity to imagine and understand.
The other issue is that you can not create "exclusions and lock out certain IP's or sites" ... why? In 24 hours you will have several thousands of these and your mail server will be so slow no one can get their mail.
On the good side of things, mail spam is slowing down these days and most of the time is spent on one's browser, which is more efficient, and does not get "checked" as much, or locked down as much!
 
One last thing ... no one, will "admit" an error or that something happened, unless a Dept of Justice, or bunch of judges nail you with the claims. At that point, it's damage control, but in general, I had a Supervisor one time tell me ... "where they gonna go? ... Let them quit!" ... and in the end, this is the real problem. The big issue is in smaller communities where there is not enough knowledge and ability to "escalate" these things ... but you'll notice that these things do not happen in the really big cities ... because the media will kill them and a large company could easily lose 100k or more customers over night ... and honestly? This needs to happen in order to wake the company up ... Comcast, in my book, for all the good things, is starting to get too big for their britches and need to get contained before it is too late!
 
Again, learn to do "webmail" (online) so you do not download anything. You should only download what you want, and nothing else. Again the harder details is saving stuff and even printing it, but there are workarounds if you want to spend a wee time on them. 

slartabartfast
Apparently Comcast is claiming that there was no security breach on their part, but that thousands of passwords for Comcast customers were just carelessly lost by those customers visits to evil websites. Hence they feel no obligation to mitigate their customers' losses.
 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/11/09/comcast-says-its-not-to-blame-after-200000-accounts-were-illegally-put-up-for-sale/
 

We just have to wait for the FCC to get involved. Hopefully, of course ...
 
I'm not sure that they are incorrect though ... all you have to do is email your friend, who has an infected computer, and that brings up enough information to get a few more hits done to catch you doing your email ... and track it. That makes it easy, because you already know the first part ... "friends" ... and that makes it easier to track and bust than an external email. You're already "inside" in the first place.
 
All in all, I would be concerned with a service that does not work harder to protect its services and customers, and one of these days, Comcast, or someone else, will lose 1 million customers in a week, and the following week, the president, the VP, 5 governors, and 10 administrative assistants will get fired! On that day, how much do you wanna bet that these folks will take this stuff more seriously?