Is this a legit virus message from the forumteam ?

I just got the following message from "ForumTeam", it looks a bot weird cos that is the latest member ???

Dear, Rob Flinn!

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: http://security-tool2010.net/Rob Flinn

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ForumTeam  member profile as follows.  It looks very weird like someones trying to spike people.  I scanned my pute with AVG & no viruses were found

  Summary - ForumTeam  Picture/Text
Name:  ForumTeam
Posts:  0 (N/A per day)
Position:  Member
Date Registered:  Today at 12:24:07 am
Last Active:  Today at 12:41:15 am

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ICQ: 845599985
AIM: 
MSN: 
YIM: 
Email:  hidden 
Website:  Important message from the forum administration!
Current Status:  Offline 

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Gender:  Male
Age: N/A
Location: US
Local Time: February 07, 2010, 08:22:17 pm
Language: 

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Signature:

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Virus?

BRING IT ON!!!!

I'm on a Mac  ;D

Hi Rob,

Just got the same message myself...

There's a link in the message to an external .net site.

I wonder who else?

...it's a shame, as I always like messages!



Mark

Mark

The thing that gets me about it is that my name is tacked on the end of the URL for the site they want you to go to ??  that's one of the things that makes me smell a rat.

Moderators where are you ??  Can you shed some light on this so we know whether ForumTeam is a scammer ?

Also if you look at member forumteam's profile their home webiste is called "Important message from the forumteam".  Does that sound dodgy or what ?

It's just another phishing attempt. Ignore, or report the scammer to mods to have him banned.

I thought this forum was set for admin activation.  I find it hard to believe a usr named "forum team" would get approved.  Every applicant should be screened through 'w w w dot stop forum spam dot com' at bare minimum.  My forum gets no less than 50 to 1 spammers applicants, and it's content is blocked from the public.  Spammers suck.

It also occured to me that forumteam sent the message to myself & Mark Burnley, both us us use a real names.

Yep,

The URL within the message also had my name tacked on...

Time for a pseudonym methinks...

:

...answers on a postcard...

Mark

I was looking at tchanging my handle, but it appears that the only way to do this is delete ones current profile & create a new one !

Hmm,

I think I'm just going to start wearing a false moustache.

Can't be too careful in these times...

Mark

Rob,

If you pop the link from the message into google it comes up with a lot of forum hits with people who have had similar problems. It links you to a site that looks like anti-virus software, but is in fact a virus download. It must be a bot that skims off names from forums, and then pm's them the link!

Mark

Think about this:

How could a forum member or even a legitimate "forum team" (Ethan&Co.) tell if a virus was on your computer?

I think the issue Rob is trying to push here is that this "member" is a bot and needs de-botting (if that's the phrase??)

Mark

Mark Burnley said:

I think the issue Rob is trying to push here is that this "member" is a bot and needs de-botting (if that's the phrase??)

Mark

Click to expand...

Thanks Mark !  Everyone else seems to be missing the point !!

I can't believe that a moderator hasn't seen this yet & sorted it out !

Of course it is a scam.

The forum can't hardly know, or care, if you are infected.

Be VERY wary of any message which tells you to do something.

At the school we got dozens of emails from various "mailserver team" scammers, who wanted UID and password info sent to an odd mailbox or entered in a strange site. It's really up to each person to use their B.S. detector.

> report the scammer to mods to have him banned.

Right. Every post has a "Report to Moderator" link. If you have concerns, report it. Nope, private messages don't have a Report button; post a short public message and then report it.

Only Super-Mod Ethan has the power to block users.

I've already done the "Report to Moderator" to bring this to his attention, but you can also.

The "name" in the message and link is pretty bogus. It is real only if your handle is also your real name. Also it appears it does not handle spaces: your link is just "Rob". I suspect they don't use the URL anyway, just want you to take the infection so they will own your machine.

> changing my handle, but it appears that the only way to do this is delete ones current profile

Write to "Ethan". He -can- shove a stick in the works and change profile. But do not do this casually.... it is tedious and risky. I asked for a small odd change, my profile *vanished*, Ethan worked all weekend to recover.

> I thought this forum was set for admin activation.

It's not. Kinda surprised me too.

That user has now been deleted and banned.

As PRR said, PLEASE be wary of messages that tell you to click on some obscure link.
If you see a post or message that looks suspicious report it.  Reporting the post is the fastest way to get a mod to respond to it.

...and he'd have got away with it too, if it wasn't for us pesky kids....

;D

Mark