Re emailed update from Microsoft

[Geoff]

I have just received an email sent directly to my address purporting to come
from Microsoft with an executable attachment telling me to run the
exe.attached in order to bring up to date my anti virus patches etc.. There
is no certificate of authenticity attached. How do I know this is Kosher?
I am suspicious of this email, as I update everything automatically. Can
anyone comment please, before I open this file. Thank you.

 

[Jose Francisco]

Hey Geoff,

Don't open the file! It just another darn spammer! Microsoft never sends
emails with attachments.

Regards,
Jose Francisco

 

[Geoff]

Thank you all who replied. I thought something was not quite right. I've
sent it where it belongs.

 

[Ken Blake]

Hey Geoff,

Don't open the file! It just another darn spammer!

Worse, the file almost certainly contains a virus.