Hoax Private Messages On Es Share | Options

[Tara]

Hi everyone,

It has been brought to my attention that someone is sending hoax private messages to ES members.

The message says

Important message from the forum administration

Dear -------!

A virus alert was noticed on your computer.
We highly recommend you to check your computer and perform online virus check at our site immediately:

Please ignore this message as it is a fake and clicking the link may harm your computer. I have not pasted the link here in case anyone clicks it by mistake. We are looking into the matter and will get back to you ASAP.

[Nancy]

Thanks, Tara

[Tara]

You're both very welcome, of course - and the sender has now been deleted. Everyone, please PM me or another mod, or post here if you receive any more messages of this kind.

[mels]

Dear all,

We are doing our best to ban spammers and delete their messages as fast as we can, but some of you will inevitably be exposed to their messages and links before we do so. Because of that, I would like to insist on the fact that forums are just like email: if you ever receive a message (PM or public post) containing a link, please make sure that the source is a trusted member before you click on the link.

Also, I've noticed that this PM was sent with a signature stating that it was sent from "Forum Administration www.everlasting-star.net" : please note that any security or system issues issues here would only be posted by the administrators : Tara, Paju or myself. Please make sure that you never, ever trust or click on a link on a so called "official message" that hasn't been sent by one of us.

If you are unsure of what to do, please PM us or post a message on the "Off Topic" boards, someone will get back to you ASAP and let you know if it is safe to click or not (IMG:http://www.everlasting-star.net/boards/style_emoticons/default/smile1.gif)

Mels

[Joan Newman]

Wow Thanks Mels. I was afraid to go back on ES thinking I might get into trouble. Thank you for letting us know. (IMG:http://www.everlasting-star.net/boards/style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

[Margherita]

You lucky ones!

I got to this site few days ago - a pop-up window opened up claiming etc, you know - first I checked my regular virus safety etc = everything's ok

-
then I came back here - I had a stomach ache, shouldn't have come - I quess something went wrong in my brain - I opened the link -


Yeah, blasted - my whole computer program by that - 2-3 days it's been now with this new machine, minus 300 euros and everything else,I bought a new computer from a friend + plus the program, the computer itself is couple of years old, the screen 6 months - everything's OK, better than for a long time, but -

I certainly wish for friends here not to open that link !!!!!!

-------

Well, as it now happened that I opened the link - something like this has never happened to me before, years ago I managed to get some trojan into my machine while trying to download music- but those links I never open - and now I did,

so after opening it, it starts popping up allways new windows asking are you sure for your safety and ok and OK and go on without protection - and a new window again and again and again ...till it leads you to a page where it asks the numbers of your credit card - well of course I realised in the beginning that it was a bloody hoax, called my friend quite soon but couldn't get back from there and I was unable to get rid of the everlasting popping up windows and messages; by that time my whole computer program was demolished.

Luckily I had decided allready in the autumn to buy a new computer with a new program - but when my money situation would have been better, but had to buy it now.
These things happen (IMG:http://www.everlasting-star.net/boards/style_emoticons/default/runninwild.gif)

This post has been edited by Ultraviolet: Jan 22 2010, 07:49 PM

[Nicotschka]

Gosh am sorry to hear that Ultraviolet! I wish I would have known earlier about it, then I would have told our admins sooner. This isn't the only forum where they sent such pm's... such people are, sorry to say it, a simple pain in the a**.

[Nancy]

I just got a second one today, from " AdminGirLX"
(IMG:http://www.everlasting-star.net/boards/style_emoticons/default/doh.gif)

[Nancy]

And just deleted the 3rd! Not complaining, guys. Just letting you know. (IMG:http://www.everlasting-star.net/boards/style_emoticons/default/v.gif)

[Tara]

Thanks everyone - I have deleted the member, but please let me know if this continues. We are looking into the source, but meanwhile please be extra careful and don't open any messages from members you don't know from the boards. And Ultraviolet, I hope everything is OK with you and your PC now - spammers are such lowlifes.

[Nicotschka]

I don't know if this is possible over here at this forum-software, but you could disallow certain usernames. Like everything which contains admin*, or mod*, so they can not register with a member name like 'Administrator'-which makes it more obvious that these PM's are not from a staff member.

[Margherita]

Thanks, Tara, everything's ok.

And Nicotschka, that could be a good idea, though I'm not an expert to tell.

Couple of minutes ago when I arrived here, a pop-up window opened again in front of me, claiming again that I probably have a virus in my computer, and I seem to have received two new messages - I'm afraid to go to my profile page, I think I'll delete them tomorrow in a library.

I thought, have they picked up some members' names to some kind of a list and start sending messages for certain names - this might be a bit paranoic; I even wondered should I change my username....I allready invented a new one, in case - If I decide to change it, I thought about the name that was MM's role name in a film that was directed by a person who also directed MM in another film during which MM wore a wig and suffered from the heat.

[Tara]

I found the domain that these messages were coming from and it is now blocked. Let's hope that puts an end to it.

[Nicotschka]

Same here....

[Alanma]

I have had 'your computer has been infected.........' warnings alleging to be from AOL.

These do not appear to be via ES, but as a pop-up when starting the computer.
They are very convincing.
I immediately ran a Norton full scan, and that zapped the b*******, at least for the time being.
Whatever you do DO NOT OPEN any such.

Edit.
A friend had one apparently from Microsoft, popping up on Facebook.

[mels]

became another one...from....StopAdmin

(IMG:http://www.everlasting-star.net/boards/style_emoticons/default/stretcher.gif) (IMG:http://www.everlasting-star.net/boards/style_emoticons/default/furious.gif) (IMG:http://www.everlasting-star.net/boards/style_emoticons/default/birgits_faint.gif)

Member suspended.

[sao girl]

Member suspended.

Thank you I also got that message

[timetravelangel]

Just to let you know I got a PM from MannInBlackk:


Hello, friend. There are viruses' activities from your computer in last few days. Strongly recommend you to check your computer. You can find a report about your computer's security and solve every problem with it here:[URL DELETED] Thank ...MannInBlackk is a member of the Member group and has 0 posts.
Sent on: Today, 05:31 AM

Reason for edit: Edited to delete URL

[mels]

Thanks for the heads up Angel.
This "member"'s account has also been suspended.

I've set up new rules and permissions on accounts, which shoud calm things down.
Please let us know if you still experience issues.

Mels

[Nicotschka]

Thanks Mels! Let's hope these idiots will stay away!