I have a virus

[ozzie46]

I have a virus that has made my e-mail part of a spam botnet. I have kept everything up to date. Security software and windows. I run Vista.

Grandson says the virus is so new that virus software doesn't recognize it yet so when run a scan it doesn't show up. It started Oct 1st or 2nd.

My e-mail is with hotmail.

If anyone here has received spam from me I am truly sorry.

All help is needed and gratefully accepted.

Ron

 

[Blogwitch]

Ron,

It isn't just you that it has happened to.

I get on average about 20 to 30 emails a day from a lot of engineering based friends, and at the moment, about 10% are showering me with spam, mainly t-e-e-n-a-g-e p-o-r-n.

I think once they have your email details, you are stuck with it, as it won't be you controlling it from your computer, but some bot somewhere sending them out to all and sundry.

I use a program called Mailwasher, that scans all my emails at my servers, and only allows down to my machine what I want, the rest are just sent back into oblivion.

http://www.firetrust.com/en/products/mailwasher-pro

All I can suggest at this time, is to change your email name and let everyone in your address book (if you have one) know about your change.

One thing you must NOT do is open one of theses spam emails, because as soon as you do, they will most probably have your email address within milliseconds. To do with whatever they want.

Let's be careful out there!

Bogs

 

[ozzie46]

John I think this spam is a new breed of cat as I didn't open the e-mail or attachment. It started sending itself out to everyone in my address book, even you. It had sent out e-mails even though I didn't open them. If you didn't get anything saying "Margaret", then I guess you "mail washer" works.I'll look into it.

Ron

 

[GWRdriver]

I've found that the "free" email services, specifically Hotmail and Gmail, have become little more than spam, bot, and worm generators, so much so that I've had to block all mail from those domains. One thing I've done which has considerably reduced spam is to set up several addresses (which my ISP allows me to do) and use one for online applications and inquiries and another for personal communication and still another for financial accounts, etc.

 

[Blogwitch]

Ron,

Somewhere along the line, whether it be while surfing the web or just a worm attached to something you have downloaded or had sent to you attached to an email, they have got hold of your email address and most probably your address book. This is happening all over the place, not just yourself, so don't feel guilty about it.

I personally would just like to catch one of these people who set things up like this. I would then prove the impossible by showing that you can get a PC, plus mouse, keyboard and monitor, up someones a**e.

I have done the same, and feel the same way as GWR. If you do have a server, set up new email addresses. I can have as many as I want (within reason) for 2 squid a month. A small price to pay to keep one step ahead of these low lifes.

With regards to if I have received one from yourself. Mailwasher actually allows me to read my emails as they sit in my server pigeon hole, so if I have already recognised who has sent it, I will normally send an email to the sender to let them know what is happening.

John

 

[ozzie46]

Thanks John.

Ron