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Possible virus coming from a friend
KingerKingKong


Joined: 03 Apr 2019
Posts: 0
Location: Ukraine
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I've received a letter from my school friend but as far as I see first words of the letter he calls me my full name. It's strange because he always named me my school nick. I hesitate if I can open this letter. Could it be virus? Can I check it properly?
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GuitarBob


Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 9
Location: USA
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Is there an attachment to the email? Most current email viruses will infect via an attachment/download. Not many viruses will infect you if you open an email now, but there were some that did this years ago.

Before you do anything, I suggest that you reply to the email and ask the sender if he actually sent you this email. Most emails that contain viruses will be undeliverable if/when you reply to them. If you do get an answer, see if the answer sounds like what your friend/chum would say. If the answer does not sound right, forget the email--delete it.

Good luck! Keep a copy of Malwarebytes Free around just in case you need it for cleaning up. There are some nasty viruses in Ukraine.

Regards,
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KingerKingKong


Joined: 03 Apr 2019
Posts: 0
Location: Ukraine
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There was no attachment but I did as you adviced me - there was no reply so I delete it. Thanks!
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GuitarBob


Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 9
Location: USA
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Good! I used to try to get a copy of viruses that I received via email, but it can be dangerous if you are not careful. It is best to just delete the email if you have verified it contains a virus.

Sometimes you might get a link in an email that leads to a virus or a phishing site. I hover my mouse over the link to see if the link has the same location as the written link. If it does not say the same location as the written link, that is bad, so you can delete the email.

Thanks for using ClamWin! Remember that the ClamWin developers recommend to use ClamWin primarily as a second opinion backup scanner to a real-time scanner that protects your computer in real-time. ClamWin is only a "on-demand" scanner.

Regards,
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KingerKingKong


Joined: 03 Apr 2019
Posts: 0
Location: Ukraine
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Thanks for your help, GuitarBob.
I was suggested to run an anti-malware software check just in case, so I've looked through a few collections of antiviruses with reviews, e.g. like this https://www.safetydetective.com/blog/best-malware-removal-software/, installed Norton since it suggests to help with email security issues too.
The tool has caught 2 viruses! Shocked Not sure where I've got those, but hope that I'm safe now.
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GuitarBob


Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 9
Location: USA
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Norton Antivirus is developed by a large company with lots of resources. Keep using it, and you should be well-protected.

Good antivirus programs are now also antimalware programs that protect against all types of malware, including viruses. There are not really very many computer viruses around now, but many of the AV companies keep the antivirus name.

Regards,
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Possible virus coming from a friend
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