Warning -- Do NOT open any newsgroup postings with attachments...

[David McRitchie]

ALL of the postings with attachments you are currently seeing in the
Excel newsgroups ALL have viruses -- DO NOT OPEN.

Be suspicious of any posting that is 6 KB or higher, if it doesn't
look right -- don't open it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attachments are basically only acceptable in binary newsgroups,
those that have "binary" in their newsgroup names. There are very
few exceptions to that and the Excel newsgroups are not an
exception.

Attachments greatly increase posting sizes, taking up much additional
space on your computer, transmissions times,
and storage on newsservers and can contain viruses. Also look for
large posting sizes currently most of these postings with viruses
are greater than 128K, and purport to deliver or inform you about
a "Patch", or an "Update", or "Fix" with other words thrown in.
i.e.
Apply that important update.
Prove these corrective patch

ALL of the postings with attachments you are currently seeing in the
Excel newsgroups ALL have or had viruses -- DO NOT OPEN.

Many are to made to look like they com from Microsoft -- they don't.

Viruses create forged headers, the sender is almost always not whom it
appears to be so don't email the person telling them they sent you a virus
in email, or to a newsgroup..
The from and to are filled in at random from collected email addresses.

If you have Outlook Express 6, you can select a newsgroup posting
and delete it. If you hold the SHIFT key when you delete, it will be
permanently deleted, which is your safest choice if in doubt.

 

[David McRitchie]

Microsoft has posted a warning on their home page and a link. Wish it could
have been posted in the newsgroups at the time when most of these bogus
e-mails started appearing frequently and then later started appearing in
newsgroups..

http://www.microsoft.com
How to Tell If a Microsoft Security-Related Message Is Genuine (Sep 19, 2003)
http://www.microsoft.com/security/antivirus/authenticate_mail.asp

and includes the following topic:
Example of a Bogus Bulletin
Counterfeit security communications can appear quite convincing, as was the
case with the fraudulent e-mail that was used to distribute the Swen worm.

some examples of bogus bulletins posted today
FWD: See patch from the M$
Prove this critical update from the Microsoft
Check out corrective package for Microsoft Internet Explorer
Look at this pack from the MS
See these critical pack for Microsoft Internet Explorer
Re:Try the correction patch from the M$ Corporation

Some email or postings may contain the virus and not show up as
an attachment. So far they do not look like questions but
imperative commands, so that can be part of your identification.

 

[Paul]

ALL of the postings with attachments you are currently seeing in the
Excel newsgroups ALL have viruses -- DO NOT OPEN.

Be suspicious of any posting that is 6 KB or higher, if it doesn't
look right -- don't open it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------
Attachments are basically only acceptable in binary newsgroups,
those that have "binary" in their newsgroup names. There are very
few exceptions to that and the Excel newsgroups are not an
exception.

Unless I'm mistaken (in which case I would appreciate being corrected!),
Outlook Express 6 doesn't allow you to block either:
1 messages larger than a certain file size (as opposed to number of lines);
or
2 messages with attachments.
This is a pity.

 

[Jordon]

Unless I'm mistaken (in which case I would appreciate being
corrected!), Outlook Express 6 doesn't allow you to block either:
1 messages larger than a certain file size (as opposed to
number of lines); or 2 messages with attachments.
This is a pity.

You can get OE 6 to not allow the opening of attachments
that may contain a virus but it's either on or off and there's
no settings available. You can also use a message rule
that deletes all messages from the server that have
attachements.

And with message rules you can delete (or move) messages
that are greater than "x" bytes but I'm not sure if that works
with just the message or with attachments too.

Jordon

 

[David McRitchie]

For OE6
Blocking actually is only by senders email address
but that doesn't mean you have to look at them otherwise.

For the others you can delete, move to another folder, colorize.
Not sure which options constitute checking the body, once the
body is checked for a rule has been completely downloaded

process by size in KB
option available in email, not available in newsgroups

process by number of lines (can be 0, 1, or correct)
option not available for email, available for newsgroups

process if it has an attachment
option available for email, not available in newsgroups

Restricting on *kind* of attachment does not actually refuse the email
or newsgroup, it just makes the attachment unavailable while the option is in effect.
The restriction is too severe, and as stated it is all or nothing it
does not prevent delivery..

More information on Outlook Express 6 in email and newsgroups
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/oe6.htm

 

[Harlan Grove]

For OE6
Blocking actually is only by senders email address
but that doesn't mean you have to look at them otherwise. ...
More information on Outlook Express 6 in email and newsgroups
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/oe6.htm

...

One of the very rare nice things I'll say about AOL is that it's interface does
eliminate much of the risk from e-mail worms/viruses/attachments. Much safer
than OEx.

 

[Tim Otero]

Thanks Dave,

I've been getting inundated with these in my email. In email, those that
have viruses are 144k, 156k, or 157k. They alson use subject lines like:
Security patch, Undelivered message, Internet Update, etc.

tim

Microsoft has posted a warning on their home page and a link. Wish it could
have been posted in the newsgroups at the time when most of these bogus
e-mails started appearing frequently and then later started appearing in
newsgroups..

http://www.microsoft.com
How to Tell If a Microsoft Security-Related Message Is Genuine (Sep 19, 2003)
http://www.microsoft.com/security/antivirus/authenticate_mail.asp

and includes the following topic:
Example of a Bogus Bulletin
Counterfeit security communications can appear quite convincing, as was the
case with the fraudulent e-mail that was used to distribute the Swen worm.

some examples of bogus bulletins posted today
FWD: See patch from the M$
Prove this critical update from the Microsoft
Check out corrective package for Microsoft Internet Explorer
Look at this pack from the MS
See these critical pack for Microsoft Internet Explorer
Re:Try the correction patch from the M$ Corporation

Some email or postings may contain the virus and not show up as
an attachment. So far they do not look like questions but
imperative commands, so that can be part of your identification.

--
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm

ALL of the postings with attachments you are currently seeing in the
Excel newsgroups ALL have viruses -- DO NOT OPEN.

 

[Ken Wright]

I can delete them all in OE 6 without having to download them now. I can sort the headers on
size, select first to last on what I want to delete using SHIFT, and then just hit the delete
button. Used to have to go through the search rigmarole if i wanted to get rid of them, but Don
pointed out the other day that I can now just delete them in situ. Works great for me, and is
even rather therapeutic IMO <g> (Hits the delete button again and yells "Die as well, you
b&%$$£$"). Am I letting this get to me too much??????? <g>

It's even better than playing 'Rise of Nations', because it's always me that gets killed off in
there!!!

--
Regards
Ken....................... Microsoft MVP - Excel
Sys Spec - Win XP Pro / XL2K & XLXP

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attitude - A little thing that makes a BIG difference
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

For OE6
Blocking actually is only by senders email address
but that doesn't mean you have to look at them otherwise.

For the others you can delete, move to another folder, colorize.
Not sure which options constitute checking the body, once the
body is checked for a rule has been completely downloaded

process by size in KB
option available in email, not available in newsgroups

process by number of lines (can be 0, 1, or correct)
option not available for email, available for newsgroups

process if it has an attachment
option available for email, not available in newsgroups

Restricting on *kind* of attachment does not actually refuse the email
or newsgroup, it just makes the attachment unavailable while the option is in effect.
The restriction is too severe, and as stated it is all or nothing it
does not prevent delivery..

More information on Outlook Express 6 in email and newsgroups
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/oe6.htm
--
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm

You can get OE 6 to not allow the opening of attachments
that may contain a virus but it's either on or off and there's
no settings available. You can also use a message rule
that deletes all messages from the server that have
attachements.

And with message rules you can delete (or move) messages
that are greater than "x" bytes but I'm not sure if that works
with just the message or with attachments too.

Jordon

 

[Ken Wright]

And you can also include any postings (Only about 2K in size with no attachment) that would imply
you can see some naughty neighbour sunbathing, as once the .scr file at the end of the link
delivers it's payload, I would suspect that pictures of neighbours tanning will be the last thing
on your mind <g>

--
Regards
Ken....................... Microsoft MVP - Excel
Sys Spec - Win XP Pro / XL2K & XLXP

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attitude - A little thing that makes a BIG difference
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Be suspicious of any posting that is 6 KB or higher, if it doesn't
look right -- don't open it.

<snip>

 

[Harlan Grove]

. . . you can see some naughty neighbour sunbathing, . . .

They probably add insult to injury - the neighbor is probably some old guy
weighing in over 20 stone.

 

[Ken Wright]

LOL - Must admit, I wouldn't want to see my neighbours like that!!!