Jazzmoose Posted May 22, 2003 Report Posted May 22, 2003 I don't know about the rest of you, but the first rule I had drummed into my head was NEVER open attachments if they're in an email from someone you don't recognize, and even if you DO recognize them and feel funny. Well, you guessed it, I finally turned into a complete sap and opened one. Just got through reformatting my hard drive, reloading software, drivers, etc.. Lost all my email addresses, links, what have you. I am seriously pissed right now, but it's my own damned fault. Like idiots in any area of life, my brain told me "nah, it can't happen to you!" Duh.... As for why I'm posting this, well, the "sucker" subject line led me to believe that the sender knew of me (or knew me) through either this board or AAJ. Just wanted to alert the rest of you that someone's out there who doesn't play nice. (Yeah, I know; Aric's site getting hacked should have told me that...) Anyway, just a heads up. If anyone wants to mention what an idiot I am for opening the stupid attachment, please feel free. Maybe a few more kicks to the rear will help the lesson sink in! Quote
catesta Posted May 22, 2003 Report Posted May 22, 2003 What was the subject line? ADD 6 INCHES TO YOUR.... Or something like that. Quote
Jazzmoose Posted May 22, 2003 Author Report Posted May 22, 2003 Yeah, and on top of getting a virus, I added six inches to my WAIST. You have to read the fine print! Seriously, it was something about Dr. Dimento, if I'm spelling that right. It was too much for me to resist, but I think I've learned... Quote
Christiern Posted May 22, 2003 Report Posted May 22, 2003 Mark, I have received several of those. They appear to be from someone familiar, but the program that generates them dips into one's e-mail and extracts a name. There was one from my agent, actually an old e-mail she had sent to someone else last year--the attachment was a file with an unrelated name. Another one appeared to be from George Avakian--it had an attached file called "autopsy." Neither was sent by the identified senders, nor did I open the attachments. Since I use a Mac, they might not have worked as intended, but I wasn't taking any chances. Quote
Jazzmoose Posted May 22, 2003 Author Report Posted May 22, 2003 You're probably right, Chris; in fact, it's probably a good thing that I opened it from off-line, or it may have jumped to everyone in MY address book. I still can't believe I was stupid enough to open it... Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted May 22, 2003 Report Posted May 22, 2003 If it's any consolation, I know how you feel. Not about getting a virus, but my hard-drive crashed completely in February, and I lost everything. Had to reinstall everything from scratch, and I lost a ton of stuff. (None of it really important or anything, but a whole bunch of stuff I would have rather not lost.) Good luck getting back to normal. It's a pain in the ass, for sure... Quote
Guest Mnytime Posted May 23, 2003 Report Posted May 23, 2003 Not meaning to offend anyone but I don't open attachments on my home computer unless it is from family or someone working for me. And in many cases calling to make sure before opening anything. I learned a lesson by way of a friend whoes computer was completely destroyed. Quote
Simon Weil Posted May 23, 2003 Report Posted May 23, 2003 Yeah, I had my one of those a couple of years ago...AND I managed to mangle my computer by overdoing the deletion process. Not an experience I'm ever liable to forget. .. For about a year (starting some months after the above) I got emails with attachments to my alternate email address (associated with my website on Wagner's antisemitism). None of them came from addresses I recognised - and at least some were forged for sure. Maybe I got 50, I can't remember, a lot. I concluded very soon that someone was trying to mess me up. In a way it became amusing - because NO WAY was I going to open them after the experience I'd had before and someone was expending energy in sending me the damn things. The guy seems to have stopped now... Anyway, I definitely learn from this sort of thing...The hard way. Simon Weil Quote
connoisseur series500 Posted May 23, 2003 Report Posted May 23, 2003 What was the subject line? ADD 6 INCHES TO YOUR.... Or something like that. That would make mine an even 7 inches long! Would be unable to resist the temptation to open that one. Quote
Guest Mnytime Posted May 23, 2003 Report Posted May 23, 2003 Simon My friend, what Wagner site would that be? Can you post a link. Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted May 23, 2003 Report Posted May 23, 2003 May I make a suggestion? Free Virus Protection It's free, the updates are free, and it works great. Quote
Claude Posted May 23, 2003 Report Posted May 23, 2003 Yes, install a virus scanner that blocks harmful attachments. This isn't a perfect protection, but it will prevent most viruses and worms from being opened if the virus database is regularly updated. And make a backup of your personal data at least every week. This includes the mailbox, e-mail contacts, bookmarks, and all the data you created yourself (letters, photos). Except for photos, the data will probably fit on a single CD-RW that can be updated (incremental backup, only new or modified data are saved) Here is a freeware tool that can do an automatic backup: Backitup!. You need to know where your mail, bookmarks reside, this depends on your operating system and the internet programs. Quote
Simon Weil Posted May 23, 2003 Report Posted May 23, 2003 It's .....here..... Mny. Thanks... Simon Quote
chris olivarez Posted May 24, 2003 Report Posted May 24, 2003 Just about any e mail that makes a claim is something I view with suspicion but don't beat yourself up jazzmoose because it could happen to anybody. Quote
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