So, a few moments ago I’m breezing by Snopes.com for my semi-weekly check on what’s new over there. I click on the link explaining how any emails proporting to be from the CIA asking you to answer questions about some “illegal websites” I have allegedly visted is actually the new iteration of the Sober worm. As I read this, I get a “new email” alert sound. Guess what it is? Yes, the CIA thinks I’ve been visiting illegal web sites. And they’ve apparently decided to contact me via email rather than sending a nice man to visit in person. Intellegence work has certainly changed in the last few years! I hope they don’t decided that I’ve been harboring terrorist weapons of mass destruction.
Then they might send you a snail-mail letter.
Not 30 minutes ago I got an email from the FBI telling me I had visited more than 30 illegal websites.
It’s nice to see this nation’s intelligence gathering organizations working together at last!
I got one from the CIA, but I haven’t been to more than 20 illegal sites, so I knew it was a virus.
A true story:
When I worked for the Web site of a good-sized newspaper, one of my officemates got a visit from our IT guys one day; they sternly informed him that he’d been wasting too much time on this one Web site, and he was gonna have to stop!
The site: www.YouRap.org. Apparently he’d been downloading a lot of rap music, or maybe rapping a lot, or something like that. They weren’t sure, but it had “rap” in it, and he’d been on there a lot.
Except it wasn’t rap, as you’ve figured out if you’ve clicked the link. Again, we worked for a newspaper. The site is YourAP.org; he was just watching the AP wire, as required in his job description.
Heh, I just saw a post about that on another board (4chan) asking if it was real or not. Granted, some of the stuff there could land a Canadian in legal trouble, but nothing the FBI would worry about.
I just got mine from this alleged guy:
Steven Allison
*** Federal Bureau of Investigation -FBI-
*** 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 3220
*** Washington, DC 20535
*** phone: (202) 324-3000
It’s the newest Sober.X virus/worm making its rounds. Just delete the .zip attachment along with the rest of the e-mail.
Yea, I got the email too. I did as Skip suggests and deleted it immediately. I was curious about it, though, so I searched for the subject line at an antivirus site and found out about the Sober.X thing. I was glad to know my first instinct was right!
I just got one from the FBI. I don’t know how many illegal websites I was supposed to have visited though, because I delete all spam from my webmail without reading it.
Thanks, SkipMagic, but I was already aware of the fact that it was a worm and have taken appropriate action both at work (just a delete, because I’m on a Mac here) and at home (updated my virus definitions, as recommended by my antivirus program, and deleted the offending emails.)
Damn, that one spread fast, didn’t it?
That “CIA” zipped email showed up in my inbox this morning. It was worth a chuckle because my inbox, along with me, is in Canada.
When stuff like that shows up — my U.S. bank-account password must be handed over to track down a thief, the FBI needs my help! — I sometimes click on it with a flourish of superiority because I have a Mac, so the virus machine-guns, like Sony, can do nothing but shoot blanks. I was a little disappointed, though, because, as I suspected, the expanded file was a Windows exe, which sat, useless, on my desktop like a lump of preanimate matter left over from the Genesis-effect matrix. So I could only trash it.
I’m sad, though, because I’ve come to realize the CIA doesn’t give a damn. Worse, the FBI doesn’t need my help.
It’s humbling.
I’m expecting a call from my mother any minute about this…
This thing seems to really be popular today. Nearly all of the spam in my online spamblocker folder has had a virus warning icon.
My mother actually called the CIA. A recording told her if you’re calling about Steven Allison, we don’t know him, delete the email.
Oh sure! The CIA wants you to believe that they don’t know who Steven Allison is, but you know they do!
They’ve “disavowed knowledge” of Mr. Allison. And his tape recorder caught on fire.
Aaah, yes, I get that e-mail periodically and I merrily delete it along with all the other e-mails that end up in my bulk folder.
I knew it was bullshit the first time I got it. It accused me of illegally perusing child porn sites which I knew was untrue and as I am the only one with access to that computer and e-mail and I not only don’t visit child porn sites I don’t visit ANY porn sites on the web.
Another great tip-off was the fact that it was sent to my bulk folder. I only receive stuff to that folder if it is sent to 15 or more people including me. If it was really the CIA why the bulk mailing?
Dumb. Really dumb.
I suppose there are people out there that do fall for it, however.
You did, you did. In fact, I was just skimming the the thread before I posted. Sorry about that.
The same CIA email was all over the office today - but when I first got it, I laughed out loud. Immediately knew it was a virus, but thought, “imagine if this were real. Would the CIA be so dumb as to think I would fill out their little form and send it back to them?”
"Dear Sirs:
I am sorry, but I thought the website Big Dicks was about Dick Nixon and Dick Cheney. And I the reason I logged onto German Wieners dot com was to learn how to make sausages from scratch. Now I admit, in retrospect, visiting the site Sticky Buns was probably foolish, but it was Lent and I do love hot cross rolls. There is little excuse for me pursuing Jock On Parade, but it was NFL season and I thought I could get the odds for some games at the the local casino. And regarding those other sites, well - they were pop ups and my mouse wasn’t working so I just hit enter and it took hours for me to figure out how to get them off my screen.
I hope this clarifies everything.
I admire what you guys in uniform do for us civilians as you will note from my frequent patriotic visits to Guys In Uniforms dot com.
Sincerely,
DMark"