# Why is there another name already signed in to Google and its subsites when I 'get there'?. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 21, 2010, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406 "2010-11-21T03:43:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/1 "2010-11-21T03:43:07Z")
I am the only person to use my computer. Yet, when I go to any of the Google sites like Google Maps, it’s already been signed in _by someone/something else_. In fact, the name of whoever or whatever is already signed in is usually the same each time and is, “instantdeath@live.ca” (with the apparently appropriate password also already in place). Does anyone else experience anything like this? What is the significance if any? (Not that there’s ever been a hint of any monkey business going on, mind you.) ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/2 "2010-11-21T04:00:13Z")
I would suggest that you clear out your cookies. Is it really the case that _no-one_ else _ever_ uses your computer? It would only have taken a few seconds for someone to sign in to Google and leave a cookie on your machine. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/3 "2010-11-21T04:27:43Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > I would suggest that you clear out your cookies. > > Is it really the case that _no-one_ else _ever_ uses your computer? It would only have taken a few seconds for someone to sign in to Google and leave a cookie on your machine. Nope, no one. I live alone and my machine locks after 2 minutes of inactivity in any case. Still, I suppose anything is possible. What confuses me even more, though, is that I, of course, log out that name if/when I see it and then immediately log in under my own email and password. Yet, the strange(r’s) name is often there, already logged in, the next time I use my computer. So, even if someone _once_ signed in ‘when I wasn’t looking’, they’d have to then do it repeatedly. Bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/4 "2010-11-21T04:31:45Z")
I would guess malicious software, but it seems weird to leave such an obvious trail behind like that. I mean, I could see your machine being remotely controlled as part of a botnet, but not for using Google. ---
**Author:** ![andrewm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@andrewm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewm)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/5 "2010-11-21T13:27:58Z")
Could be a malfunctioning caching system at your ISP. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/6 "2010-11-21T13:41:17Z")
1. When you log in to Gmail, scroll to the bottom of your inbox screen and have a look at “Last account activity” - is there a different IP address to yours? 2. If you find you’re already logged in by this instantdeath thing, what happens if you go straight to the [mail.google.com](http://mail.google.com) without logging out? Do you get access to someone else’s email? If so, does the mail look like a scammer? It’s a bit weird that a Google account would coincide with a live.ca (Microsoft) identity. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/7 "2010-11-21T14:13:41Z")
Is your internet connection wired or WiFi? If it is WiFi, is it configured with WPA and a password? ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/8 "2010-11-21T20:03:31Z")
I really appreciate everybody’s input. And, of course, now that I’ve announced this ‘mystery’, it’s not happening to me. Still, unless this is some mighty coincidence of resolution, it will occur again. It always has before. Always. When it does, I will check the things you’ve suggested. In the meantime, I’ll note that my connection is via WiFi but it’s protected. Not that I know anything about this type of stuff, but perhaps along the lines of what **andrewm** said, I wondered whether, if my access to my ISP is via a proxy server (they’ve done they in the past), then what I’m seeing might simply be the proxy’s log-in. Is that even possible? ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/9 "2010-11-21T20:13:27Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > In the meantime, I’ll note that my connection is via WiFi but it’s protected. WEP or WPA? WEP is much less secure. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/10 "2010-11-21T20:15:51Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > WEP or WPA? I don’t have a clue. Is there a quick way for me to figure it out? ETA: I use a Mac ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/11 "2010-11-21T20:28:27Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Not that I know anything about this type of stuff, but perhaps along the lines of what **andrewm** said, I wondered whether, if my access to my ISP is via a proxy server (they’ve done they in the past), then what I’m seeing might simply be the proxy’s log-in. Is that even possible? ISPs use caching, when for example, hundreds of customers go to [cnn.com](http://cnn.com) during the same minute. They can fetch the content once and serve it to hundreds of customers. If the problem is occurring with Gmail, then it is not related to ISP caching because Gmail uses SSL encryption – http **s** ://mail.google.com. ISPs normally give you direct access to the internet rather than using proxy servers. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/12 "2010-11-21T20:30:27Z")
> [@andrewm](#): > > Could be a malfunctioning caching system at your ISP. Yes, I’d be inclined to suspect a poorly behaved proxy if it happens regularly after clearing cookies. > [@](#): > > I wondered whether, if my access to my ISP is via a proxy server (they’ve done they in the past), then what I’m seeing might simply be the proxy’s log-in. Is that even possible? Yes, possible. A properly implemented proxy definitely should not do that, but your ISP may have messed something up. You say your connection is wifi; do you mean that the ISP is a wireless one? A wireless provider is more likely to use proxies, and thus more vulnerable to this sort of screwup. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/13 "2010-11-21T20:37:50Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > I don’t have a clue. > Is there a quick way for me to figure it out? > > ETA: I use a Mac I’m a Windows guy but this should help: [http://blog.secure-my-wireless.com/2008/03/how-to-secure-wifi-router-for-best.html](http://blog.secure-my-wireless.com/2008/03/how-to-secure-wifi-router-for-best.html) ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/14 "2010-11-21T20:41:20Z")
I just had an obvious idea :smack: I sent an e-mail to the address I keep finding already logged in. We’ll see what happens. ETA: Thanks for that **AnalogSignal**! Your post came in while I was typing my response. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/15 "2010-11-21T20:52:19Z")
That address “instantdeath” would seem to fit with the idea that something malicious is going on. It seems like something bad must be going on here. Either some sort of mailicious bot running on your machine and logging in, or someone remotely controlling your machine. I Googled instantdeath@live.ca to see if anyone else has been complaining about the same thing but the only thing that comes up is this thread. The next time you see this, maybe you should go to live.ca and see if your machine is logged in there. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/16 "2010-11-21T20:57:04Z")
You’re apparently not the only one experiencing something like this. [http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/gmail/thread?tid=21b34f447bfef33a&hl=en](http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/gmail/thread?tid=21b34f447bfef33a&hl=en) ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/17 "2010-11-21T20:58:36Z")
I may have misunderstood what you meant by having my internet access through WiFi (I told you, I really am an ignoramus about these things). What I do know is that I use a wireless internet connection via a router with the router connected to the cable ‘outlet’ in the wall. Is that WiFi, I’m embarrassed to ask. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/18 "2010-11-21T21:00:15Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > You’re apparently not the only one experiencing something like this. > > [http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/gmail/thread?tid=21b34f447bfef33a&hl=en](http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/gmail/thread?tid=21b34f447bfef33a&hl=en) Wow! Deja vu. It sounds just like my problem. And, I too use Firefox. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/19 "2010-11-21T21:04:56Z")
[This](http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/gmail/thread?tid=0e9715e78284ec79&hl=en) Google support thread may be of more help. > [@Google Support](#): > > Our conclusion is unfortunately that you have a virus on your computer… We saw strong evidence that the accounts you found yourself logged on to are being checked from a botnet… ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-another-name-already-signed-in-to-google-and-its-subsites-when-i-get-there/561406/20 "2010-11-21T21:40:06Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > I may have misunderstood what you meant by having my internet access through WiFi (I told you, I really am an ignoramus about these things). What I do know is that I use a wireless internet connection via a router with the router connected to the cable ‘outlet’ in the wall. Is that WiFi, I’m embarrassed to ask. Yes, that’s WiFi. No need to be embarrassed. With the other posts quoting Google support, I am quite certain that something malicious is happening. The posters talking about caching and proxies make no sense in my opinion. I think the first order of business should be running some kind of antivirus or spyware removal tool on your computer. Secondly, you should ensure your WiFi is secured following that I link I sent earlier.