Infection Alert

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 7 Jun 2006 6:32 am

In the last two days I have received a half dozen email notices informing me of 'failed deliveries' of emails to addresses that had nothing to do with me--stuff I definitely didn't send. I've gotten this before but I've always been confused about what it means--am I infected? is somebody out there spoofing my address? is it just meaningless nonsense?
Anyway, I emailed our fearless moderator Wiz with my questions and with the headers & all and the answer is vague--it could be a lot of things but chances are good that someone who has my address in his computer is infected and is sending stuff out in my name.
As always--the person who is infected is A VICTIM, not a perpetrator. But this is a heads-up to anybody--there's always stuff out there. Check out your system, virus-scan it. Keep current with your AV updates.

And if anyone is receiving strange stuff with my address on it, it ain't me.

Thanks, Wiz.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 7 Jun 2006 9:42 am

I've got those a couple of times. According to the RoadRunner support my e-mail was "spoofed" by a spammer but really nothing they or I can do about it. The couple of times it's happened it went away after the rash of "returns". I also had it happen to my hotmail account and Hotmail support told me the same thing.

Richard Bass · Post by **Richard Bass** » 7 Jun 2006 12:20 pm

Jon there is a anti-spam program called MailWasher. It bounces spam back to sender with the non deliverable message. If your address is being spoofed to send the spam, these messages will come back to you. I've just started using this program so I can't say yet how good it is.
Richard

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 7 Jun 2006 12:31 pm

Jon,

I use Mailwasher, also, and it's the best.

Yeah, it's another step to do before opening email, but you can nip the bud right here in MW.

You can even review the entire email body before you actually open your email.

Great tool, and a there's a free version, also.
[This message was edited by CHIP FOSSA on 07 June 2006 at 01:32 PM.]

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 7 Jun 2006 12:53 pm

I've got no problem getting these returns. It's the implications that bother me----I'm glad that they are being rejected. I just hope that they aren't being received by someone out there who is thinking "who the hell is jonlight and why is he spamming me!"
What I also always wonder when I get one of these returns is---is this a real return of a spoofed email or is it a phony return that is just trying to get me to open something malicious.
Regardless, just heads-up to everyone out there.

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 7 Jun 2006 4:41 pm

Jon;
If you are receiving a 550 Recipient Unknown Here message then the email system rejected the message for the stated reason, and nobody thinks you are a spammer.

Regarding Mailwasher, I use this program to screen all incoming email and strongly recommend it. Read all about Mailwasher Pro here.

------------------
Bob "Wiz" Feinberg
Moderator of the SGF Computers Forum
Visit my Wiztunes Steel Guitar website at: http://www.wiztunes.com/
or my computer troubleshooting website: Wizcrafts Computer Services,
or my Webmaster Services webpage.
Learn about current computer virus and security threats here.
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