but now I HAVE to know because it's driving me crazy.
My email in-box is flooded with emails that say 'infected' with a virus, and in the body of the email, which I previewed, it mentions to contact the sender to let them know their emails contain viruses.

Most of the emails look 'spammy' anyway, so who cares, but I recognize the 'handles' of locals here - people who've never emailed me before, so I find it strange that they would email me now, for any reason! Ladies, and guys alike!

So, what is this all about, and why does it have peoples' names I recognize but KNOW they wouldn't email me, so how does it come my way??

I need some "'splaining, Lucy"..LOL

Thanks!!

Sedona

I don't know for sure, but many viruses work by entering the infected computer's email program (Outlook is a favorite target) and sending themselves to everyone in the address book.  Just because someone has never actually sent you an email doesn't mean they don't have your email address tucked away somewhere.

It does seem strange that a virus would contain the message "I am a virus", but hackers are a strange breed.  Try emailing ONE of the people this came from and see what (s)he says.

Oh, I trust that you do have anti-virus software that you keep updated.  If not, get it, yesterday!

A question for the community at large.  Has this happened to any of you?

Because when the virus infects a person's email program it will send itself out to everyone in the address list. Thus, the reason these kinds of viruses (virii??) spread so much is because it looks like it comes from someone you trust. For whatever reason, they must have had your address in their address list. The fact that you got a bunch of email from people you know you normally wouldn't get mail from indicates that they were infected and the email you got from them was infected.

Hopefully, that 'splains' it!!

I am scanning mine right now, its infected from emails. i think i can kill it.  I guess you shouldnt open up attachments or emails from people with no name.

Some actually go further than just the address book, and will scan every type of text document on your computer for email addresses...whether they be .txt, .doc, .rtf...and sometimes even within any emails you have saved in your email program since it could be possible that the option to automatically save email addresses to your address book is turned off.  Whew...  I do this sort of thing everyday.  And sedona, you weren't exactly specific on whether or not you had anitvirus software (like Dionisios suggested), but I hope you do because even previewing a message is like opening a message, and some viruses react to that by still activating and infecting your box.  Oh boy, that almost sounds dirty...infecting your box...heh...

that 'hit' yesterday and today, so no wonder! So far, I've deleted about 500 emails in my in box and they keep coming! I feel like I'm swatting flies in a tornado! LOL

As mentioned, buy a virus detection package, its well worth it.  Also, you could use a web based email program and not save files to your local computer.  Most of these have corporate virus detection in them.  Again, as mentioned, Outlook is a target as it is the most widely used email program.  If you go to one of the lesser installed programs your chances of getting viruses are less.  You could go even further and get a Mac since it only has about 12-15% market share and is not as big a target as 'Wintel' machines.  But there is nothing that gives you 100% protection.  Bottom line, good all around advice is to use protection...

Does that mean that *I* am infected or that someone else is infected and sending the virus to me through e-mail? I'm confused?

Most likely it is the people sending the message that are infected.  If you run virus protection, it won't hurt to update your virus protection and run a full scan.

come from the person it appears to be coming from, they do not have to be infected, and your address does not have to be in their book.  Perhaps you are all on the same site, like SDX and the virus thinks he could fool you easier by pretending to be someone on the same site.  For more info, so a search on spoofing... not to be confused with spooning, which is something
I wouldn't mind doing with sedona. +whew+  gigabyte overdrive.

%3 are lines:


This game is my first work.
You're the first player.

I wish you would enjoy it.
I hope you would enjoy it.
I expect you would enjoy it.


%4 contains strings such as these:


%5 give you the %1 removal tools
%1 is a dangerous virus that spread through email.
%1 is a very dangerous virus that can infect on Win98/Me/2000/XP.
For more information,please visit http://www.%5.com

where %5 is selected from the variants:


Symantec, Mcafee, F-Secure, Sophos, Trendmicro, Kaspersky
The result may look as follows:

A special new game
This is a new game
This game is my first work.
You're the first player.
I wish you would enjoy it.

A very funny website
This is a funny website
I hope you would enjoy it.


A very powful tool
Hello,This is a powful tool
I hope you would enjoy it.


I GOT A BUNCH OF EMAILS THAT SAID THIS KIND OF STUFF, I GUESS THEY ARE VIRUSES.

This has happened more than a couple times. I've gotten emails from some folk at TER that I'd not previously corresponded with. The only thing we had in common was email addresses posted on TER within the last month.

All contained a virus so I politely let them know to scan their PCs.

Like it is stated in another post you aren't infected.  Errr, you shouldn't be anyway, because the only time when you could be infected by one of those emails is when it is opened.  Just getting them in Outlook or whatever email program you use doesn't doing anything, it's the act of opening that takes care of that.

Yep i have agressive anit virus soft ware and I get e-mails constanly telling me to scan my system cause someone e-mails me and tells me that i sent them an infected e-mail. Not I...I am good to go. Those hackers are sneaky bastards. Prior to this one I haven't had much of a problem other than getting Klez in some media files when I briefly networked with my roomate last year. This time I am not getting important real e-mail due to the number of virus e-mails that fill my box several times a day.

Bastards!