posted on January 22, 2001 09:54:21 PM new
I am just boiling. Auction ended and winner sent me his addy immediatly. Nice guy. I sent back costs, and received another email from him with a .exe and thinking it might be a apology funny thing for not telling me his mode of payment. I opened it since it was labled I_Am_Sorry.DOC.pif
WRONG! Screen went black and Norton came up and this thing would not delete! Hubby is a Tech and when he came home, had to clean up the machine with a 9 page instruction form from the Norton Site. It had infected, in those mere seconds, 90 windows files. In the mean time, I called this guy in California, and got this woman on the phone. She said no he wasn't at home and who was I. When I explained what happened, she changed her tune and said she knew of no such person, after admitting she had a 19 year old son, one in the same who won my auction!. How do I get ahold of his ISP? I want him canned! I also sent all headers, and even of the virus he sent, (because it had lodged itself in my temp directory, so we copied and pasted the unopened page in temp into drafts and then deleted it yet again) to safe harbor.
I do not want to continue with this sale and informed Ebay of this. And if he negs me for it, I also informed Ebay I expect them to remove it! How do I find out this guys Internet sevice providers phone number and location? Anyone who can help me here, please do! Thanks!! P.S. Sorry for rambling here but I am so upset I doubt if I will sleep all night. My crying is over, andnow I am ready to nail this jerk!
edited because my space bar is revolting!
[ edited by furkidmom on Jan 22, 2001 09:56 PM ]
posted on January 22, 2001 10:00:30 PM new
I have received about 10-15 viruses in the last year. In all cases, the sender was completely unaware of the virus.
I had a virus before and did now know that I had it. I had not updated norton and one of my bidders let me know that I had a worm virus. I promptly fixed my problem.
However, if he sent an .exe file on purpose, it is a different story. Let him know that you recieved a virus and see what he says.
posted on January 22, 2001 10:10:17 PM new
furkidmom - I have also had this happen. A lot of the time (actually most of the time), the virus is automatically sent through their email program and they have no idea that they have sent it - or even have a virus. I didn't even know I had a virus until a winning bidder notified me, because my email program had sent her an additional email. I know it sucks, but that it is part of the risk of dealing with so many strangers on the internet. Be sure you keep virus shields/scans up to date and never open an attachment from a bidder! If I receive an attachment from a bidder, I automatically delete it completely and then email them and explain to them I can't open it. Every single one of them understands. I would be very surprised if you bidder intentionally sent you a virus.
posted on January 22, 2001 10:15:38 PM new
I have some one ask me a question on one of my ebay auctions and sent me a snow white virus.(yesterday)I din't open it and sent them a nice email telling them about it. i learned after the happy99 virus not to open any thing .I well never do that again.
karen
posted on January 22, 2001 10:15:43 PM newfurkidmom you need to chill out. First of all the sender of this virus usually doesn't know he is infected. So you email his ISP ? I think it would be a mistake to cancel this auction, as he probably didn't do this on purpose. I think you have a little egg on your face.
posted on January 22, 2001 10:17:01 PM new
billd26 is right on the money...My friends dad had this on his computer...exact same one.
I couldn't fix it over the phone so he ended up taking it to a shop and the formatted the drive and started over...too much damage already done I guess..
Point is these are worm/trojan virus whom 99.9995% of the time, the sender doesn't know anything about it.
Basically once it's on your computer, it infects files to make sure it automatically attaches itself onto your outgoing e-mails...then it gets on their computer..and the cycle goes around again...
That is why they are so horrible to deal with.
My point is..even though you got this, this not the winners fault and there is absolutely no need to be so hostile towards someone who knows not what he did.
Turn the table around on yourself...what would you think??
posted on January 22, 2001 10:24:06 PM new
And just how in the world can I reconcile myself to the fact that this woman whom I talked to admitted this was the correct person and the correct home, and phone number but when I explained why I called, she said she never heard of this person before? She just did a complete turn around on me. Yes, deep breaths here lots of them. And yes, I too understand that viruses can be sent without the person realizing it. But I did receive the original letter from him with the mailing addy of his, and it was clean. Then I get this second one in about 15 minutes later, with the attachment. This coupled with the womans doing this turn a bout, just baffles me.
posted on January 22, 2001 10:42:47 PM new
Furkidmom ........... Because many of these exe nasties follow the original email "seconds" after the initial email is sent.
That's how they work.
Perhaps the women thought you sounded a tad "off" when you called, and was afraid of a lawsuit? I might have said they same thing if someone called my home & was ranting & raving. Not that I'm suggesting that you were ranting & raving when you called.
posted on January 23, 2001 12:47:55 AM new
I have Yahoo email.
It does virus checks. Plus I can email sellers and bidders from any 'puter.
I highly suggest it.
Maybe she was a protective mom.
A bulk of the viruses that the Yahoo email cleans are sent from unsuspecting pple.
posted on January 23, 2001 06:52:53 AM new
furkidmon -
"I sent back costs, and received another email from him with a .exe and thinking it might be a apology funny thing for not telling me his mode of payment. I opened it since it was labled I_Am_Sorry.DOC.pif"
NEVER OPEN AN EXE FROM YOUR MAIL READER NO MATTER WHO SENDS IT! DOWNLOAD IT and check it with a virus scanner, or just delete it.
And if you get an email with an attachement real soon after emailing someone, ASK THEM if they sent you something before opening it.
In most cases they are unaware that they sent the virus, so going on a crusade to get them off the internet will do no good. Just send them another email, let them know they have a virus that is wiping out their files and send them the URL to the site with the removal instructions and suggest that they start practicing safe computing.
"But I did receive the original letter from him with the mailing addy of his, and it was clean. Then I get this second one in about 15 minutes later, with the attachment. "
That's the way that virus works ... it sends itself to ALL ADDRESSES on the INCOMING MAIL, as a reply. This was NOT DELIBERATE, so chill out!
posted on January 23, 2001 06:56:42 AM new
There is a fairly new macro virus going around that comes in an attached .doc file or Word file. Don't open any attachment, even if you know who it is from. The two times I was sent a virus, it was from well meaning family or friends thinking the cool fireworks display would thrill everyone.
posted on January 23, 2001 07:08:31 AM new
I had this same thing happen to me, but as the sender!
I had no idea I was sending people viruses. After I realized what was going on, I called everyone I could get numbers for that I had emailed and told them.
It was a fairly simple fix, but again I had no idea I was doing it.
posted on January 23, 2001 07:28:34 AM new
I had the same problem with a seller, she sent the snowwhite virus without knowing it. I knew what it was, didn't open it, but sent her some information about it so she could delete it which she did.
posted on January 23, 2001 07:28:58 AM new
I agree that it was probably sent by accident and the mom was just being protective. I'd email him and see what he says. (Just don't open any exe's in his response!) If you still want to take it up with his provider, you may be able to if he doesn't have like a hotmail account. If it's "[email protected]" for example, you should be able to got to www.xyzcompany.com and find the webmaster's address. If not, you can go to Network Solutions and do a "whois" for XYZ company and it will give you a name, phone and address for the owner of the domain. But again, I'd talk to the guy first, if I were you. My 2 cents.
posted on January 23, 2001 07:29:49 AM new
I had the same problem with a seller, she sent the snowwhite virus without knowing it. I knew what it was, didn't open it, but sent her some information about it so she could delete it which she did.
posted on January 23, 2001 08:51:04 AM new
Well late last night I sent an email to the winning bidder, (as a reply to their first clean email) and asked them to call me because of the virus I got. I told them to call collect if they wanted to, and I would give them instructions on how to rid them of this virus. There has been no call so far, so perhaps they are in the process of cleaning up their machine, if in fact it was a mistake. This place is good for snapping one out of shock and indignation, and just generally being pi****d off. That dreaded black screen with the *red box* just sends chills right down to my toes. If I hear nothing from them and do get the payment for the auction, I will slip a note into the box, along with instructions oh how to clean up their machine. I am still in shock at the SPEED that thing has, because by the time, (and it was mere seconds)Norton kicked in, it had spread to 90 windows files and a few more! And I KNOW better then to open exe files. *bonk on the head* Thanks for the input everyone!
posted on January 23, 2001 09:13:26 AM new
Just curious...Why didn't your Norton's warn you as the email arrived and BEFORE you chose to open it? Mine always warns me that something that is infected is coming in and I can handle it at that point without even getting to the point of opening it...Is this something that eludes that process completely somehow??
Also, I keep my outlook express page to where the incoming mail isn't automatically opened. I have to click on a line and specifically choose whether to open it or whatever.
Thanks, shark.
______________________________
Sticks & stones may break my bones, but words can break my heart.
posted on January 23, 2001 10:14:44 AM new
First of all it is not the buyers fault,,,it is commom knowledge not to run an attachment before scanning it with an uptodate engine and dat file..
Second..your buyer made the same mistake you did by running the file he recieved from someone else who was also unaware..
Third..your buyer more than likely did not know his email program sent it to you.
Forth..You should have told him politley instead of freakin out...you deserve the neg!
If I freaked out on every customer whose email program has sent me a virus I would be insane..
Fifth..When I get one I email them to let them know with instauctions on how to clean it...I also advise them to tell everyone in thier address book..chances are they were sent it also.
Once infected ,Immediately after a new email message is sent, a second message is sent with no subject and the worm attached without you even knowing.
This is a really harmful virus and mabe you have learned a lesson from this..I hope you have.
I think you are the one that needs to apologize to the winner...you acted havey handed and werwe very rash..I would nevr want to deal with a person that acts like you do..
posted on January 23, 2001 10:41:55 AM new
Never ever open up an .exe attachment, even if it is coming from someone you know!
"And just how in the world can I reconcile myself to the fact that this woman whom I talked to admitted this was the correct person and the correct home, and phone number but when I explained why I called, she said she never heard of this person before?"
What would you do if a stranger called in an angry voice and asked to speak with your 19 year old son? I know what I would do and it is exactly what "this woman" did ....
posted on January 23, 2001 04:06:33 PM new
These new hybris viri are very quick-as you learned. You need a virus program that checks the attachments AS they are coming in.
InnoculatIT personal edition is free for personal use and works better than Norton or McAfee.
It has stopped this type virus 6 times in the last week.
posted on January 23, 2001 04:17:48 PM new
I agree with the posters that said the buyer probably was unaware.
If you do a lot of business with a lot of different people that email you, you should not open anything until you visit the Mcafee or Norton or other virus sites.
All current viruses being passed around are listed there.
If you get one from hahaha about Snow White, don't open up that one either.
The I_am_sorry.doc can also come by about 20 different titles.
I've banished the excess "sheeshes".