Garol, I am not computer smart enough to know what you are talking about, but I have not sent you a message, but funny things are happening on my computer.

What should I do next?

Larry

Well,no but my er..uhmm.. unit has grown 1-3 inches and a nigerian prince promises to send me $50,000 soon. But a fake e-mail did come yesterday.

Real e-mails from me will have horrible mis-spellings and make outrageous claim.

Hi Larry,

What is happening exactly with your computer? Right now it sounds like your email account has been phished. This means that a spammer (junk mailer) has hijacked your email account and taken control of your address book and is sending your contacts fake messages with viruses attached. You should run an anti virus scan to try to clear it up. If you can't do it yourself, you can take the computer to Best Buy or any other computer repair stores. Hope it gets fixed quickly.

Kelly

I have been getting those messages also, I must have thrown away over a hundred million dollars by now.

Larry

Kelly, I had my computer debugged about 2 or 3 months ago and an anti-virus program installed by Best Buy. Does this mean it is not working?

Larry

Larry, I think someone got into your email contacts list because I recognized several of the addresses: Jo, Dorothy, Lisa, Maubles, George, someone starting with Newton that I didn't recognize. Since mine got hit earlier in the week, I am crutching along so I can see the internet, but couldn't open the message. I typed it in my browser window and it was not an English speaking site. About that time my Virus Checker alerted on it.

I wanted you to be aware, but I also posted as a warning to any of those others who may receive your message (that really isn't yours). They should NOT click on the link, and SHOULD delete the message.

Carol, thanks, I will try to correct the problem.

Newton is my DW. I have sent her a few messages trying to learn how to use the computer. Her computer is messed up now, it may be connected to this problem in some way.

I can not remember sending any messages to anyone other than forum members, except my Niece.

Larry

Hi Larry,

Have you used your anti-virus program yet? Have you run a scan of your entire computer? If not, you should do this. I don't think that a physical person has gotten into your email. I believe that your email has been phished. If your computer is still working, google "phising". This basically means that you have a virus that has run through your personal email contact list, stolen all of the addresses in it, and generated a message with a similar phishing virus to send to your friends' address. In gardening terms, the virus is trying to reseed itself. If they click on a link or download anything off the email you sent them--which they might try to do because you are a known contact of theirs--then the virus will plant itself into their computer and cause their addresses to get phished too.

So, what do you do? First, if you can get into your email, send a message to all of your contacts saying that your email address book has been phished and tell people that it isn't safe to open mail from you for a while.

Second, run your antiviral software. Make sure it is updated to include the newest computer viruses. Make it scan your entire computer. This might take all night. When it finishes its scan, it will most likely come up with quarantined viruses. It will ask if you want to lock them in a vault or quarantine them (whatever language your software uses). Click "yes".

Then, run the anti-virus software again to make sure you got it all. If that *doesn't* work, I know a good computer repair person. Your system might have to be wiped and re-installed. But, a good anti-virus software should catch it. Feel free to ask me questions.

Kelly

I got hijacked on facebook once. Apparently I was in terrible trouble and stuck in Nigeria with no plane ticket home.

If I ever do something that stupid in real life just leave me there.

People's accounts get hacked every day. I hope yours is okay!

Jo

I have been messing with my computer. I have tried to change address and pass word. I don't know if I had any success, I will check more.

Larry

I suspect the same thing may have happened to Ezzirah, ya'll. A few weeks ago I received one from his/her(?) e-mail addy, but I recognized that the "re" clause looked suspicous. It referenced a website. I deleted it. I received another one today. My g-mail account is new and I've only corresponded thru it since planning the Fling, It doesn't offer me the option to "view" it without opening it.

I've not corresponded with this person since the RSVP to the Fling. I don't remember that they actually attended and now that I think of it, we haven't seen this person post recently either.

Make sure your spy-ware and anti-virus are all up to date!

Paula

Dear forum members. I am working on my infected computer.
I have run the anti-spy and anti-virus program and changed my password. If you still receive strange massages form my computer please let me know. MY knowledge of computers is very low so I may have to take it to someone with the knowledge to repair it.

I have heard a Mac computer wont get a virus, Is this correct?

Larry

Larry I'm basically computer challenged. I can do what I need to do at work and home but not into the technical side like so many are. Luckily I have a nephew who is an award winning IT tech. He works for an internet,cell phone, phone and cable TV provider. When I have trouble I call him. I used to view a lot of online auctions and continually had problems with window based computers. So around 4 years ago I bought a Mac. The best computer decision I've made. Many of the IT techs I know have them for their personal computer. But yes they can get a virus. I've had a few. For the first 2 years I never had an anti virus program. Now I do. I run a program that scans for window viruses also. The reason is they won't hurt my Mac but can be carried in emails, ect I send to someone else. Which is the reason I installed one. I had sent a virus to some friends and never realized there was a problem. I believed the stories a Mac couldn't get one and never thougtht about it spreading a Window based virus although it wasn't infected. And the window based viruses have been the majority of those found. In almost 2 years of running an anti-virus program it has found 4-5 Mac based viruses. And 3 of these were found on the first scan after I downloaded it. So since I have found only 2 Mac based viruses. The threat isn't near as great with a Mac but there is still a threat. Jay

I hope I have my Email fixed now. I got a new account with name change and new password. Please let me know it things are still messing up. I never could get yahoo to change my pass word, but still feel things are not quite right.

Larry

um...don't mean to add insult to injury, but you might want to update your "member page" also. There's no e-mail link if we need/want to contact you.

You have my sympathy...truly. I know it's a mess.

Paula

Paula, There's no link on mine right now either because I am wondering if that is where my problem started. If anyone needs to write to me, I hope they have my address, because I don't plan to have it posted out there for awhile.

Are we going to have get a box of carrier pigeons? I think I can train a pigeon easier than I can fix my computer.

I hope my old email and password is dead, but I don't know how to check it.

What would happen if I tried to send an email to my old address? I have messed with it so much to day that I cant get into it.

Laryy, I sent a msg to your old email address and so far it has not come back. Did you log in using your new password?

Carol, everything is the same on garden web. I sent them a message. I will wait for a reply, may have to kill everything and start from scratch

Hi Larry

I'm glad you're getting it fixed! :). Only Linux systems don't get viruses.
I don't like them, but my DH swears by them.

Kelly

Was going to attach this yesterday. A little different situation but just shows the risks involved in using debit cards and other electronic methods. My nephew who is the computer tech doesn't have a Facebook account or anything similar as he has seen what can happen. He says basically no system is hack proof. He cringes when I talk about doing my online banking. I had my debit card number used in the same manner as this several years ago and just started using one again in the last few months. Now I'm reconsidering. Jay

Here is a link that might be useful: Debit cards

Carol, I was able to get into my old email and saw your message. I also got a message from garden web. I they can kill the account and I can re-register. I already have a new email

My wife and I share one computer now that hers is on the blink. She said she had two messages from me this morning.
I told her not to open them.

Jay, that scares me about the Debit cards. I don't like carrying cash or a check book. My son uses Pay Pal for every thing he can. I guess he uses cash or check for all local transactions.

I will close everything and open up again later. I will continue to monitor OK garden web and if anyone needs to contact me, just post on the forum. I am so computer illiterate I really don't know what is the best action to take.

Larry

Larry,
I had my PayPal account hacked into several years ago. I had the secured verified account where you have to provide your bank account routing number. My bank noticed several large charges being made to my account. They notified a bank investigator. There was close to 2 thousand dollars charged to my account before they caught it. I only use a credit card on Pay Pal now. I will add a card number and as soon as I make the purchase I remove it. Like I said in my opinion there is basically no secure site on the internet. That is the opinion of the bank investigator I talked too and also my nephew's. I use a check most of the time. And a credit card if I have too. I had just started using a debit card again but rethinking that now. Jay

Sorry to hear about your trouble, Larry. I've received nothing fishy from you.

I've had my email taken over a couple of times. My Facebook account, too. I was apparently stranded in London with the kids on a last-minute vacation. Yeah, that's something I'd do. Heh.

We have Macs and have not had any viruses since making the switch several years ago. I'm a complete computer moron so it has to be pure luck that I've not yet caught one of the rare Mac viruses. I hear they're getting more common.

Oh, I did have my debit card number stolen a couple of years back. The bank caught it and was very good about it. I guess I'd been buying up several hundred dollars in fancy underwear in Norway or something and they thought that might be a bit odd for me.

Like old age, the internet is not for sissies, huh?

Diane

Jay, that beats all I have heard of. I guess I grew up in the dark ages, If I need more money it meant I had to work more hours, sometimes it meant I had to have a second job. It never occurred to me that I could steal.

I have never had a credit card. When I started driving a truck about 12 years ago I got a debit card and thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, I don't feel that way now.

Sometimes it looks like the bad guys are smarter than the good guys.