Viruses...

[queenmaggie]

So, over the past couple of days, my anti-virus protection has apparently been getting a workout. Lots of emails saying variations on "here's your new password" or "watch out for viruses, click here" and danged if they don't all have attachments that Norton takes exception to

Comments

[squire_liz]

I don't know what it is, but I've been having the same problem.

[pyratelady]

Me, too. My Norton was very busy yesterday.

[faireraven]

A new virus hit the airwaves yesterday, I think. Make sure you've got the latest anti-virus download, and scan ANYTHING you download.

[kiltboy]

At the office here, we've been getting absolutely bombarded by this one.

We've been getting it from everywhere. Luckily, there's a removal tool that works superbly at the bottom of the page.

[ocin]

Too many bored and angry people out there who need to use their powers for good instead of evil!

[blueeowyn]

To be fair, some of those aren't virus attacks but identity attacks. If you click on the link that says it goes to www.bank.com it really may go to www.offshoreplace.location and when you enter your card number and PIN they then use it to go to the real www.bank.com site and take your money.

Since my main email accounts are unix, I get to see the coding which reads {hyperlink to here}{show this address}{end hyperlink} ... this is how you can have an LJ cut that reads "about my vacation" or whatever.

No reputable credit card company or bank will call you or email you asking you to log in with no warning. If you hover over the link, you can sometimes see in the bottom of your window where it actually is going.

Oh, and be careful going to bank pages unless you know the URL (like from your statement) because there are some fake pages out there with similar names (e.g., bankname.com may be the real one but bank-name.com or bankname.net is a fake one). MSN when it guesses at what you meant sometimes will come up with the wrong ones.

[queenmaggie]

You wouldn't believe how careful I am about such links. Mostly because I know I don't know enough to trace things, so I'm very wary of doing anything that could ever let anything through. I've probably deleted real messages just to be on the safe side.

[cozit]

Can't remember if you're doing the Comcast thing or not, but there's another of those phishing things attacking folks with comcast.net in their address... rather threatening if you don't 'click here' and update your info.

And Comcast's normally reasonable spamcatcher missed three of them this weekend.