viruses on the net

[Fil]

Hi, I am not sure if this is totally relevant, but I have been receiving lots and lots of virus attacks via the net. I have been very wary for some time and simply never open an email with a paperclipped attachment any more. I am positive what I have been receiving (sometimes three or four different ones in a day) are viruses because they are always the same size (24K) and all purport to be a reply to something I am supposed to have been sent - being titled for example 'Re:your text' or 'Re:your message'. Now, I am absolutely certain I have never ever sent any messages out requiring these replies so they are evidently bogus. All emanate from different supposed email addresses none of which I recognised until the other day. When I got one from an address I knew - another gite owner who advertises in Living France like I do. But I knew they had not got our email address so rang them up and had a chat. And there own computer had blown up on the Saturday before I received the message. So their computer could not even have sent it if it had itself been infiltrated with a virus.
My question is this - have other gite owners with email addresses been receiving similar large amounts of virus attempts? And have any of them received them from addresses they know? Or had their own addresses used perhaps? My husband thinks it is aimed at gite owners exclusively, but I am so computer illiterate I have no idea if this could be done. How does someone else get to use your email address? Surely they would need your password?
Any ideas would be appreciated.

[Buntina]

This is a 'net wide' problem, def. not just gite owners

Make sure you have up to date Anti Virus software - AVG is good www.grisoft.com - Make sure the update manager is set to update daily!

Install something like Adaware or Sbybot and run it regularly

Never, never open an attachment from anyone - unless you are sure of its origin, even then if its .exe, .pif, .scr then DEF DO NOT OPEN

Mike

http://www.splash-internet.com

[Liz]

LAST EDITED ON 07-Apr-04 AT 05:38 PM (GMT)

This sounds very similar to the messages mentioned by Jill at http://www.livingfrance.com/dcforum/DCForumID3/3384.html although I don't think she is a gite owner. It is similar to ones I have received (but never opened) myself. I believe it arises because someone who has made an enquiry, or possibly booked with me, then has my e-mail address in their address book. Like you, the technicalities of this are beyond me.

I don't see there is much you can do about it except change your address (probably not practical) and keep on deleting the messages. I have also installed a virus checker which I didn't have before (see postings re AVG in the 'techie' forum http://www.livingfrance.com/dcforum/DCForumID33/1060.html) and was pleased to see it come up with 'no viruses found' so I know my system is in the clear.

Liz (29)