This guy keeps sending me viruses

[galadrium]

I run a liberal website, and about a month ago this guy wrote me some hate mail, so I reponded to him in a far more intelligent and civil tone than he wrote me in. Anyway, about a couple times a week I get e-mails from him with attachments, which my anti-virus program detects and deletes, he sends no text in his messages.

is there any way I can contact his ISP or do something to stop him from sending me this crap? What would you do?

Thanks DU!

[Liberal Veteran]

1. What email program are you using? (I can help you)

:)

[galadrium]

2. MS Outlook

[Liberal Veteran]

3. Let's be clear Outlook or Outlook Express?

Many people call them the same thing.

Either way, just add him to your blocked senders list.

[galadrium]

7. Outlook... got it with MS office 2003

[Liberal Veteran]

10. Do this...

Open Outlook, go to Actions, Junk Email, Junk Email options, and click on the blocked senders tab. Click add and put his email address in it.

[Massacure]

4. I would forward the messages to whoever gives you E-mail

Plus explain that he is doing it constantly and that he had sent you hate mail.

[WoodrowFan]

6. in addition

your virus scanner should keep a log which you can send to his ISP showing them that he is sending these emails.

what a tool!

[hlthe2b]

5. Why don't you just block all of his incoming email?

[galadrium]

9. I kind of want there to be some sort of penalty for doing this

I would think that intentionally sending viruses would be frowned upon by ISPs.

[Don_G]

8. I Would Allow The Full Header To Show In E-Mail

So you know which ISP to contact and determine the source of the problem if the police need to be contacted.

Someone here has had a similar problem and the Police are checking everything now.

[4morewars]

11. i believe it is a violation

of federal law to knowingly send a virus

[pagerbear]

12. It's possible he's not doing it deliberately, isn't it?

Could be your address is in his address book simply by virtue of his having used it once (good ol' Outlook Express) and he's the victim of a virus or worm that propagates like that.

[4morewars]

13. here's a bunch of legalese :

snip

"California, Minnesota, and Maine are among the few states to prohibit explicit release of a computer virus or other malicious program."

snip

In addition to any criminal penalties, victim(s) of computer crimes can sue the perpetrator in tort. For example, unauthorized use of a computer system could be "trespass on chattels". A computer voyeur might also be sued in tort for invasion of privacy or disclosure of a trade secret. A harasser might be sued in tort for intentional infliction of emotional distress. There is also the possibility of a class action by corporate and personal victims against a person who wrote and initially released a computer virus.

snip

More here :
http://www.rbs2.com/ccrime.htm#anchor555555

[Trajan]

14. It is a federal crime to knowingly send a virus to anyone ...

http://www.fmew.com/archive/virus /

-snip-

Today, in the U.S., the most likely avenue of prosecution is the Federal Computer Abuse Act of 1994 (18 U.S.C. Sec. 1030). Amending the earlier 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the new Act is much clearer and more encompassing than the older act.

Seeking to avoid hypertechnical arguments about what is and is not a "virus" -- or a "worm" or a "Trojan horse," etc. and whether they differ from "viruses" -- the new Act outlaws the "transmission of a program, information, code, or command" that "cause damage to a computer, computer system, network, information, data or program." 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1030(a)(5)(A). As intended, this language should encompass both existing viruses and any future virus-like creations. The earlier law, which focused on the unauthorized access to a computer system, proved to be ineffectual at times because it focused merely on the crossing of a system-level boundary and also became outdated as technology advanced. The new law is an improvement because it's directed against the act of transmitting the virus. Prosecutors are no longer strained to argue that the viral release constitutes an unauthorized entry, instead the deliberate transmission of a viral release is a crime unto itself.

The 1994 Computer Abuse Act tries to deal differently with those who foolhaeartedly launch viral attacks and those who do so intending to wreak havoc. To do this, the the Act defines two levels of prosecution for those who create viruses.

For those who intentionally cause damage by transmitting a virus, the punishment can amount to ten years in federal prison, plus a fine.

For those who transmit a virus with only "reckless disregard" to the damage it will cause, the maximum punishment stops at a fine and a year in prison.

-snip-

So: .... Contact YOUR hosting ISP, contact the senders ISP

YOu could call the local police, and if you wish: the FBI ... if you really wanted to get this guy ...

[Dookus]

15. Yup

rat the bastard out.

[galadrium]

16. Thanks, I think I am going to contact his ISP and mine

It is possible he has no idea he is doing this, since none of the e-mails have text.