Anyone else get a strange PM?

[Patrad Fischroy]

I was wondering how someone on a forum knew I had a virus on my PC. I was ready to be impressed. Alas...

Not only that Mark, but you have been looking a little pale lately. Perhaps you should get outside a littel more. Now hold your head a little closer to the monitor and say AHHH, I want ot check your tonsils...

[David]

Breeze,

Yes I got this PM from a Lady Administrator. I probably should have deleted it immediately. But I clicked the link first. Fortunately I have anti virus software that blocked what ever it was. Then I ran my virus scan (norton anti virus) and found no viruses. I then deleted the email. I pm'd Lady Administrator but never got a reply. Oddly, she seems to be no longer a member.

Very very fishy!

David

[Brad]

Breeze,

Yes I got this PM from a Lady Administrator. I probably should have deleted it immediately. But I clicked the link first. Fortunately I have anti virus software that blocked what ever it was. Then I ran my virus scan (norton anti virus) and found no viruses. I then deleted the email. I pm'd Lady Administrator but never got a reply. Oddly, she seems to be no longer a member.

Very very fishy!

David

Not much of a lady if she did not reply.

[paulgla]

As far as antivirus software is concered, your antivirus program is only as good as the definitions it has. It is imperitive you update the definitions at least once a week. The 'definitions' are the viruses the antivirus program is programmed to detect. So if your definitions are a month old (in many cases a year or two) and a new virus hits your machine you are NOT protected. Most antivirus programs have an automatic update feature and the definitions get updated in the background without you ever knowing it is happening but it is important to check from time to time. And keep in mind that your definitons could have been updated yesterday but if a new virus was written today, well,.....

My favorite example is the 'I love you' virus. About ten years ago some virus writer over seas sent out an e-mail titled "I love you". Someone opened it and it hit their system and sent that same e-mail to eveyrone in their address book. Within hours the virus shut down a good portion of the world. It did not do a huge amount of damage but it crippled servers with the repetitive e-mails as it attacked everyones address book. A day later the definitions existed and everyone with those definitions was protected. Bottom line....don't open it if you don't know who it is from and simply running a scan on it may not be the answer.

This is just viruses, we still need to contend with spyware.

[David]

As far as antivirus software is concered, your antivirus program is only as good as the definitions it has. It is imperitive you update the definitions at least once a week. The 'definitions' are the viruses the antivirus program is programmed to detect. So if your definitions are a month old (in many cases a year or two) and a new virus hits your machine you are NOT protected. Most antivirus programs have an automatic update feature and the definitions get updated in the background without you ever knowing it is happening but it is important to check from time to time. And keep in mind that your definitons could have been updated yesterday but if a new virus was written today, well,.....

My favorite example is the 'I love you' virus. About ten years ago some virus writer over seas sent out an e-mail titled "I love you". Someone opened it and it hit their system and sent that same e-mail to eveyrone in their address book. Within hours the virus shut down a good portion of the world. It did not do a huge amount of damage but it crippled servers with the repetitive e-mails as it attacked everyones address book. A day later the definitions existed and everyone with those definitions was protected. Bottom line....don't open it if you don't know who it is from and simply running a scan on it may not be the answer.

This is just viruses, we still need to contend with spyware.

For what it's worth my Norton 360 updates automatically so it is constantly updated. Still this was a useful post. Thank You.

[Karl Swenson]

I unfortunately did click, this is a classic "phishing" email.

It looked like it was running a virus scan and low and behold found many. It wanted you to download and open a program to save your computer.

ERASE this PM, if you open it accidently, click carefully and dont run/download/save any program.

I hope their is a special place for people who write virus's. I just dont get it.

Suggest some community service chipping rime ice with a teaspoon in a tee shirt somewhere.

Once, in 20 years did I get a virus. You dont want them. These Sc--Bags make you buy software you shouldnt need, and it slows your computer.

I did not run the program, apparantly have no problem, and will update and do a scan tonight, wasting more time and energy.

[MOAB149]

Received two, one ref the virus and the other for an online pharmacy. Maybe they are picking on my due to my advanced years. See me as an easy mark. The virus PM was scary 'cas I could envision people actually falling for this and clicking on the link. Truly the dark side of cyberspace.
Cheers,
Dave

[Snow Miser]

People that do this sort of thing will have a special "HOT" place to spend eternity on Judgement Day.