Well it's my belief it was sent deliberately. Be very careful what you open everyone! Especially you mum :))

For the person who sent it, fancy owning up to your big hard deed? or will you continue to cower behind anonymity? i'm quite prepared to get from behind this keyboard and sort this out face to face if you've the courage to do so....

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2001

Answers

If you're worried about me getting the authorities involved i'll guarantee you I won't if you agree to meet...

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2001

Our IT boys intercepted and blocked a message posted at lunchtime by

carers.sunderland@virgin.net

I presumed it was just something foul and tawdry - didn't realize he/she would've had the guile to send anything more sinister. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that nasty virus's should eminate from the cesspit called Wearside.

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2001

Right everyone, we have to rise above this.

I have spoken to someone who thinks they can help, and knows a bit more about this person, and I want to take it down that route rather than any of us trying to get to this person on their own.

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2001

For the record I don't think it's Barb, he's e-mailed me directly and gut feeling tells me he's being honest about it.

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2001

Well this is all very exciting isn't it!!! I got something yesterday but didn't look at it till today, upon mac's advice I binned it. Very curious as to why this has got so out of hand, it's like the lad who's dating your sister coming into to your house and slapping her around in front of you. gotta be sorted out

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2001

I too got a mail yesterday at the address I post on here, which had a virus attached. Luckily my shield caught it.

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2001

I had a few things sent to me recently which I just binned

ubject: ADDRESS BOOK 2000 Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 20:48:58 +0100 From: "David Storrie" To: ace@ntlsports.com Part 1.1 Type: Plain Text (text/plain) Encoding: quoted-printable ADDRESS BOOK 2000.doc.pif

and

"Martin Law" To: scumteam@ntlsports.com Part 1.1 Type: Plain Text (text/plain) Encoding: quoted-printable My e-mail.doc.pif Name: My e-mail.doc.pif

Anyone know what they are? not that I'm gonna open them, but what is a pif file?

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Almost certainly they're the same virus Rik....

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

rik, to answer your question:

Short for Program InFormation file, a type of file that holds information about how Windows should run a non-Windows application. For example, a PIF file can contain instructions for executing a DOS application in the Windows environment. These instructions can include the amount of memory to use, the path to the executable file, and what type of window to use. PIF files have a .pif extension.

blah, blah, blah...

;7)

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

So does this mean that Pif files can be used to carry a virus and tell windows to seek out all the Email addresses in someones address book and send the Virus to everyone in that address book?

What if we use Netscape instead of Outlook? would it not spread slower?

Any idea what this particular one does?

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Yeh - it p*sses me off!

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

The .PIF files can run programs but you'd spot them straight away and be nervouse about their legitimacy. To overcome this the writers create files that look as though they are, say, Word documents and call them e-mail.doc.pif You are used to seeing .doc files, you don't really notice the .pif after it, you open it up and you're knackered.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Use a Macintosh and this is no problem at all ;-)

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

But they are so heavy and how often does it rain anyway

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001