In a message dated 5/22/01 8:44:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, jmiles@naxs.net writes: > So far, I've gotten and quarantined 3 viruses from this mailing list. What > is going on? Judy- I posted the following message once and hadn't planned on repeating it--however, it explains that the virus attachments are not coming from the list--please read it if you have not read the notice before. Please do NOT discuss viruses on this list in the future. If you want further information on viruses, subscribe to: VIRUS-DISCUSSION-L@rootsweb.com Normally virus discussion is "off-topic" for a genealogy list but I'm making an exception for this announcement. Please do NOT respond to the list about this message but please read it. RootsWeb lists are virus-free and you won't receive any viruses through the lists. However, there is a virus going around currently called Bad Trans that can trick you into thinking it is coming from a list. A list subscriber has informed me that at least one subscriber to PENNA-DUTCH-L is or was infected by this virus. Here is how it works so that you can recognize it and avoid it. A list subscriber posts a message to the list and the message is then sent out to everyone on that list (no viruses involved). Someone who is a list subscriber is already infected with the virus (their computer is that is). When the list message arrives in that infected person's inbox the virus works by sending a reply to the person whose address is in the FROM line of the message (i.e. the list poster). The Bad Trans virus works in this manner and it tricks the recipient into thinking that the list is involved when it is only the means by which the poster's address arrived on the infected person's computer--the virus never came through the list. The reply with the list message quoted and the attachment with the virus included is then sent to the original poster. That is why so many folks are fooled into opening the attachment. They think it is a legitimate response to their query. Anyone who clicked on the attachment would have gotten a message saying that the file was corrupted but that is the virus sending that message, and seeing that message indicates that your computer *has* been infected with the virus. If you think you might be infected with this virus please obtain updated anti virus software and scan and clean your system. See: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/announce.html#virus for additional information. Joan, co-admin PENNA-DUTCH-L@rootsweb.com