What to do if you've been sent a 'scare' email (1 Viewer)

[nozzmoking]

We've all seen them. You know the ones. 'BEWARE, NASTY VIRUS DOING THE ROUNDS . . . PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL YOUR CONTACTS' etc. etc.

In fact I've just received the latest one, and as usual there is the usual plethora of LARGE CAPITALS and RED INK to frighten the recipient even further.

Here it is, and below a short note on how to deal with it:

========================================================

VERY URGENT - PLEASE READ - NOT A JOKE

THIS IS NO JOKE

IF A PERSON CALLED SIMON ASHTON ( SIMON25@HOTMAIL..CO.UK ) CONTACTS YOU THROUGH EMAIL DON'T OPEN THE MESSAGE. DELETE IT BECAUSE HE IS A HACKER!!

TELL EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY ON YOUR LIST ADDS HIM THEN YOU WILL GET HIM ON YOUR LIST. HE WILL FIGURE OUT YOUR ID COMPUTER ADDRESS, SO COPY AND PASTE THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE EVEN IF YOU DONT CARE FOR THEM AND FAST BECAUSE IF HE HACKS THEIR EMAIL HE HACKS YOUR MAIL TOO!!!!!....

Anyone-using Internet mail such as Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL and so on. This information arrived this morning, Direct from both Microsoft and Norton. Please send it to everybody you know who has access to the Intern et. You may receive an apparently harmless e-mail titled 'Mail Server Report'

If you open either file, a message will appear on your screen saying: 'It is too late now, your life is no longer beautiful..'

Subsequently you will LOSE EVERYTHING IN YOUR PC,
And the person wh o sent it to you will gain access to your name, e-mail and password.

This is a new virus which started to circulate on Saturday afternoon. AOL has already confirmed the severity, and the anti virus software's are not capable of destroying it .

The virus has been created by a hacker who calls himself 'life owner'..

PLEASE SEND A COPY OF THIS E-MAIL TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS, And ask them to



PASS IT ON IMMEDIATELY!
========================================================

Now the first thing to do is check the authenticity of the content and the easiest way to do this is by a search in Google.

I simply cut & pasted SIMON ASHTON ( SIMON25@HOTMAIL..CO.UK) and Google immediately provided the info I needed here: Link Removed

As you can see, this latest hoax is widely reported.

I know many inexperienced computer users may be alarmed at receiving the above email but with a simple check on Google, normality can quickly be restored.

So next time you receive one of these emails, do a quick check for yourself and don't rely on the information being fact. Invariably, it isn't.

Cheers

Paul

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

What ever you do DONT click on his hotmail address. Id just delete it if i were you.
Bev

 

[nozzmoking]

Don't worry Bev, it's got an extra 'dot' just before the .co.uk so it's not a legitimate email address.

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[johnp10]

Don't worry Bev, it's got an extra 'dot' just before the .co.uk so it's not a legitimate email address.

There are still some e mail addresses with ".co.uk", notably the old freeserve ones. ( I still use it).
Be wary, just delete without opening if unsure.
John

 

[nozzmoking]

Just to clarify. The email address in the original post is not a legitimate email address.

It has 2 dots between the hotmail & co.uk so even if you tried to use it for sending a message, (which I'm sure won't happen), it would just bounce back.

Cheers :thumb:

Paul

 

[dpick]

Hi I have an e-mail address that I use when not sure of a site that asks for an e-mail address that one ends @yahoo.co.uk

dpick

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[nozzmoking]

oh:oh:oh:

 

[johnp10]

Just to clarify. The email address in the original post is not a legitimate email address.

It has 2 dots between the hotmail & co.uk so even if you tried to use it for sending a message, (which I'm sure won't happen), it would just bounce back.

Cheers :thumb:

Paul

Got ya Paul.
Didnt see that in the original post. I stand corrected.
John

 

[nozzmoking]

No worries John. :thumb:

The last thing I would do is post someone's email address, (legit or not), on a public forum. The original mail sent to me had 2 dots so I suspect someone is just having a bit of fun with us. The main purpose of the post was to let inexperienced users know how to quickly find the information themselves on whether an email was genuine or not.

Regards,

Paul

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

Bet you wished you never asked
Bev

 

[nozzmoking]

You're a mind reader Bev !

 

[SandJ]

See here

Link Removed

False

Steve

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