[mbriant]

Yesterday I recieved more than 60 e-mails saying someone (various senders) had tried to send me an e-mail but it was bounced because there wasn't enough room in my mailbox. None of the names or addresses in these notices are familiar to me. I also received 8 or 10 e-mails saying a message I sent had been quaranteened because it contained the W32/Sobig.f@MM
virus. Again, I don't regognise any of the people's names.

I've been keeping my McAfee virus and firewall software updated daily as well as any Windows updates that come up. I've also scanned my computer for viruses and it comes up zero. My anti-virus software will display a warning screen if it detects multiple e-mails generated from my computer going out, and it has not detected anything like this, so I'm fairly certain I'm not infected, nor is my computer sending out virus laden e-mails.

Does anyone know What is going on? It must be that someone who has my e-mail address in their address folder has contracted a virus. Would that explain dozens of e-mails being sent to me as well as claims that I've sent out a few virus laden e-mails?

 

[uoods]

SoBig.F, the new big email virus.

http://arstechnica.com/archive/news/1061484695.html

 

[john_jcb]

A few things may have happened to you. Without a little research it would be hard to tell which one. One your computer may be being used as a host to send out spam. You may have contracted a virus and it is using your email to propagate. Your name may be on other peoples email contacts and a virus on their computer is now targeting you.

I would run a virus scan against all your hard drives. This may catch something that has gotten past your email. I have been lucky so far but I always have my important data backed up and have not hesitated in the past to reload my machine from scratch when there is a problem. I have had problems with beta and other developmental programs wreaking havoc with my OS and a reload cures all.

 

[mbriant]

Yes, I heard about this virus and that's why I've been vigilant in keeping my anti virus software updated. I have scanned my computer completely 3 times and nothing is detected, so I don't think I have it. I was putting together a list of the addresses which are sending me these mails which I was going to send to the people on my mailing list as well as publish here (because there's likely a few members I've had past dealings with who have my address in their address book), in the hope that someone might recognize the names and realize they are infected. I've since been told that my address could have simply been picked up randomly from the Web, in which case, it's not necessarily someone I've had previous contact with who is infected.

I don't think my computer is being used as a host because like I said, my anti virus software reports if repetitious e-mails get sent from my computer and it hasn't done so yet.

Is anyone else getting swamped with this crap?

 

[mbriant]

Actually, our fearless leader Jude has found the source of the problem for me. He did a Google search of my e-mail address and a couple of hits came up, both at a small website devoted to Sony ES products I'd joined a couple of years ago. Sure enough, I and others had posted our addresses on this site and other members are the addresses which are sending me the deluge of e-mails. The site's administrator thinks the server he's on has been infected.

I think I just learned something. Don't post your web address without disguising it.

 

[spaceman]

Quote:

Originally posted by mbriant I think I just learned something. Don't post your web address without disguising it.

I just started getting these emails today, but I dump them off my server before they get to my HD. mbriant....how do you disguise a web address?

 

[Audio Redneck]

Quote:

Originally posted by mbriant I think I just learned something.

Yeah, never give out your email address! That's why I have 8 addresses at the moment. One of my bosses had this happen to him with the last SoBig variant. He was in this lady's address book and the virus picked him to be the goat when it started spreading. He got a ton of undeliverables and "hey Jack, you sent me a virus!" messages.

Glad to hear you aren't the "somebody". These last two have been a big pain in my red neck and it affecting my love life (blaster made me miss dance night with my wife last week.)

 

[mbriant]

Quote:

how do you disguise a web address?

I've seen some people simply add something at the begining of the address to change it ....

nospamMBriant@dontsendmeanycrap.com

or print it on more than one line...

MBriant
@
dontsendmeanycrapori'llkillyou
.com

or they write the word dot....

MBriant@dontsendmeanycraporyoudieDOTcom

Things like this.

Of course, people can't use it as a link or copy and paste it in their e-mail like this, but that's the idea.

There may be better or more standard ways. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to tell.

 

[fractus2]

I think I can trace all of the spam to my hotmail account through my web page and also through a forum post years ago. I wonder if disguising it will work like you suggested. Anyone know for sure? I figure they use software that automatically searches the web for e-mail addresses to add/sell to spam lists.

 

[mbriant]

It's probably too late to stop the spam now because your address is already on someone's list. But it wouldn't hurt to disguise it to prevent the same thing in the future from happening. I think I read that this virus will automatically shut itself down on September 9th or something like that, so we may have to endure it until then.

 

[wallijonn]

I wonder if mail washer can be set to only accept emails from a list which you have compiled and then bounce everything else?

i have created a list of black listed email addresses, and have set it to not even show me the blacklisted items, and to bounce them back automatically.

i still say that many spammers are hiding behind anti-spam sites, like MSN, Yahoo and AOL. I wish that they would set it up so that no more than 3 people could be sent mail to every 60 seconds. that at least would slow down the spammers on AOL, Yahoo, MSN, et. al.

 

[kelly]

Walli
I don't know about Mail Washer, but Spam Assassin can be set such that you're just bouncing anything that gets even a 1 for spam count, then whitelisting everyone you want to get through.

SoBig F is impacting a lot of people right now. If your email address is in anyones contact list or mailbox and they have Outlook, you could be getting mail from them due to the virus. It also disguises itself as someone other than the machine the virus is actually on (ie, it picks another address to rename the Send To). Sneaky person. Moral of story: Don't use Outlook.

 

[bralack42]

I always write it: "bralack42 (AT] wherever {D0T} com", just in case the programs ever get so good that they can replace "at" and "dot" with '@' and '.'.

If you're really sick of spam and wish to go practically militant about it, try Spamex. You create temporary, forwarding email addresses which are simple to delete if (when?) the spammers get that address. You simply shut it off and never receive anything sent to that address again. Once you get used to it, it's actually not very difficult to use, and I haven't had spam in months. I would say essential for anyone who posts to USENET or signs up for a lot of web services that require an email.

Good luck with the spam,
Brad
bralack42@yahoo.com*

[size=xx-small]*just kidding, I don't use this address anymore.[/size]