Virus Alert

[Heide]

This is for real. I have been receiving some emails that have files attached to them from people on this website that didn't send them. Also my email has been used to send the same kind of mail which includes the virus. I don't know much about viruses but this one seems to mimic. It's time to change you passwords and get some help. The problem with viruses from what I have learned so far is that they keep changing so old software may not be able to fight it off. I also noticed getting email with no topic just a file. So, if you receive an email with a file attached from WreckGirl@AOL.COM please DO NOT download it.

Heide

[Oscar]

Hi all,

This thing has been sent to me several times.  The first time I tried to open the attachment because it said it came from Sebastian Andrew.

Happily, my Norton Anti-Virus software activated and quarantined the virus, so my computer wasn't infected.

By the way, this only costs about $30.00 per year. They update it constantly.

 Well worth it.

I have recieved this twice since that time.   I just delete the e-mails without opening them.

God bless,
Thomas Maddux

[retread]

Looking at the headers of the emails that I received from addresses on this bulletin board, all the strange ones come from mindspring/earthlink dialup.  In addition to having a faked "From" address on the most recent one (in this case from an AOL user), I also found a return path header that referenced terrybarbara@earthlink.net.  This may be faked as well but it is an earthlink address, so it is possible that it is the real source of the virus e-mails.  Does anyone recognize this address?  Perhaps a disgruntled assembly member , perhaps not.

[psalm51]

I also have received several emaiils that looked like they were from people on this BB.  I deleted them and blocked sender. BEWARE.

[Matt]

I get emails all the time from people on this board, but nothing has happened. How do we know what's safe and what's not? How do we know if we got a virus?Is it only unsafe if there is an attachment? I have not sent any emails to people except for:
Heather Fryling
Brent Tr0ckman
Nate Mathews
Luke Robinson
Paul Robinson
and I know a lot of others have written to me, and I promise to respond soon, but I won't attach anything. Thanks for the information.

[retread]

Looking at the headers of the emails that I received from addresses on this bulletin board, all the strange ones come from mindspring/earthlink dialup.  In addition to having a faked "From" address on the most recent one (in this case from an AOL user), I also found a return path header that referenced terrybarbara@earthlink.net.  This may be faked as well but it is an earthlink address, so it is possible that it is the real source of the virus e-mails.  Does anyone recognize this address?  Perhaps a disgruntled assembly member , perhaps not.

I just got another message with the terrybarbara@earthlink.net return path in the header.  This one claimed to be from yet another user of this bulletin board.  Each time this happens, it is from mindspring/earthlink dialup (so I doubt that it is from a virus that has infected the workings of this bulletin board).  I will be sending terrybarbara@earthlink.net a message asking if they know anything about this. (does anyone know who terrybarbara@earthlink.net is?)

[MGov]

I often delete emails from addresses I don't recognize for 2 reasons:
1.  It could be virus infected.
2.  It could be defiling or unprofitable.

I figure that if someone wants to send me a personal email, I probably already recognize their address, or they should have the courtesy to properly identify themselves.

MG

[brian]

i haven't gotten any virus-based emails from this board, except for a bit of klez trouble brent was having months ago. tom (or anyone) what is the virus? what is the name of the file that is attached? just so you all know, an email-transmitted virus can only be activated by clicking on and running the attached file that contains it. so NEVER click on attachments unless you are expecting them, know the person they are coming from and know exactly what they contain. and it is entirely possible that someone's (or by now several someones') computer is emailing the virus to everyone else without their knowledge, so i doubt it is anything that was started maliciously. an anti-virus program that updates itself frequently with the latest virus info is ESSENTIAL on any computer connected to anything. i am a norton user myself. i also use a software and hardware firewall so if anything on my computer tries to use the internet connection i am informed instantly, and it is automatically blocked unless i clear it. it has saved my bacon on a number of occasions.

[Heide]

I too have Norton and McAfee virus programs but neither one caught this. The file comes thru as either GATA.exe or Border.zip are so far the ones that I have rec'd. The funny thing is that the email addresses are from people on this board. One thing I did notice is that my name came thru on others email with a carrot> I went thru my programs and deleted everything that was assciated with those files. When I went to run them thru my antivirus programs it stalled the program. So be careful out there. Even if you know the person who is sending you an email, make sure they are sending the file. I fell into it because I knew the person who was sending it and didn't think it could be from anyone else then them. Also I changed my password for my AOL account so it can't send anything on its own.

Just be careful,

Heide