A New Scam or Virus Potential??
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
August 25, 2007 6:26pm CST
Lately I've been getting a number of e-mails, that wind up in my bulk/spam folder. They are from people I have no idea who the heck they are, never heard of them before...but it always has a one liner, like "If your mother saw this she would freak out." I'm guessing it's implying some sexually explicit video. They always have a link supposedly for a YouTube video..of which I haven't clicked onto as I don't know that if by doing so might have some kind of hidden virus.
Now first of all I've never placed any videos on YouTube, so no worries there...but what is going on here? Is this a new scam? Virus? Has anyone else gotten this kind of e-mail??
11 people like this
16 responses
@craftcatcher (3699)
• United States
26 Aug 07
The ones I've been getting a lot lately have been the greeting card e-mails. I get about 20 of them a day in my bulk mail folder.
The ones you're talking about I have gotten a few times, I'm sure I'll be getting more. They are phishing usually, or they put a tracking cookie on your computer. I've gotten to the point anymore where I run my spyware cleaner about every other day. It never fails to pick up something. Which I find weird because I'm don't do a lot of web surfing.
The ones that really tick me off are, the ones that put something on your computer that can read your address book and use the names or something very similar to trick you into opening the e-mail. I haven't fallen for one yet but I'm sure sooner or later they're gonna catch me. They get very creative sometimes.
Me and my husband were talking about that the other day after he had an all day battle with a trojan virus. I said if I EVER meet a person and find out that they are a virus/trojan/spyware/malware creator I'm gonna end up in jail cause I'm not going to hesitate to punch them right square in the mouth!
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
26 Aug 07
I still like to know then how someone can track me down though since I have a Mac computer...we are a different breed here and have a whole different coding systems and everything from a PC user--Gee, maybe we'll both wind up in jail cause just as principal I'd love to punch out these "creators" too---LOL
2 people like this
@santuccie (3384)
• United States
13 Apr 08
Tracking cookies are cross-platform; they work on OS-X and the Safari browser just the same as on Windows and Internet Explorer. Malware for the Mac are rare, in fact even more so than for Linux because Macs used different processors until 2006. Now that everything runs on Intel (or one of its tiny competitors), malware writers don't have to spend time learning a new shell.
There are two main reasons why Mac OS-X, Linux, BSD, and others don't get hit like Windows does: 1) Windows is one of the only operating systems whose user accounts run with high privileges by default (until Vista). Although it is possible for some malware to run in a limited user account, they can't get in as deep without root privileges. 2) The number-one reason is obscurity. The very first viruses were actually written for Mac OS, but it's much less of a target now that Windows dominates the market.
One advantage you have right out of the box is that you can't get infected simply by visiting a Web page (drive-by download), but you are still vulnerable to social engineering like everyone else, which is the oldest trick in the book. As long as you can install software on your computer, you can install malicious software on your computer. This doesn't mean panic, it just means be careful.
@santuccie (3384)
• United States
13 Apr 08
By the way, most malware authors do not live in the U.S.
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
26 Aug 07
I posted a discussion a few days ago, pyewacket, about a virus called the Storm. It had been thought to have been gotten under control, but it came back stronger. You should be very careful about opening these e-mails, and, by no means download any attachments. I was told that this is probably the worst virus ever.
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
26 Aug 07
I only just noticed that discussion of yours...checked into your profile...since I'm still having problems in getting email notices from MyLot I don't know who is starting discussions..very frustrating.
Nope...I never open attachments unless of course it's from someone I know, and my friends rarely do send me attachments anyway
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
4 Sep 07
I just delete them myself..ESPECIALLY the ones with attachments..they're supposed to be the worse
@sumofalltears (3988)
• United States
26 Aug 07
I haven't seen anything like that, but I don't check all my bulk I only scan for names I know and the rest is deleted on the spot. It might be a scam and carry a virus, so I would continue to delete them without opening.
2 people like this
@lavenderbloom (1057)
• United Arab Emirates
26 Aug 07
Thanks for the information. I have not yet received any such mail but will be careful. I have been receiving a lot of unwanted mails so i will be a little more careful now. Regards.
2 people like this
@MGjhaud (23240)
• Philippines
28 Oct 07
That happens like all the time since Internet was born. Probably it’s from site you signed up with and scammed you email address, that’s mostly where it come from. It’s sometimes irritating having almost all your time consumed by deleting all those scams.
@rosie_123 (6113)
•
26 Aug 07
Oh I'm always getting rubbish like this in my email. Luckily my Internet provider is really good at putting anything remotely "dubious" into my Bulk/Spam folder, so I don't have to deal with it much. Yes occasionally this does mean I have to check in case they've put something legitimate in there by mistake (they have been known to), - but generally I prefer to have them kept away from my main inbox in this way. My main spam ones seem to be adverts for Viagra, or for something scarily called "MegaDik" - you don't want to know - you really don't - LOL! Maybe they are trying to tell me something?!
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
1 Sep 07
I do check my bulk/spam folder too...A few times there were e-mail notices from here at MyLot, believe it or not! MegaDik??...mmm..you're right..I don't want to know...LOL
@Jaykin (271)
• India
26 Aug 07
Ya even i got hundreds of emails from unknown users.I think its generated automatically.But how can i recieve so much most of the mails are similar to each other i remember that they contained some text in colours with black background and i coudnt understand a line from that text.Does anyone has got similar mails??
@brew2x (3094)
• Philippines
26 Aug 07
I used to receive a lot of e-mails too but it's not about some sexually explicit video but it's implying that I'm a member of some sort of website and I swear I've never signed-up for that. It is really annoying and I used to get about thirty mails everyday in my inbox and also in my bulk folder.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
1 Sep 07
I get those too...I mean I do know I sign up for SOME websites, but not that many
@sunnywaters (189)
• United States
26 Aug 07
It sounds like you have a virus. Get antivirus software into your computer ASAP. I have a virus a few days ago and was able to get rid of it by going back into my calendar earlier than the virus arrival and deleting all the programs installed. It is a pure nightmare for sure! Good luck!
sunnywaters
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
1 Sep 07
Nope I don't have a virus--I don't open up emails I'm not expecting..also I have a Mac computer, and all viruses are geared for PC users only--we have a different coding than PCs
@wisdomspeaks (7)
• India
26 Aug 07
hi... Spam is becoming a major problem today... not only cause u can get virus.. but now ppl or hacker or companies want to know wat u do online so they or wat u mail, etc.. basically know wat u r doing or take out ur personal infomation... dont reply to any mail if u dont know him... once u reply to it a hacker confirms ur mail id and can snif the data u send or receive... companies also do it to check wat u do online majorily and how they can make a product which u will use and they will become rich, etc... but it is adviceable to not to put more personal information online... this might be a bit bezarded but true... anyways u can use Spyware and antivirus to protect ur pc... Use Spybot (its a Spyware), it is good and freely availiable online... take care...
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
1 Sep 07
Don't worry I never reply to any of these e-mails..just hit the good old delete
@abbamoney (66)
• Vietnam
26 Aug 07
probably it's a scam, not a virus. you opened it and nothing like a virus happened, right? but is there a real youtube link? does it go anyhwere?
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
11 Apr 08
I have also got a lot of the same kind of email with weird one liners and that usually spells virus to me so I just delete and do not read hem. I am pretty sure these are virus laden so just get rid of them fast. best to be safe.
@claudia413 (4280)
• United States
1 Sep 07
My bulk mail file is full of those daily, but I sure do know how to delete the whole bunch. I will not take any chances if I can help it.
I also get the e-cards from all of these: friends/mother/father/brother, etc. My friends' emails end up in my inbox...the rest goes to my bulk mail/spam file. My mother and father are both deceased and I only have sisters, no brother. Easy to tell on those...LOL.
