To anyone on PT that might be on my contacts list...

[carole]

I just wanted to send my sincere apologies and let you all know that un beknown to me some spam( i guess that is what you would call it) has been sent on to everyone on my contacts list,this is probably a virus,I am not really sure, I only discovered this very recently as i had some delivery failure notifications, when i well knew i had not sent anything to these people, I hate the internet for this kinda of stuff, i have people annoyed with me now, and i actually have done nothing, if you received it and want me to delete you off my contacts list, please let me know , will do pronto.

It is just as annoying to me and I am embarrassed about it,one of these went to my husbands boss, hopefully his virus protection will sort it out and it won't go any further,so please bare with me, I have no idea how these things happen, and it really hacks me off too, again i am sorry for the inconvenience i may have caused you. Thank you.

[kuhio98]

carole ~ No problemo for me. I figured it was something like that. I received 2 e-mails after viewing the postcard you sent me in early December. You might remember that I tried to view it at work but that site was blocked. So, I had to wait until I was home. Right after that, I received 2 e-mails that appeared to be from you. The subject just said "Hi" but the content was selling stuff, so I knew it was bogus. I added them to my spam blocker and that was the end of that. Unfortunately, in doing so, I think I blocked your e-mail address. Not sure what to do next.

I'm sorry this happened to you. I am suspecting the postcard website, but I don't know enough about these things to track it.

[Catty1]

Yes, viruses commonly cause that - they take over your address book.

http://free.grisoft.com/

Carole, please download the above (free version on the left side of the page) and have it scan at the same time every day, ok? If you have trouble with the Task Scheduler, ask someone to help you.

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/

In the upper right-hand area of the above link is Spybot Search and Destroy 1.5.1 It's also free. Download it and run it at least once a week.

I use both of these, and they keep my 'pooter safe and clean.

Happy New Year!

[davidpizzica]

Carole, no apologies needed. I knew that it wasn't one of your typical e-mails. Lucky for me, one advantage my webtv system has (about the ONLY good thing about it!) is that since it's not really a computer it doesn't have a hard drive to get viruses. If you could delete it for me I'd appreciate it, Sis.

[carole]

Thanks guys, Lisa i suspect the card website too, so sadly i have decided not to send any email cards anymore, my hubby tells me they are really bad for that, no problem David you are off my contacts list,I do have some free anti virus software on here AVG and Adaware,(sp) but i did not realise i had to use them daily, so i have now been told by hubby and will be more on to it from now on, i am just learning all this stuff,again sorry everyone.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

I had the same thing a few months ago!! I was so ashamed because the "bug" send an e-mail to all my msn-contacts under my name, saying "You naked??" ! It was in Dutch though; I hope that all people who got that mail deleted it right away !

[kuhio98]

carole ~ I've had no problems sending cards from these websites:

http://www.actioncat.com/
Hallmark

[Catty1]

Carole - good that you have the AVG and Ad-Aware. AVG will pop up daily to update itself - and let it!

I used just Ad-Aware for the longest time, and when a computer friend loaded the Search and Destroy to a work computer, I added it at home.

Whatever the Ad-Aware doesn't get, Spybot does - and vice versa.

Schedule AVG to run daily.

Ad-Aware and Spybot S&D I put into a folder on the desktop called "Run Weekly".

BTW - I have also had good luck with Yahoo! Greetings for cards.

[carole]

Thank you for all that information and advice, much appreciated, oh dear at least mine was just some advertising email, nothing too embarrassing that way, but still i was annoyed at this happening and to other people.,the joys of the internet i guess, thanks Lisa too for the website for cards will keep those both in mind cheers.