Virus Alert -- Whatever you do, DO NOT OPEN THAT ENCLOSURE.

[Merlin]

I am getting literally dozens of personal email messages today from senders I've never heard of. The subjects are all different.

Examples of Subjects

• Re: Thank you!
  
• Thank you!
  
• Re: Details
  
• Re: Re: My details
  
• Re: Approved
  
• Re: Your application
  
• Re: Wicked screensaver
  
• Re: That movie
  
• Undeliverable: Re: Approved
  

...and many others

They all have an attachment and carry a similar message:

Examples of Message

• See the attached file for details
  
• Please see the attached file for details.
  

Whatever you do do not open the attachment.

It will infect your machine with a worm called WORM_SOBIG.F (alias Win32.HLLM.Reteras, W32.Sobig.F@mm, W32/Sobig.f@MM, Sobig.F, Win32.Sobig.F, W32/Sobig-F, I-Worm.Sobig.f

I have never been so heavily bombarded with a virus in the 10 years I've been doing email. Please be careful.

More info on this at:
http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/default5.asp?VName=WORM_SOBIG.F

[Dover]

1. Did YOU open the attachments?

I got the same thing exactly. Didn't open them...deleted immediately.
So I hope that means I've avoided infection.

[Merlin]

4. I didn't get hit. Deleting should do the trick.

I learned the hard way a while ago NEVER open an attachment from somebody you're not 100% sure of. (Even then there's a risk, but that's life.)

[kainah]

9. delete twice

make sure you empty the trash as well. Don't just throw it into the trash folder.

[Clete]

2. Thanks for the heads up.

[jiacinto]

3. I got this on my compuer

and it was a pain getting it off.

[Desperadoe]

5. I've got 8 computers

Located at 4 different locations (daughters houses) and all I've been doing this past week is fight these damn worms. So far only one infection with the blaster pita.

Tonight the Sobig hit my one daughters email (AOHell) but she has learned her lesson and called Daddy right away.

You're right Merlin, this is some nasty stuff. It must be Republicans that are writing this shit.

I'm just starting to build a new one and I think I may put things on hold for a week or so until this settles down.

[jiacinto]

7. I got the sobig plague today!

nt

[Merlin]

10. Sorry to hear, Carlos. Glad you got rid of it. n/t

.

[jiacinto]

11. Yeah

Other DUers helped me the Symantec link to get rid of it.

[Merlin]

8. Hey eddie! Long time!

I sympathize.

I honestly think this can be a damn good campaign issue. I mean, who the hell is DOING this? People who do this stuff just have to be right wingers. Who else could be this mendacious?

[semass]

6. Anyone get one from Yahoo?

I got one with an attachment that said my Yahoo email address was about to expire (email addresses expire?). Read the attached message for details. Conveniently the Yahoo virus scan wasn't working at the time.

[Merlin]

12. Kick for early a.m. crowd

:kick:

[Must_B_Free]

13. Psychological attack

texas sized blackout, texas sized virus campaign...

we must be being primed for something big.

[Merlin]

14. They have changed its pattern overnight.

These people are now using some new Subjects.

Their goal is still to get you to open the message attached. Opening it infects your computer.

Here are some of the new subjects I found in my morning email:

New Subjects

• Re: Approved
  
• Your Details
  
• Re: Your application
  
• Returned due to virus; was: Your details
  
• Re: That movie
  
• Re: Wicked screensaver
  

The message is always something like:

Please see the attached file for details.

Remember, whaever you do, DO NOT OPEN THE ATTACHMENT!

[Northwind]

15. I'm on a Mac

Viruses do not affect me. :7

[sham]

25. I'm on a Mac too...

so they won't affect my machine, but I've gotten around 20 of these emails in the past 24 hours. And they are VERY clever with the fake sender's email addresses they are using. (A few of them look like they are from the mailing lists of bands that I like - but I'm not actually on the mailing lists, and they have the suspect subject lines.) Anyway, you guys in PC land out there, be careful, and if your kids use the computer, warn them!

[Mari333]

16. I got 2 already

My virus alert came on, and warned me of the infection, and I deleted them immediately. Geex, the Blaster worm wiped me out a couple weeks ago...I have new systems in now to keep all the little buggers out.

[Raven]

18. I got whiped out by the blaster too,

and I also got some systems in place now. I also got bombarded with pop-up messages (an AOL problem I think) and they were a real pain to get rid of. It's really nasty that these things target home computers but I guess they must know that businesses are usually better protected than us little guys.

[LTR]

17. Email virus

I have several email addresses. My main one (thfough my ISP) is private. I only give it out to people I know or websites I trust (or at least trust enough not to spam the hell out of me). I also have a Yahoo and Hotmail account, as well as a few other web-based ones for different purposes, that are designed to collect spam. I use them for signing up for things online and for online purchasing (E-Bay is a monster spammer).

My Yahoo and Hotmail accounts accumulate at least 15-40 junk mailings each per day. I also have high junk mail filters set (very ineffective). Many of them have headers such as:

Re: Thank you!

Thank you!

Re: Details

Re: Re: My details

Re: Approved

Re: Your application

Re: Wicked screensaver

Re: That movie

Undeliverable: Re: Approved

The ones that you listed. Many seem to be personable, but are form people that I've never heard of.

The solution: If it's from somebody you don't know or do business with, DELETE IMMEDIATELY! DO NOT EVEN BOTHER OPENING!!

Also, NEVER open an attachment from someone you do not know. Common sense. If you must, scan it with an up-to-date antivirus program first.

In the past, these emails were just hawking herbal viagra and all kinds of other junk. Now, they're installing trojans and viruses, and opening your email account to collect more spam.

Especially on a web-based account like Yahoo or Hotmail. Most of it is spam anyway.

I swear, I used to use my Hotmail and Yahoo accounts quite often, now I just go in everyday to empty out spam. It's sad.

[Changenow]

19. Another message I got today

"see transcript for details"

[catmandu57]

20. I deleted over a hundred

last night, and checking my in box there are 394 mails there this morning. I average 50 - 70 spams a day, so over three hundred of these are virus mails.
I hope they catch up to whoever is doing this and hold a flame under their nuts.

[niceypoo]

21. Got 2 yesterday

and 8 more in my box this morning

[qb]

22. Tales of the clueless...

After our IT dept. sent out two warnings similar to the above message, I asked a coworker if she had gotten any of the worm messages. Her reply: "Yeah, I got one. I tried and tried to open the attachment, but it wouldn't open!"

I need some Tylenol.

[Liberator_Rev]

23. kick

.

[Merlin]

24. Thanks, Ray. n/t

:kick: