That happened to me and all my guildmates nonstop for many months n end right after our guild master bought gold and boosts, then got banned, then we all started getting the spam. Possible that someone you know did something to cause this to happen, even if someone on your friends list did. Only happened to me just that once and back around Classic TBC times too.
Wow that’s sad. Sorry that happened to you. I was lured to a PK spot near the wilderness and lost my hard-won abysal whip.