hotmail problems

[Zink]

Someone's been using my hotmail account to try and send virus filled e-mails to people. Stupid as the anti-virus in hotmail has stopped them. But I've been receiving messages from other mail servers telling me of messages with my adress that I haven't been sending. So I've killed my hotmail account and don't have one listed in my profile here anymore.

There are a few people here that I will be contacting with a new adress when I get around to it. As for anyone else, you'll have to post a question here if you want to get in touch with me. I tend to read this board every few days anyhow.

[Patrick]

... in response to hotmail problems, posted by Zink on Feb 8, 2003

I've had the same thing happen to me with several addresses.  It isn't someone out to get you, it's just how the kletz virus spreads itself.  It sends out emails to addresses found in some infected person's address book using a ficticious email address (your's in some cases apprently).

If you're thinking of getting a new anonymous address, I'd recommend lycos.com.  I've been using them for a few months and have gotten 0 spam (unlike yahoo or hotmail accounts).

[Jeff S]

... in response to hotmail problems, posted by Zink on Feb 8, 2003

No one is trying to use your account to send viruses, except the virus itself. Don't believe the "from" line in a Klez virus e-mail.

http://epistolary.org/1133.html

I get 10 or 12 a day in my various accounts, especially since I have an e-based business and many thousands of people have me in their address books. Changing your address probably won't stop it.

The person sending it doesn't know they're doing it. I had it for a couple days back when it first came out. It takes people from your address book as the "from" and sends itself to other people in your address book, without letting on who's computer it's actually on.

- Jeff

[Zink]

... in response to Don't believe it., posted by Jeff S on Feb 8, 2003

I understand you. But the adresses that are getting sent to me aren't from anyone that I know. I was thinking of killing that adress anyhow. I've got several for different purposes and I don't need that many anymore.

A question for you. Do you know a decent antivirus program that I can download? My norton subsrciption ran out and for some reason they are telling me that it's not possible to update it anymore. I've also heard there are better ones out there anyhow.

[RfB]

... in response to Re: Don't believe it., posted by Zink on Feb 8, 2003

I've used an AV program from www.grisoft.com for the last year or so, and nothing has gotten through it yet. It's free for personal use, updates often and automatic if you want, scans incoming and outgoing mail, and scans the computer daily if you choose.

[Zink]

... in response to Try using this anti virus pgm , posted by RfB on Feb 9, 2003

I'm checking out this program now. I've ran a couple other programs and I seem to be virus free. I'm thinking that maybe the virus is on someone else's computer and is using my hotmail account as a return adress. But I killed my hotmail account anyhow because I was getting tired of receiving letters giving me hell for mailing them a virus. I still don't see how I could have sent a virus through hotmail.

[Jeff S]

... in response to Re: Don't believe it., posted by Zink on Feb 8, 2003

There's a free klez worm removal tool here:

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.klez.removal.tool.html

That seems to be the one I get almost exclusively in e-mails.

It's likely someone you know, or someone who had e-mailed you once, has the virus. His computer randomly picks up another e-mail address from his computer, almost certainly someone you don't know, and sends an e-mail to you using the unknown person in the "from" line.

- Jeff

[Jski]

... in response to Re: Re: Don't believe it., posted by Jeff S on Feb 9, 2003

It actually takes the part before the "@" sybol from one address and combines it with the part after from another address to make a completely ficticious address.  It can also use a previous subject line from an old e-mail so it looks like something that you have sent or responded to before.

My girl got this virus last week and I was getting some wierd mail from her.  I didn't open the attachment, but send her the cleaning tool right away.

[tim360z]

... in response to Re: Don't believe it., posted by Zink on Feb 8, 2003

I'm no virus expert...but since I've been using Mcafee Viruscan,  with weekly updates,  I've never had a problem. Usually,  you can just check the file extension to know if it smells right.  But look closely,  some will mimic, almost,  a good file extension.  Cheerio, Tim

[BubbaGump]

... in response to hotmail problems, posted by Zink on Feb 8, 2003

Set up a Yahoo email account and post that in your profile.  I've never had problems with mine other than the huge volume of junk email.  Yahoo also scans for viruses.