vpFREE2 Forums

virus in personal email

I did get an infected email yesterday but Norton Anti-Virus detected it and
quarantined it. I then deleted it without opening anything.

···

[Original Message]
From: Bill Velek <billvelek@alltel.net>
To: <vpFREE@yahoogroups.com>
Date: 12/7/2003 9:39:10 PM
Subject: Re: [vpFREE] virus in personal email

bool9898 wrote:

> did anyone else in this group get personal email from this address:
>
> WFFaust@ aadvantage.info.aa.com - the attachment had a virus. the
> message was about vp in vegas and had some personal items about
> where to meet for dinner, etc. but no names and no greetings -
> beginning or end. here is the message:

snip

I don't know about anyone else, but I never received it. I checked my
folder where I keep current posts I am following, as well as the trash
can for my e-mail (which I hadn't emptied since 11/9 (judging from the
discarded posts that are still in it), and I can't find anything from
that address. I assume that this was sent directly to you rather than
through the VPFree group; it if had been sent via VPFree, I should have
received a copy.

Unless the abilities of new viruses has increased yet again, it appears
to me that you were very likely deliberately targeted with that virus.
What I mean about 'abilities' is that, once a computer is infected,
viruses can currently mail copies of infected files to addresses listed
in the infected computer's address book without the knowledge of the
owner, and the viruses also have the ability to add seemingly innocent
subject lines ... even varying them to some degree. But I've never
heard of a virus that could, for instance, analyze your mail-folders and
then create a fictitious message that would have content of a similar
nature to your folders in order to give it the appearance of a bona fide
message and otherwise make it seem interesting enough to cause you to
open the attachment That's a very scary prospect

But assuming that they still can't do that, there are two
possibilities: first, and the easiest and most likely, is that someone
deliberately targeted you (and possibly other folks, as well); the
second is that it was a legitimate message which just happened to
contain a virus because the sender was unaware that his computer is
infected (this is most unlikely if you do not know the send and the
message actually makes no sense to you, especially considering that
there doesn't appear to be any other reason for the attachment than to
spread the virus.

Sorry to hear about your problem.

Bill Velek

vpFREE Links: http://www.west-point.org/users/usma1955/20228/VP/Links.htm

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

that same thing happend to me ,norton caught it

···

----- Original Message -----
  From: Howard Stern
  To: vpFREE@yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Monday, December 08, 2003 7:10 AM
  Subject: Re: [vpFREE] virus in personal email

  I did get an infected email yesterday but Norton Anti-Virus detected it and
  quarantined it. I then deleted it without opening anything.

  > [Original Message]
  > From: Bill Velek <billvelek@alltel.net>
  > To: <vpFREE@yahoogroups.com>
  > Date: 12/7/2003 9:39:10 PM
  > Subject: Re: [vpFREE] virus in personal email
  >
  > bool9898 wrote:
  >
  > > did anyone else in this group get personal email from this address:
  > >
  > > WFFaust@ aadvantage.info.aa.com - the attachment had a virus. the
  > > message was about vp in vegas and had some personal items about
  > > where to meet for dinner, etc. but no names and no greetings -
  > > beginning or end. here is the message:
  >
  > snip
  >
  > I don't know about anyone else, but I never received it. I checked my
  > folder where I keep current posts I am following, as well as the trash
  > can for my e-mail (which I hadn't emptied since 11/9 (judging from the
  > discarded posts that are still in it), and I can't find anything from
  > that address. I assume that this was sent directly to you rather than
  > through the VPFree group; it if had been sent via VPFree, I should have
  > received a copy.
  >
  > Unless the abilities of new viruses has increased yet again, it appears
  > to me that you were very likely deliberately targeted with that virus.
  > What I mean about 'abilities' is that, once a computer is infected,
  > viruses can currently mail copies of infected files to addresses listed
  > in the infected computer's address book without the knowledge of the
  > owner, and the viruses also have the ability to add seemingly innocent
  > subject lines ... even varying them to some degree. But I've never
  > heard of a virus that could, for instance, analyze your mail-folders and
  > then create a fictitious message that would have content of a similar
  > nature to your folders in order to give it the appearance of a bona fide
  > message and otherwise make it seem interesting enough to cause you to
  > open the attachment That's a very scary prospect
  >
  > But assuming that they still can't do that, there are two
  > possibilities: first, and the easiest and most likely, is that someone
  > deliberately targeted you (and possibly other folks, as well); the
  > second is that it was a legitimate message which just happened to
  > contain a virus because the sender was unaware that his computer is
  > infected (this is most unlikely if you do not know the send and the
  > message actually makes no sense to you, especially considering that
  > there doesn't appear to be any other reason for the attachment than to
  > spread the virus.
  >
  > Sorry to hear about your problem.
  >
  > Bill Velek
  >
  >
  >
  >
  > vpFREE Links: http://www.west-point.org/users/usma1955/20228/VP/Links.htm
  >
  >
  > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
  >

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