Okay, so this is my first computer & I’ve already paid $269.00 to have it serviced because I had a virus. I used to click on every SPAM message & Email Attachment in my Yahoo mail because I was curious. No one ever explained to me that I could get a virus.
One time I even tried to open a message from my mom so I figured it had to be safe, it was one of those forwarded messages that had a lot of people in the CC: column & okay don’t laugh, but the attachment said something like: What is a Fart? I was like WTF? So I tried to download the email attachment, but instead I got a message saying it had a virus.
Now I don’t know what is safe to click on & I have just been deleting everything, but sometimes I’m still curious about a message, so how do I know which ones are safe? Here is an example of what I received in my SPAM folder this morning:
http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/roniceb/?action=view¤t=spam.jpg
So in the past I would have clicked on all of these messages & any attachments because I didn’t know I could get a virus. I recently installed the Firefox Cool Previews Add On & I can actually view messages without even clicking on it, so is this a safe way to view the message or is it the same as if I were to click on it?
http://www.cooliris.com/site/welcome/welcome_cp_ff.php
I just went back to deleted all the messages in my SPAM folder & noticed something strange… why are the dates on the first four messages completely wrong?
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3 responses so far ↓
1 lucee // Sep 17, 2008
Just because it’s your first computer (if that were true) there is one simple common sense rule. NEVER OPEN EMAIL FROM SOMEONE YOU DON’T KNOW.
If your mom is sending you stuff that is forwarded and forwarded and forwarded, etc., etc., tell her to stop - that you will only delete them - not read them. If she isn’t smart enough to know she is sending out a virus, then you’ll obviously have to be smart enough to stop the message from infecting your machine by deleting it.
2 Arkane Steelblade // Sep 17, 2008
–Description is kept simple without too much detail
SPAM - Are annoying email messages that fill mailbox.
Virus - Is a program that needs be downloaded into your computer for it to run.
- Can damage you computer by erasing program or fill up your drives and make your computer run slow
- Can be a SPAM program to use you computer as a SPAM central
- Can be a backdoor so someone could hack into your system
- Can be a keylogger to capture all your keystroke
— and this list goes on and on
Any email message can have a potential virus. Never click on a message you don’t who its from. Never give out personal information through an email if the email request for it: For example from a Bank: Banks never email you to request personal info so that could be clue someone is trying to hack into your computer or bank account.
In the End: Never trust any emails or programs they have attached. Always scan your programs that you download. Never click on an email link you don’t know who it’s from, it can take you to a site that can capture your data or install a program or use your browser to execute some malicious program.
3 forever5 // Sep 17, 2008
I wouldn’t open any of those that are in your first link. If you do not know the person, don’t open it.
Viewing without clicking is great, I have it. Mine only works in my inbox though, not in my SPAM box. Sometimes I have moved mail from SPAM to inbox just so I could check without clicking.
If you are getting spam in your inbox, don’t just delete it. Mark it as spam and your email should then block that address (don’t put your mom’s address in here) and you won’t get anything more from that address. It should also start sorting your mail, anything similar will be automatically directed to SPAM.
I always do a quick search through my SPAM box before I empty it because sometimes a few good emails get directed there.
Bottom line - if you don’t know who it is - don’t open. Remember that no important personal or private info will ever be emailed (from a doctor or about your personal bank account etc.) so if it claims to be that - ignore it or call your bank/doctor and ask if they sent you one before you open it.
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