BS: Is someone trying to send a virus?

Subject: BS: Is someone trying to send a virus?
From: GUEST,SPB Cooperator At Work
Date: 19 Feb 14 - 05:37 AM

I have received an email supposed from Skype saying that I have received a voicemail message, but I am a bit suspicious as the voicemail date is back in DECEMBER!

I haven't clicked on the hyperlink - can someone confirm whether it is a bona fide message or whether my suspicions are correct, in which case I will delete the email and log it with my spam filter.

Subject: RE: BS: Is someone trying to send a virus?
From: Mr Red
Date: 19 Feb 14 - 06:05 AM

I usually read such messages off-line.
If the message header tells you that the "To" and "ReplyTo" fields are not the same it is a bit of a cluette. If you can't find the header (it will be there somewhere) then:

eg - looks like it is from "[e-mail]" but if you clicked on the reply and it was going to "[e-mail]" then it is a spammers ploy. Delete both e-mails immediately.

I usually look at hte message "source" in Outlook and that tells you where the Hyperlink is going to. More clues. But if I don't Skype then that is the best clue.

Subject: RE: BS: Is someone trying to send a virus?
From: John J
Date: 19 Feb 14 - 06:33 PM

A friend uses Hotmail and opened an email from one of her mates t'other day.

She foolishly clicked on the hyperlink which resulted in a plausible 'Outlook' login screen, along with 'Your session has timed out, Please login again to continue'.

Fortunately she didn't go any further. I checked it out and discovered it was more than a bit iffy.

A simple way to get you to hand over your email address and password to the baddies.

JJ

Subject: RE: BS: Is someone trying to send a virus?
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Feb 14 - 07:12 PM

Good advice, JJ. If you doubt the source of the email, NEVER open any link contained therein.

Subject: RE: BS: Is someone trying to send a virus?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 19 Feb 14 - 08:26 PM

& if the email (allegedly) came from someone you know you can always send them a new email & ask if they sent the suspect one.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Is someone trying to send a virus?
From: Rapparee
Date: 19 Feb 14 - 10:30 PM

I'm probably more savvy about reading HTML and headers and stuff than most, so caveat emptor.

I open (off-line) the entire message, headers and all. If it's in HTML or XML or similar I live with it. Going through everything I especially look at the links -- in HTML or XML they can be "covered" just as the links can be with the blickifier in Mudcat ("Make a link("blue clicky") at the bottom of the response box).

Once I have the address (e.g., [e-mail]) I go to Internic's whois service and look up the domain (e.g., mudcat.org). That will give me the registrar and/or the IP addresses (e.g., 255.255.255.1 in what's called IPv4). Once I have that I can possibly find out to whom the IP address is registered to (if necessary) at ARIN by putting the IP address in the whois box in the upper right corner.

It might refer me to Europe, Asia, the Pacific, or somewhere else on the globe. Note that it will tell you which "look-up" database to use.

I once traced a fake message purporting to come from Boise, Idaho to an ISP outside of Cairo, Egypt this way. I continued the search after I knew the message was fake just to see where it would take me.

If you're suspicious, don't open it. If if you delete it and it's legit they'll email it again.

Subject: RE: BS: Is someone trying to send a virus?
From: GUEST,Guest, Brewgyrl
Date: 20 Feb 14 - 07:08 AM

They are almost certainly scams.
I have Skype on my machine at home and at work under my own name.
Recent incoming emails at work with a similar message to the one received by the OP are addressed to the business general email address NOT me, personally. A quick glance at the "From" address showed it was nothing to do with Skype so I junked them.
Each message has had a different "From" address.
Just delete without reading as has already been suggested.

Subject: RE: BS: Is someone trying to send a virus?
From: GUEST,SPB at work
Date: 21 Feb 14 - 06:12 AM

Found this report

A spam run of fake Skype voicemail alert emails actually comes packed with malware, a UK police agency warns.

Action Fraud said the zip file attachments come contaminated with a variant of the notorious ZeuS banking Trojan.

Messages typically come with the subject line "You received a new message from Skype voicemail service". The emails contain a copyright notice and a disingenuous warning that "Skype staff will NEVER ask you for your password via email", all in a bid to appear genuine.

"The purpose of this email is to get you to download the attached 'voicemail' file, and according to email security company MXLab it contains a Zeus Trojan," Action Fraud warns. An alert by the agency contains the tale of the sneaky spam alerts.

ZeuS is a notorious strain of banking Trojan that's a particular favourite with cybercrooks and has been a fixture in scams against UK banks for several years. More details on the scam can be found in a blog post by MxLab here. ®

Subject: RE: BS: Is someone trying to send a virus?
From: Mr Red
Date: 22 Feb 14 - 06:01 AM

Because I administer the domain I had cause to inspect two peoples' email accounts (end game scenario) and one had no scams, but the other - a very dippy control freak - had loads. UPS parcels not delivered convincing logo, HSBC (UK Bank), the Taxman.gov.uk kind of thing. All had attachments all were virus laden.

The odd thing is that this person from Planet LaLaLand went ballistic when she heard we had deleted her emails. Not surprising since she had many dating accounts and as the poor recipient of her vituperation (too posh a word for the event!) said "No wonder she is single!" - A conclusion I had long since come to.

Who knows if it cost the company money at some time - only she administered the bank account!