Re: Fradulent Email
From: Shenan Stanley (news_helper_at_hushmail.com)
Date: 03/17/04
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Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 02:40:56 -0600
XP User wrote:
> I've been getting those fraudulent patch emails that say to run the
> attachment
> Me, having a brain in my head, knows not to run attachments from
> unknown sources.
> Also, reading from MS site, that they don't send email with patch
> attachments The spelling error on the first paragraph was a dead
> giveaway anyways.
Pegasus (MVP) wrote:
> Spelling mistakes, unfortunately, are not a good indicator for
> fraudulent posts . . . The best way to protect your Email
> address is by quoting a fictitious address. Quoting your
> correct address is an open invitation to spamsters and
> other mischief makers.
What Pegasus means is...
No - you cannot prevent it now that you have put your address out there in
some form and something has collected your address OR you have
friends/family that have gotten infected with something (may still be
infected with something) and are now sending you email unknowingly.
Yes - you can get free spam filtering software and keep your Antivirus
software up to date and remain stead-fast in not opening emails/attachments
you do not know the source of and were expecting. You should also start
scanning your own machine steadily for Viruses, Trojans, Worms, Spyware,
Adware and other Malware using the various free scanning tools available to
you out on the Internet and easily located using Google Searches and the
likes. Also, never (even on your own web page) quote your real email
address in an un-munged fashion. If my email address was
nothingness@null.tv, then I would munge that to look like "nothingness AT
null DOT tv" or something.. Although, that munge may be looked for now, you
get the picture.
Keep a watchful eye out for the falsehood and scams and tell your
friends/family (in person, over a voice line, not in more spam email) to run
Antivirus software, scan their machine for spyware, not open unknown
emails/attachments, don't download and run random things from the Internet,
install and configure anti-spam applications and perhaps turn on their
Windows XP firewall or download a free one and configure it up (better yet,
get behind a NAT router.)
Essentially, I give you this advice to pass on to friends, family and
acquaintances.. Print it out and pass it on, or, if you must, spam them once
to let them know you care and help reduce the amount of CRAP out there...
Turn on that firewall...
http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/home/using/howto/homenet/icf.asp
(It has been reported that it now works with AOL 9.0+)
Make sure you have all the updates (critical) installed from:
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
(Scan for updates, Review and Install)
Get rid of the spy/ad/mal-ware..
(Yes - using MORE than one of these..
I recommend at least the first three.)
Spybot Search and Destroy
http://www.safer-networking.net/
Lavasoft AdAware
http://www.lavasoft.de
CWSShredder
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
Hijack This!
http://mjc1.com/mirror/hjt/
I also like "The Cleaner" and "SpywareBlaster" and "SpywareGuard".
- http://www.moosoft.com/
- http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/
The first is a PAY product, but useable for 30 days - it has found and
eliminated problems in the past the others did not. The latter two are
prevention mechanisms. I like SpywareGuard for those with enough processor
to have something running like antivirus software - and it prevents browser
hijacking quite well.
And Assortment of Others:
http://www.merijn.org/downloads.html
After you cleanup your PC somewhat of spy/ad/mal-ware, verify your antivirus
software is updated and run a full scan of your computer. If you have no
antivirus software - get one NOW! Grisoft AntiVirus:
http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php
Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to about
80 to 120MB (seems to be an optimal size for the normal user)
- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.
- Select TOOLS -> Internet Options.
- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section,
do the following:
- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)
- Click on "Settings" and change the
"Amount of disk space to use:" to something between 80MB
and 120MB. (Betting it is MUCH larger right now.)
- Click OK.
- Click on "Delete Files" and select to
"Delete all offline contents" (the checkbox) and click
OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10 minutes or
more.)
- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer
- Re-open Internet Explorer.
Uninstall any software you do not use often/ever. (If you have something
installed but never use it, uninstall it.) If you go through Control
Panel -> Add/Remove Programs and see things you seldom if ever use, it is to
your advantage to remove it.
Also, if you are tired of Web Page Pop-Ups/Unders.. You could try the
Google Toolbar.
-- <- Shenan -> --
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