# FBI E-Mail Scam Spreads Virus



## mimo2005

FBI E-Mail Scam Spreads Virus 
02.23.05 


By Michael Myser

The FBI warned late Tuesday that e-mails appearing to originate from the bureau were spreading a virus via the accompanying attachment. 
The e-mail informs recipients that they have visited illegal Web sites and asks them to answer a set of attached questions. Opening the attachment will infect computers with the Sober-K worm, a variant that first appeared Monday morning. 
"*If the public receives an e-mail that purports to come from the FBI, please know that the FBI does not conduct business in this way*," said Paul Bresson, a spokesman at FBI headquarters in Washington. 

"We would not notify a person that they were a target or a potential target of investigation." 

According to senior analyst Gregg Mastoras of U.K.-based security firm Sophos, Sober-K is rapidly spreading across the Internet under a number of different subject lines, including one about Paris Hilton pornography and another from the FBI.


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## norin

thanks for the info mimo. i will inform people to beware.


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## Sarkast

Sorry i am probably posting this in the wrong forum - but its just hard to believe that there are still people that open attachments like that. "shake head"


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## norin

well sarkast you wouldn't necessarily be posting in the wrong forum. as this thread is related to a security issue. with people mostlikely going to be posting their concerns about such things. i think it is safe to say you are welcome with that comment here... ur safe no worries.


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## mimo2005

Sarkast said:


> Sorry i am probably posting this in the wrong forum - but its just hard to believe that there are still people that open attachments like that. "shake head"



here s the most logic answer :
The e-mail informs recipients that they have visited illegal Web sites , so some people feel that after downloading illegal stuff(porn,etc..)
they really think that they were caught by the fbi .


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## Sarkast

But isnt it safe to assume you have to be quite gullable if you think that when the FBI catches you doing something wrong they will send you an e-mail ???? 

I dont think the FBI handles much of their business with criminals by e-mail... LOL


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## norin

yea i would expect more of a breaking the door-down kinda buisiness-age :4-dontkno


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## cbwilsha

*FBI Scam*

Here is the actual letter I received yesterday. It was From [email protected] and addressed to [email protected]. I turned it over to the AOL Action Team to pursue. Thanks to this site and further investigation, it was readily apparent that it was a scam.

Dear Sir/Madam,

we have logged your IP-address on more than 40 illegal Websites.

Important: Please answer our questions!
The list of questions are attached.


Yours faithfully,
M. John Stellford



++-++ Federal Bureau of Investigation -FBI-
++-++ 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 2130
++-++ Washington, DC 20535
++-++ (202) 324-3000



*-* AntiVirus: Found to be clean
*-* "AOL" Anti-Virus Service
*-* http://www.aol.com

C.B.

P.S. There was no attachment so AOL's email virus scanning software must have detected the virus in the attachment and dumped it.


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## LoneWolf071

*IQ test...*

This is why i think everyone should pass an IQ test to get on the net. almost all virii is spread by people think they are recieving something, while in tur nthey are perpetuating the virus. NEVER OPEN ATTACHMENTS THAT COME VIA E-MAIL UNLESS YOU ARE 99.999999999% CERITAN THAT IT IS FROM A FRIEND OR TRuSTED SOURCE. The FBI,CIA,NSA will never contact you for almost any purpose, same will bill gates, etc etc...


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## norin

lonewolf got a point there. yea i only open things from people i know.. i won't even open emails from people i know unless they tell me they send it to me first. yea i keep my machine at bay from those mean emails... ::hugs machine...:: *ain't that right...* :ets the case to comfort it:: sorry was i gettign personal just now?


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## superflysmith

Here's what snopes has to say about this letter. http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/fbi.asp


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## norin

snopes.... snopes.... ::scratches chin:: *thinks where have is een that before?* *LIGHTBULB* O yea! i used to go there when i was on a huge Urban Legend Binge!


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## XTTX

Friend got one. I didn't believe him, I'll have to tell him it was a fraud.


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## digit

LoneWolf071 said:


> This is why i think everyone should pass an IQ test to get on the net.


If we weren't on a family oriented site!!!! :4-zap:


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