Virus - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Virus

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Apr 13, 2006 10:18:52 I got a virus in e-mail from a "Shawn". Thinking it was Shawn Stanley I opened the e-mail. But sending address is [email]184penn@correo1.com[/email], so beware: if you recieve an e-mail from a generic shawn, it is a dangerous one!

Luckly, my anti-virus blocked it just in time, but I suggest you to pay attention.
Of course, it is totally random that I know a Shawn, and Stanley in not implicated in any way.
#2
zombiegleemax
Apr 13, 2006 11:07:33 What you receive private messages from Shawn Stanley ! I'm jealous
#3
maddog
Apr 13, 2006 12:04:24
What you receive private messages from Shawn Stanley ! I'm jealous

You should be! Shawn emailed me the other day and told me that he had $23 million he had to get out of the country but needed my bank account to do it. :D

--Ray.
#4
thorf
Apr 13, 2006 12:16:28
I got a virus in e-mail from a "Shawn". Thinking it was Shawn Stanley I opened the e-mail. But sending address is [email]184penn@correo1.com[/email], so beware: if you recieve an e-mail from a generic shawn, it is a dangerous one!

Luckly, my anti-virus blocked it just in time, but I suggest you to pay attention.
Of course, it is totally random that I know a Shawn, and Stanley in not implicated in any way.

This is one of the tricks they've been using recently to get you to open spam/virus/junk e-mails: they put a common first name as the author, hoping that you know someone with that name and are tricked.

It's quite a pain because of course you are reluctant to delete an e-mail which may be from your friend without checking it first.

On the other hand, you can get round any potential problems by:

Turn off HTML mail support.
If you use a program like Outlook, turn off the "Preview pane" option; this lets you only open e-mails you choose to.
Don't open any mail, image, video, audio or text attachments unless you are sure they are from someone you know.
Don't open any program attachments ever, even if you know who it's from. They could be infected with a virus without knowing it.
Make sure you have an up-to-date anti-virus program running.

Did I miss anything out?
#5
kheldren
Apr 14, 2006 2:23:48 It's also worth setting your email client not to load images - that way you are not confirming the existence of your email address back to the sender...
#6
stanles
Apr 14, 2006 14:42:45
What you receive private messages from Shawn Stanley ! I'm jealous

yeah, I never get any emails from Shawn either
#7
stanles
Apr 14, 2006 14:43:23
This is one of the tricks they've been using recently to get you to open spam/virus/junk e-mails: they put a common first name as the author, hoping that you know someone with that name and are tricked.

It's quite a pain because of course you are reluctant to delete an e-mail which may be from your friend without checking it first.

On the other hand, you can get round any potential problems by:

Turn off HTML mail support.
If you use a program like Outlook, turn off the "Preview pane" option; this lets you only open e-mails you choose to.
Don't open any mail, image, video, audio or text attachments unless you are sure they are from someone you know.
Don't open any program attachments ever, even if you know who it's from. They could be infected with a virus without knowing it.
Make sure you have an up-to-date anti-virus program running.

Did I miss anything out?

... don't use outlook?
#8
rhialto
Apr 15, 2006 2:59:43 Use Mozilla Thunderbird. It has heuristic anti-spam detection algorithms, and because it isn't integrated into the OS like OE is, most of those vulnerabilities simply don't exist to be exploited.
#9
twin_campaigns
Apr 16, 2006 5:00:20 If I remember correctly, there was a host of viruses going around a year ago that hijacked a lot of address books, and thus sent viruses from seemingly genuine addresses to people who actually know that address.
(The sender address was faked, and if you didn't know what to look for it was indistinguishable from a real mail.)

That was a bad time for people who didn't have a lot of experience with
such issues... then again, I began suspecting something when my old linguistics professor began sending be enlargement suggestions.

But to get back to the issue at hand: I remember getting fake mails from people on MML too then. However, there was no point in telling those 100+ people whose addresses I found used, since they couldn't do anything about it. (If one person's address book was hijacked, all the addresses in it could of course be used.)
#10
Hugin
Apr 16, 2006 15:36:35
If I remember correctly, there was a host of viruses going around a year ago that hijacked a lot of address books, and thus sent viruses from seemingly genuine addresses to people who actually know that address.
(The sender address was faked, and if you didn't know what to look for it was indistinguishable from a real mail.)

That happened to me. I think it was a least two years ago or so. It was right around the time I joined the MML. The stupid thing about it was that just as I opened the email I had this funny feeling that it was a virus. I hate being right sometimes.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Apr 13, 2006 10:18:52	I got a virus in e-mail from a "Shawn". Thinking it was Shawn Stanley I opened the e-mail. But sending address is [email]184penn@correo1.com[/email], so beware: if you recieve an e-mail from a generic shawn, it is a dangerous one! Luckly, my anti-virus blocked it just in time, but I suggest you to pay attention. Of course, it is totally random that I know a Shawn, and Stanley in not implicated in any way.
#2 zombiegleemax Apr 13, 2006 11:07:33	What you receive private messages from Shawn Stanley ! I'm jealous
#3 maddog Apr 13, 2006 12:04:24	What you receive private messages from Shawn Stanley ! I'm jealous You should be! Shawn emailed me the other day and told me that he had $23 million he had to get out of the country but needed my bank account to do it. :D --Ray.
#4 thorf Apr 13, 2006 12:16:28	I got a virus in e-mail from a "Shawn". Thinking it was Shawn Stanley I opened the e-mail. But sending address is [email]184penn@correo1.com[/email], so beware: if you recieve an e-mail from a generic shawn, it is a dangerous one! Luckly, my anti-virus blocked it just in time, but I suggest you to pay attention. Of course, it is totally random that I know a Shawn, and Stanley in not implicated in any way. This is one of the tricks they've been using recently to get you to open spam/virus/junk e-mails: they put a common first name as the author, hoping that you know someone with that name and are tricked. It's quite a pain because of course you are reluctant to delete an e-mail which may be from your friend without checking it first. On the other hand, you can get round any potential problems by: Turn off HTML mail support. If you use a program like Outlook, turn off the "Preview pane" option; this lets you only open e-mails you choose to. Don't open any mail, image, video, audio or text attachments unless you are sure they are from someone you know. Don't open any program attachments ever, even if you know who it's from. They could be infected with a virus without knowing it. Make sure you have an up-to-date anti-virus program running. Did I miss anything out?
#5 kheldren Apr 14, 2006 2:23:48	It's also worth setting your email client not to load images - that way you are not confirming the existence of your email address back to the sender...
#6 stanles Apr 14, 2006 14:42:45	What you receive private messages from Shawn Stanley ! I'm jealous yeah, I never get any emails from Shawn either
#7 stanles Apr 14, 2006 14:43:23	This is one of the tricks they've been using recently to get you to open spam/virus/junk e-mails: they put a common first name as the author, hoping that you know someone with that name and are tricked. It's quite a pain because of course you are reluctant to delete an e-mail which may be from your friend without checking it first. On the other hand, you can get round any potential problems by: Turn off HTML mail support. If you use a program like Outlook, turn off the "Preview pane" option; this lets you only open e-mails you choose to. Don't open any mail, image, video, audio or text attachments unless you are sure they are from someone you know. Don't open any program attachments ever, even if you know who it's from. They could be infected with a virus without knowing it. Make sure you have an up-to-date anti-virus program running. Did I miss anything out? ... don't use outlook?
#8 rhialto Apr 15, 2006 2:59:43	Use Mozilla Thunderbird. It has heuristic anti-spam detection algorithms, and because it isn't integrated into the OS like OE is, most of those vulnerabilities simply don't exist to be exploited.
#9 twin_campaigns Apr 16, 2006 5:00:20	If I remember correctly, there was a host of viruses going around a year ago that hijacked a lot of address books, and thus sent viruses from seemingly genuine addresses to people who actually know that address. (The sender address was faked, and if you didn't know what to look for it was indistinguishable from a real mail.) That was a bad time for people who didn't have a lot of experience with such issues... then again, I began suspecting something when my old linguistics professor began sending be enlargement suggestions. But to get back to the issue at hand: I remember getting fake mails from people on MML too then. However, there was no point in telling those 100+ people whose addresses I found used, since they couldn't do anything about it. (If one person's address book was hijacked, all the addresses in it could of course be used.)
#10 Hugin Apr 16, 2006 15:36:35	If I remember correctly, there was a host of viruses going around a year ago that hijacked a lot of address books, and thus sent viruses from seemingly genuine addresses to people who actually know that address. (The sender address was faked, and if you didn't know what to look for it was indistinguishable from a real mail.) That happened to me. I think it was a least two years ago or so. It was right around the time I joined the MML. The stupid thing about it was that just as I opened the email I had this funny feeling that it was a virus. I hate being right sometimes.