Dangerous Email!

That's right; and all those phishing mails are really irritating..

I've gotten those too, the ones I've supposedly sent myself. How can we mark ourselves as being Spam??? Clever monkeys.

Thanks for the information.

Changing your password regularly is not a bad thing to do, especially if you get something like that. This mail could be worrying, though, because it seems to suggest that your password has been changed, so you wouldn't be able to log in to change your password! The way it's worded it would seem to make it essential to open the attachment and many people might (indeed, almost certainly will) open the attachment without thinking. Yahoo simply won't let me download the attachment, so I can't see what virus it contains but I'm told it's a Trojan called Bredolab: http://ub-news.com/news/trojanbredolab-virus-hitting-through-facebook-password-reset-messages/5989.html

To be quite clear: 1) FIRST try logging into Facebook using your normal email and password. Don't panic and make sure you type your password correctly. 2) If you can log in, all is well. If not (very unlikely), then use the facility on the Facebook page to retrieve your password ... DON'T believe the email!

I fear also for younger users who are not aware of these things. A friend's daughter opened a mail this afternoon and now their computer is k.o.

If the mail is suggesting that your password has been changed and you haven't even joined Facebook, then it's obviously false! Delete it right away !

Thank you - I did delete it

This particular one is not, I think, a phishing attack or someone who aims to get your password, though the Trojan may grab personal data and upload it - I haven't checked to see what it does yet. I do know (from a little research) that the mail originated in Lithuania and was sent via a commercial mailing program (Mailix) located in the US. All of that information is in the full header of the mail (if you know how to look at that and what information is genuine - much of it can be 'spoofed'). The last one I had like this (which wasn't about Facebook) originated in S. Korea.

This mail was NOT from Facebook (though it appeared to be at first glance). I agree that some apps have been found to contain viruses, spyware and trojans but Facebook are very hot on that and, as soon as one is discovered and reported, they do their best to remove it. In fact, that is not too big a problem. The other thing, of course, is that one needs to be careful about who one accepts as a 'friend' - just as one does with MySpace, Twitter or any other social networking site. 'Friends' can send each other private messages and much more, including links to unsafe sites. The message I am talking about actually has nothing to do with Facebook. I have received the same virus/trojan as an attachment to a mail about an 'undeliverable' package from DHL. (Of course, that had nothing to do with DHL, either - it was sent from Korea).

I don't think there was any connection with Facebook at all. I have had certain Facebook applications run very slowly or give an error recently, too. That is almost certainly a problem with the applications and not Facebook. Some of the newer applications are finding that they are more popular than they had bargained for and it's a simple bandwidth problem! This mail simply used the name ... and people's anxiety. I have had the same thing (a zipped trojan as an attachment) with mails that seemed to be about an undelivered parcel from DHL.

I have seen the same thing attached to a message that says that one has a DHL parcel that couldn't be delivered. These people find any excuse to make you feel that opening the attachment is important and urgent. Fortunately, Yahoo will not let you open or download the attachment but other mail clients may do. Always be very wary of opening attachments that you weren't expecting and (if you are tempted to do so) download them and scan them with a good antivirus before you even think of opening them!

cool advise. Thanks. I don't open unfamiliar mail anyway, but this info is great public service and I will pass this on to friends and family. Have a great day.

With the number of genuine, free and good antivirus and firewall programs there are available, I am astounded that many people still don't have AV or a proper firewall. I suppose that, however much we provide guard rails, crossing lights and repeated warnings and training, there will always be those who never look when crossing the road and, inevitably, get hurt! Perhaps we need an Internet Driving Licence which everyone has to take before they can sign up for an Internet connection!

We could have great fun creating an "Internet Drivers' Licence" and I think many people would benefit! For some years I was involved in delivering the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) program which tested people's ability in basic use of computers and very basic Internet usage though the main object was to familiarise people with (MS) Office applications. It was really quite a simple set of seven modules which most people would achieve in three or four weeks (depending on their ability and the time spent). Although most students found it quite stressful ('exams' are stressful just because they are exams to many people), the relief, pride and sense of achievement I watched people experience told me that it was well worth it for them ... and made it very rewarding for me! The ECDL/ICDL Certificate is recognised widely and is a good qualification to have if one is ever looking for work in almost any industry. I think that the US has a similar qualification and tends to ignore the International one!

An Internet Driver's License...I love the idea. But would everyone, even then, fasten their AV seat belts??? Those who ignore such things, even when educated about them, do so at their own peril. Sad. Karen