posted on June 7, 2003 04:34:12 AM new
Hi,
Received this today. Is this a scam.
eBay Security Measures!
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This email has eBay's logo and a return address for safe harbors not safe harbor. Has anyone else received this.
Thanks,
Jim
posted on June 7, 2003 06:41:14 AM new
Better yet, forward the message unaltered to "[email protected]".
There's also a forged "Ebay Contest" email going around (offers a chance to win a Ford Explorer if you "sign in" ). The form redirects to a site in Taiwan.
Uh huh.... (rolls eyes)
[ edited by cougarls88 on Jun 7, 2003 06:41 AM ]
[ edited by cougarls88 on Jun 7, 2003 06:43 AM ]
posted on June 7, 2003 09:57:06 PM new
Never opening an email attachment is akin to never opeing your door when someone knocks. It's all about context. If you get an email from Bill Gates with the latest Windows Security Update attached, don't open it. If it's from your brother showing you pictures of his kids, you're probably safe. Install anti-virus software, and be prudent. But don't let fear ru(i)n you online existence.
posted on June 9, 2003 09:04:45 AM new
Be skeptical. Tell yourself that everything on the internet is a scam... then remember the first true / false exam on Scam question... If you ask yourself if it is a scam, it must be a scam (true).
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. B. Franklin
posted on June 9, 2003 09:45:45 AM newjromes' advice was good a year ago, but the cyber-vandals that distribute these viruses are getting very tricky.
I got an email from my sister, who often sends me pix of the siblettes. The subject line was "Hi!" or something like that, the attachment was called "image.jpg" which to my uneducated eye looked like a picture. Turns out it was NOT a picture .... it was the bugbear virus (very bad.) Fortunately, my software caught it.
I did two things to protect myself in the future. First ... if anyone in my family sends out a picture, they also send a separate email to the same people saying "Hey, I just sent you a picture or a file with (specific info about what is in it)" and add a bit more family-releated chitchat - the kind of stuff a virus program can't (yet) fake. If I get an email with an attachment from someone outside the family, I email them first and say "Did you just send me a file?" I don't open it until they say yes.
Secondly, I changed Windows' default settings so that I always see the full file name. In the case above, the file name was actually image.jpg.pif, with the "pif" extension signifying that it might have a virus -- but Windows automatically hides that second extension unless you tell it not to. You can find instructions for changing that setting on the Windows support site.
posted on June 9, 2003 09:58:44 PM new
Makes sense to me. I think the key is, if you use Windows, anti-virus software is an absolute requirement and so are regular security updates. The precautions you suggest are prudent.
Anyways, I use a Mac, so I've never had a problem with a virus, and I don't worry about opening attachments.
Another good trick for attachments is this: if you get an image file, forward it to a webmail account (Yahoo! or Hotmail, for example) and see if it opens there.
