Fast-moving computer worm: Email says from FBI or CIA

mysteriew

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A fast-spreading Internet threat, called the worst computer worm of the year, looks like an official e-mail from the CIA or FBI but is far from it.

Instead, the worm known as "Sober-X" can leave a computer wide open to intruders, the Washngton Post says.

The bogus e-mail claims the government has discovered you visiting "illegal" Web sites and asks you to open an attachment to answer some official questions.

If you do, your computer gets infected with malware that can disable security and firewall programs and blast out similar e-mails to contacts in your address book.

http://pub2.bravenet.com/news/92920030/21513/1
 
mysteriew said:
A fast-spreading Internet threat, called the worst computer worm of the year, looks like an official e-mail from the CIA or FBI but is far from it.

Instead, the worm known as "Sober-X" can leave a computer wide open to intruders, the Washngton Post says.

The bogus e-mail claims the government has discovered you visiting "illegal" Web sites and asks you to open an attachment to answer some official questions.

If you do, your computer gets infected with malware that can disable security and firewall programs and blast out similar e-mails to contacts in your address book.

http://pub2.bravenet.com/news/92920030/21513/1

Thanks Myst.....my dh already was on top of this. I hope no one opens this email!!!!!!!
 
I hope all those who may feel the FBI would have reason to contact them opens it. For all the rest: Beware!
 
Thank you for posting this, I hadn't heard about it yet, but I forwarded it to friends and family.
 
Yes, I got several like that a day or so ago.

They really threw me for a loop - after what I've been posting on PP.

Also don't open the Paris Hilton/Nicole Ritchie ones.
 
I never open anything!!!!! I'm on a MAC, so it' hard to get a virus, but nothing is impossible!!!!!
 
my boss opened it and he's getting bombarded by emails now 80-100 an hour...

they scrubbed his drive rebuilt the system and it is still there, it loads up onto the server, it hasn't touched mine, but I'm running a little more advanced protection...
 
I got at least six of these emails in a one day period of time--I had been doing some Bush bashing online and I figured uh-oh, they had caught up to me! And my son had been on the computer so I wondered just what sites HE had been visiting that the CIA was saying 30 illegal sites were visited? I told my SO about the emails (he's former LE) and he said if the CIA is looking into your activities you'll know about it--they'll be at the door not sending you emails. Thank goodness I didn't open them up!
 
that's funny, when I heard what the email said the first thing I did was try to think back which 30 sites I was on that I shouldn't have been...

one thing funny about this virus, in Microsoft, the server actually stores info on sites that are concidered restricted.

This virus knows where to find that file and starts sending emails from those sites to all of your friends and it mentions your name...

could be quite embarrassing if someone's been surfing *advertiser censored* sites...
 

Thanks for the heads-up, Mysteriew. :)

I've received a number of these CIA/FBI emails on various email accounts. Fortunately - I never ever open an attachment if I don't recognize & trust the sender. Frankly, I rarely even open an email unless it's someone in my address book.

I did forward the article to all my friends & family members.

Be safe all! :D

13th Juror
 

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