Is this for real?

[oldfart]

Just recieved this. I'm a little suspicious but maybe it's legitimate. Anybody know anything about it?

*********************************************************

Dear MSN and Hotmail Subscriber, =====================

Virus Notification

A DGTFX Virus has been detected in your folders. Your email account has to be upgraded to our new Secured DGTFX anti-virus 2011 version to prevent damages to our web mail log and to your important files. Click your reply tab, Fill the columns below and send back to us or your email account will be terminated to avoid spread of the virus.

Full Name: ................................... User name: ............................... Password: .................................. Reconfirm Password: .................. Date Of Birth...............................

Note that your password will be encrypted with 1024-bit RSA keys for your password safety.

All MSN and Hotmail User Should Reply Now !!! Failure to do this will immediately render your Web-email address deactivated from our database. Thank you for your co-operation.

Warning Code :ID67565434 MSN and Hotmail Account Support. Copyright ©2011

[Ron/GA]

Don’t click on anything inside the email. Just delete it and forget about it.

[Steve Van Doorn]

said, "I replied to them but all.."

Oops

[HereInTheHeartland]

I would bet $10,000 of Mitt Romney's money that it is fake.

[svcw]

Really, they asked for your passwords and you ask if its real.

[Egon]

If it were legit, I’d expect them to give you a link to logon, not ask you for password and birthdate info that they already have.

Wrong! Spammers can easily make a link look like it's legitimate and send you to their server which will look like a valid login page. NEVER click on a link from any email that asks you to confirm personal information.

When in doubt, login independently to the site in question-- in this case gmail, and go from there. NOT from the email.

[Sloth]

If you think this could be for real, you’re probably not the sort of person who should be on the Internet at all.

[Lucky9teen]

It’s a scam and has been around since 2009

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/dgtfx-virus-phishing-scam.shtml

http://www.nyu.edu/its/news/archives/2009/08/dgtfx_webmail_phishing_scam.html

And, if you’re worried you have a virus (which I doubt you do), you can search for and remove malware using Malwarebytes (free).

http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html

[kosciusko51]

A high school computer enthusiast could have done a better job of a scam.

Your comment reminded me of this e-mail I saved from 2000. No offense is intended for the fine folks in Arkansas:

Y'all have just received the "Arkansas Virus". As we ain't got no programming experience, this here virus works on the honor system. Please delete all the files from yer hard drive manually and forward this virus to everyone on yer mailing list.

Thanks for all yer cooperation, University of Arkansas Computer Engineering Dept.

[algernonpj]

"Detailed Analysis:
A series of phishing scam emails, which claim to be from Yahoo, BT Internet and other service providers, are currently being distributed by cybercriminals. The emails claim that the "DGTFX virus" has been discovered inside the recipient's email folders and that, to avoid spreading the virus to other users, he or she must reply with the account username, password and other details. The messages warn that the infected account will be terminated if the user does not provide the requested details quickly.

The messages are not from any genuine email provider and the claim that a DGTFX virus has been detected is a lie. The virus claim is designed to panic the user into complying with the request for information without due forethought. Those who fall for the ruse and send their details as requested will in fact be providing criminals with the means of hijacking their email accounts. Once they have received the account information, these criminals can login to the user's email account, lock him or her out of the account by changing the password and then use the account at will for their own nefarious purposes.

These criminals often use such hijacked accounts to launch further scam and spam campaigns. One such ruse is designed to trick contacts of the victim into sending money to online criminals. Once they have gained access to the hijacked account, the scammers will then send emails to all of the people on the account's contact list. These emails will falsely claim that the account holder is in a very difficult situation and desperately needs financial assistance. Usually, such emails claim that the account holder is stranded in another country without money or travel documents due to a robbery or lost baggage.

The scammers use technical sounding language ("DGTFX virus", "1024-bit RSA keys") in an attempt to make their false claims a little more believable. Less experienced computer users may be especially vulnerable to this tactic. They also pretty up their scam messages with logos and other graphics stolen from the websites of the service providers they are targeting.

Legitimate service providers will never send you an unsolicited email that asks you to reply with email usernames and passwords. This is a very common scam that has spawned a number of variations over recent years. Customers of several well-known service providers have been targeted, including those who use Gmail, AT&T, Hotmail, and Bigpond.

Any email that asks you to reply with sensitive information such as your username and password is sure to be a scam.. Note also that some variations of the scam ask users to supply account details by following a link to a bogus website or by opening an attached file." http://www.hoax-slayer.com/dgtfx-virus-phishing-scam.shtml

[Sloth]

WHY would you reply to it? Your mail contacts have been compromised. I would do several virus scans from several different vendors. You may have to wipe your hard drive and start over so save anything you need to a different external hard drive. Just in case.

Nonsense.

[org.whodat]

Why did the leave out a request for your credit card and drivers license number. LOL, that goes in the follow up.

[therightliveswithus]

That looks incredibly fake. Do not respond

[ProtectOurFreedom]

As soon as you forward $1 million as a goodwill gesture to my cousin Prince Sadique S. Abacha in Nigeria, I’ll be able to help you out.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Re post 25: My bad. Type in the link yourself—so it is what is says, not what is displayed on the e-mail.

[BufordP]

Dear FReeper,

Virus Notification

A DGTFX Virus has been detected in your freeper account. Your freepmail has to be upgraded to our new Secured DGTFX anti-virus 2011 version to prevent damages to our web mail log and to your important files. Click here, fill the requested information below and mail a $10,000 check payable to BufordP at P.O. Box 65401, Washingmachine DC 20001 or your freepmail account will be terminated to avoid spread of the virus.

Full Name, User name, Password, Date Of Birth, SSN, all credit card numbers with security codes and expiration dates, and any other important account numbers and information you think I might have missed.

34½ posted on 12/12/2011 3:53:57 PM EST by Secured DGTFX anti-virus 2011 (All your passwords are belong to us)

[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

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To: oldfart; 3D-Joy; 50mm; AGreatPer; Bockscar; calcowgirl; cindyTrueSupporter; concretebob; ...

ping!

If you want off my ping list get over it!

Dear FReeper,

Virus Notification

A DGTFX Virus has been detected in your freeper account. Your freepmail has to be upgraded to our new Secured DGTFX anti-virus 2011 version to prevent damages to our web mail log and to your important files. Click here, fill the requested information below and mail a $10,000 check payable to BufordP at P.O. Box 65401, Washingmachine DC 20001 or your freepmail account will be terminated to avoid spread of the virus.

Full Name, User name, Password, Date Of Birth, SSN, all credit card numbers with security codes and expiration dates, and any other important account numbers and information you think I might have missed.

ping!

If you want off my ping list get over it!

[BufordP]

Delayed ping.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“Its a bogus email”

Hey! I didn’t send him an email!

[mmichaels1970]

It’ll be ok oldfart. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Happens to the best of em. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad when it’s obvious that the scammers are the bad guys here.

Since you replied to their email (and didn’t interact with any of the links), I’d guess you haven’t infected your computer yet. At worst, you may now end up with a boatload more spam than you were getting. You basically let them know that you really do exist. So they may try to bite you again in different ways. You might end up saying to heck with it and changing your email address.

That said, since you didn’t recognize this as a scam, I’d say the potential is high that you may have gotten nipped in emails or while browsing in the past. Might be a good time to get a professional or resident “computer-nerd” (used affectionately) to give your computer a scan to make sure everything’s running at its best.

[Drill Thrawl]

Please also include you bank account numbers (with pin), SSN# and date of birth.

[101voodoo]

Send me $100 and i’ll send you a software program to install which will eliminate future problems with invasive malware:-)