Below is an email I received. Note the address is to patrickthayer@earthlink.net which is not 'me'. There were two attachments (which I deleted). I have received 7 or 8 of these in the past week (all with attachments). Some were addressed to me, some to other people. All were not from the same place. I am presuming this is spam - anyone else have a better idea? Floreda -----Original Message----- From: postmaster@sprynet.com [mailto:postmaster@sprynet.com] Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 8:20 AM To: patrickthayer@earthlink.net Subject: Your email was blocked ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ VIRUS BLOCKER MESSAGE STATUS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + Virus successfully cleaned out of attachment(s): No attachments are in this category. + Attachment(s) deleted due to virus: 1. error-mail_info.zip/Winzipped-Text_Data.txt .pif: W32.Sober.O@mm +++++++++++++++++++ Powered by Symantec +++++++++++++++++++ ------------ Original message text follows ------------

I have had the same thing happen, always names I have never heard of and not in my address book, I have been told they are viruses so just don't open them, get rid of them as fast as you can. Helen

Helen, It's possible your address book is set to keep all addresses, that you reply to... to check on this: in OE >Tools > Options... on Option's send tab..if "Automatically put people I reply to, in my address Book" is checked, UNcheck it... For anything else, I guess you'd just delete it as you come to it... they just say something dumb, anyway... but, if they are a virus, you sure don't want it... PAX & good luck! NancyT ----- Original Message ----- From: "helen ware" <helenware@comcast.net> To: <SENIOR-NEWBIE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 10:07 AM Subject: Re: [SR-NEWBIE] FW: Your email was blocked I have had the same thing happen, always names I have never heard of and not in my address book, I have been told they are viruses so just don't open them, get rid of them as fast as you can. Helen ==== SENIOR-NEWBIE Mailing List ==== The focus of this list is on helping Seniors to learn to use computers and the Internet. Tolerance and patience are the watchwords. For help in genealogical research methods and procedures, join ROCKINGCHAIR-ROOTS. Click and send: mailto:ROCKINGCHAIR-ROOTS-L-request@rootsweb.com?subject=subscribe ============================== New! Family Tree Maker 2005. Build your tree and search for your ancestors at the same time. Share your tree with family and friends. Learn more: http://landing.ancestry.com/familytreemaker/2005/tour.aspx?sourceid=14599&targetid=5429

Nancy: The way this worm (and others like it) is, as I think Joan explained, that when a computer is infected, it picks up a random address residing among the messages at the infected machine and uses that address as the "from" address and sends a copy of itself to others on the list. Floreda's address, for example, could have been in an incoming message in the mail of another member of this list and, if that member's machine is infected and been selected randomly as the sender. Personally, I think it is overkill and a waste of resources for ISP's and virus-blocking software to send notification that such messages have bounced. The ISP surely knows they are the work of a virus, worm or Trojan horse and therefore the "bounce message" is merely adding to the message load because they surely must know that you didn't send it - so why send a bounce message. Richard ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nancy Tollefson" <mamat@gvtel.com> To: <SENIOR-NEWBIE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 11:34 AM Subject: Re: [SR-NEWBIE] FW: Your email was blocked > Helen, > > It's possible your address book is set to keep all addresses, that you reply to... > to check on this: in OE >Tools > Options... on Option's send tab..if "Automatically > put people I reply to, in my address Book" is checked, UNcheck it... > > For anything else, I guess you'd just delete it as you come to it... they just say > something dumb, anyway... but, if they are a virus, you sure don't want it... > > PAX & good luck! > > NancyT > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "helen ware" <helenware@comcast.net> > To: <SENIOR-NEWBIE-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 10:07 AM > Subject: Re: [SR-NEWBIE] FW: Your email was blocked > > > I have had the same thing happen, always names I have never heard of and not in my > address book, I have been told they are viruses so just don't open them, get rid of > them as fast as you can. > Helen > > > ==== SENIOR-NEWBIE Mailing List ==== > The focus of this list is on helping Seniors to learn to use computers and the > Internet. Tolerance and patience are the watchwords. For help in genealogical > research methods and procedures, join ROCKINGCHAIR-ROOTS. Click and send: > mailto:ROCKINGCHAIR-ROOTS-L-request@rootsweb.com?subject=subscribe > > ============================== > New! Family Tree Maker 2005. Build your tree and search for your ancestors at the > same time. Share your tree with family and friends. Learn more: > http://landing.ancestry.com/familytreemaker/2005/tour.aspx?sourceid=14599&ta rgetid=5429 > > > ==== SENIOR-NEWBIE Mailing List ==== > For Newbie help with computers and genealogy see: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~besley/newbie.htm > > ============================== > Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. > New content added every business day. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx > >

The full description of this virus which causes the unwanted messages to be sent can be found on the Symantec site at: http://tinyurl.com/6fbcq Symantec also have a tool to download for anyone having difficulty removing this virus: http://tinyurl.com/yst4j As for stopping the messages reaching your computer, well that can be solved by using a program such as Mailwasher. Mailwasher will allow you to "view" your messages BEFORE you download them from your ISP's server. Mailwasher will indicate to you any suspect messages. Any such messages can be deleted before they reach your computer: http://entier.ecosm.com/system/redir.php?ad=15&aid=2359 It is the simplest way to ensure you get only the mail you WANT. You can't stop them being sent, but with Mailwasher you can prevent yourself receiving them. Lance