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View Full Version : Virus authors play FBI

Shake
02-23-2005, 04:18 AM
Story from CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/internet/02/22/fbi.warning/index.html) here.

Not that other viruses (virii?) don't get investigated by the Feds, but how stupid do you have to be to actually pretend your message comes from them? Like that's not going to get some special scrutiny! :whup:

Who knows? It's just crazy.

eta: :woohoo: Post #D!
livius drusus
02-23-2005, 04:28 AM
I imagine they figure the odds of them being caught even by the FBI are pretty slim. Meanwhile, you can betcherass that people getting semi-threatening emails from the FBI are very likely to open them. :nono:

Congratulations! :winner:
LadyShea
02-23-2005, 04:32 AM
I would never expect the FBI (or anyone stating they are any kind of legal authority ) to communicate with the public via email. Legal stuff is sent via USPS or delivered in person. People are stupid.
Crumb
02-23-2005, 05:12 AM
People are stupid.

Truer words...
Godless Wonder
02-23-2005, 06:00 AM
Ha. I think I got one of those emails this morning. As I recall it was something like:

Sender Subject
-----------------------------------------------------------
Officer@fbi.gov You have been visiting illegal websites

"Officer", huh? Ok, sure. I didn't open it, but I like to imagine it said:

Move your hands slowly away from the keyboard and put them on top of your head, then dial 911 with your nose and turn yourself in.

Kind of like the honor system virus that's just an email that says: "Please forward this email to 10 friends, then delete everything on your hard drive. Thank you."
Crumb
02-23-2005, 06:17 AM
Kind of like the honor system virus that's just an email that says: "Please forward this email to 10 friends, then delete everything on your hard drive. Thank you."

:roflmao:
Godless Dave
02-23-2005, 02:49 PM
Kind of like the honor system virus that's just an email that says: "Please forward this email to 10 friends, then delete everything on your hard drive. Thank you."

:roflmao:

You laugh, but there has been at least one such "virus" (the hoax email that told people to search for a particular file and delete it).
Shake
02-23-2005, 05:30 PM
I remember seeing that one, GD. I also remember looking for, and finding the file, but holding off on deleting it -- which was a good thing, because just a few days later, I learned it was a hoax.

Maybe I'm making shit up, but I thought I'd heard of the FBI at least assisting in catching authors of some of the nastier viruses out there. I could be wrong -- it's happened before (not often, mind you ;) ).
Corona688
02-23-2005, 06:49 PM
You laugh, but there has been at least one such "virus" (the hoax email that told people to search for a particular file and delete it). As a joke, the IT department of a business sent out one of these "amish virus" emails. Soon after they got people calling in asking how to format their computer :eek: They don't do jokes like that anymore.