# VIRUS WARNING - Capturing Osama

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-warning-capturing-osama/228720>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 11, 2004, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-warning-capturing-osama/228720 "2004-02-11T21:41:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-warning-capturing-osama/228720/1 "2004-02-11T21:41:37Z")

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Earlier today I got an AIM that I thought came from my boss, telling me of a game called “Capture Osama”. Figuring an AIM from my boss must be OK, I did so, and found a cute little animation-type game.

What I later discovered was that when I next logged on to AIM, several people on my buddy list were sent the exact same AIM, under my user ID. Clearly, this thing installs a viral-type program and AIMs other poeple under your user ID; no doubt this is what happened to my boss as well. BEWARE!

The offending link is a site called “[buddylinks.net](http://buddylinks.net).”

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-warning-capturing-osama/228720/2 "2004-02-11T22:04:50Z")

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I got it four times yesterday. Didn’t click- the first two simultaneously, which got my “danger” bump itching.

Thanks for the confirmation, though.

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**Author:** ![terd\_ferguson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@terd\_ferguson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terd_ferguson)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-warning-capturing-osama/228720/3 "2004-02-12T03:00:54Z")

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I got a couple of these today myself. Thankfully, the server was down when I went to the website. Cnn has a story on it now.  
[http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/02/11/instantmessenger.ad.ap/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/02/11/instantmessenger.ad.ap/index.html)

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**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-warning-capturing-osama/228720/4 "2004-02-12T14:16:48Z")

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[Here is more information from Network Associates regarding this.](http://vil.nai.com/vil/content/v_101007.htm)