[at-l] New virus question OT

[wdlists at optonline.net (Walt Daniels)]

Forwarding to list as requested.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: L. Clayton Parker [mailto:l_parker@cacaphony.net] 
> Sent: Monday, July 26, 2004 9:33 PM
> To: Walt Daniels
> Cc: ATL
> Subject: RE: [at-l] New virus question OT
> 
> On Mon, 2004-07-26 at 19:01, Walt Daniels wrote:
> >  > Basically - if ya don't know the sender, don't open the 
> dang thing..
> > > 
> > > WhoAh
> > > 
> > WRONG!, even if you know the sender do not open it! The To and From 
> > addresses are all forged and it likely comes from someone who knows 
> > you well enough to have you in their address book.
> > 
> 
> Walt,  
> 
> Please forward this to the list since my posts don't get 
> through the MIME filters there. I have a PGP signature 
> attached to verify that I am who I am and the filters don't 
> like it. This is why:
> 
> What Walt says is VERY true. Viruses routinely rip off 
> address books for valid addresses.
> 
> But what is worse is that spammers do it  too. They steal 
> your address and then they send your address out  to MILLIONS 
> of people, and the viruses on some of those systems get your 
> address from the spam.  All of the sudden half the world will 
> be getting viruses purporting to be from you, even when your 
> computer is as clean as a whistle.
> 
>  In fact if you get a message purporting to be from ME that has the
> address: lparker <at> cacaphony.net, DO NOT OPEN IT. That 
> address has been ripped off and is ONLY used by spam and 
> virii. Valid messages from me have the form of l_parker... 
> etc. (notice the underbar) and there is a PGP signature key 
> attached. I know the attachment part is a little scary to 
> some people, especially in light of this discussion of 
> viruses but if you look carefully at the icon for the 
> attachment it will be a key or a small red seal (ribbon) of approval.
> 
> Incidentally, because of this theft, I now receive over 6,000 
> spam messages per year,  and another 36,000 automated 
> complaints from mail servers around the world that my 
> messages contained viruses. All because someone got infected 
> and my address was there.... Which is why I had to physically 
> shut off the old email address and create a new one.
> 
> This also explains why I may sometimes not reply to email 
> directed to me. Your mail may have been shortstopped by one 
> of the multiple layers of spam and virus filters I have 
> installed since then. 
> 
> Lee I Joe
> 
> --
> L. Parker
> chief cook, bottle washer and sometime sysadmin cacaphony.net
> 

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