Someone is using my Lupus Learning Ware addy as a return address for something they are sending out. I only found out because a mail delivery failure came to me last night. Was something I did not send and do not even know the person.

I am pretty sick about this, not only because they are using my learningware addy but because the only way anyone could have gotten that address was by downloading one of my free learning ware items from somewhere. The readme has that address so I can keep things separated from my regular lupus site and other mail. The address is listed No Where else.

I do nothing with that address but answer any questions or comments that come in from the learningware. I do not send out unsolicited mail or whatever this is from any of my addys and never would.

The people I host my site with are going to try to track this down from the mail failure notice I received, which included the original header. Hopefully we can find out who is doing this, or at least where it is coming from and report the abuse. As advised I am notifying the community.

I would hate to think someone within our graphics community is doing this, but I know that address can only be found if you download one of my free items. This makes me feel pretty sick.

So if you receive anything with the learningware return address it is not from me, please delete it or better yet trace it, if you know how. I would like to find out who is doing this.

In case you want to know, Yes my virus defs. are up to date and always running. I also surf with Ad Aware and security. sigh

A very sad & upset
Lilwolff

You have my sympathies. One weekend someone used my address in a similar fashion and proceeded to tell the world and his wife about the virtues of a particular credit card. If its any consolation I feel that most folks are savvy enough to know that spam header info is almost always fake.

Forging the return address can be as simple as changing your return email address in Outlook. More serious is if they have hacked into your site via a poorly written form mail CGI script or similar. If this were the case your ISP will almost certainly have spotted it and blocked it.

I got a porn site that got my email addy and used to email me.

There are also viruses that grab an e-mail address from the address book or the "sent mail" folder and use it as the "from" field. So at least it isn't always intentional.

Last summer I had the Klez virus that sent out e-mails to people I didn't know (weren't even in my address book) and I kept getting mail failure replies back. I had to go get the Klez cleaner to get rid of it. It could very well be a virus causing that. Melanie

Remember that with the Klez.H virus they can find your address on someone elses machine and send from there claiming to be from you. So LilWolff, there is a chance that someone who knows you or simply recieved an e-mail with your's in the list is infected with something; it may or may not have been intentional. In any case, this Bites! Also beware this weekend, the news has been telling of some "illeagle hacking contest" that is supposed to take place. Some garbage about hackers trying to vandalize as many websites as they can in a given time...Now this realy SUCKS! And the bandwidth this is expected to consume is expected to effect even the non-attacked sites, basically the whole www. Can't these code kiddies take up a constructive hobby instead? Learn to model 3-D and realy impress us with their abilities!

Those so called "code -kiddes" would be better off trying to learn to skate board across the freeway in rush hour. Then they'd be performing a useful public service !

YES INDEED, keep those personal injury attorneys happy!

Someone gotta feed the sharks, er, attorneys =;p better yet, tie the attorneys to the back of the skate boards!

LilWolf, you and PhilC are not the only ones. I had the same thing happen about a week ago. Only reason I found out was like you - undeliverable returns. From the header info, it seems that the two I got back originated somewhere in earthlink. They're looking into it. sigh Kate (who does NOT have a girlfriend and has never sent a link to pictures of a girlfriend. Erk!)

Hi Thanks everyone and I am sorry some of you have also been on the same end I am right now. I do have Norton update itself and it is always running. I did another full system scan just to make sure. I also ran through the steps with my tech to make sure my machine has not been breeched. I am totally clean. I do not use a form mail CGI script and the only place the addy that was used is listed is in my readme file. Yes I know return address can be easily forged, sigh But to me that is abuse and fraud, they are stealing my identity and my reputation with my learningware. There is nothing on the header that ID's anything from me or my machine but the return address. But since the original header was in the returned mail I do have a stamping of time, date and IP. I have learned that is the least likely to be forged. (not impossible but least likely) I have sent an abuse complaint to that company asking them to check their mail logs. I don't want to harm anyone or scream "my lawyer" but I also will not allow, to the best of my ability, anyone to harm me, or smear the reputation of something I work very hard on, the Lupus Awareness Learningware. Thank you for support, unfortunately where there is something good, someone will always try to find a way to ruin it. Is just always has been the nature of things. It is not right but even with those rose-colored pollyanna glass I try to see through most of the time I am aware of this. Thanks for support, it does mean a lot to me. :-)

Here at my work we had this happen to an email address no one mails as (because it was a list), but tons of people mailed to. Basically someone who had our address because they mailed us had Klez.E. I'm not sure where the Klez.E list lives, but that's how it works: takes addresses and puts their info in the From: line. You also start receiving infected emails from people on the list. So, if this is the problem, the only "person" who has stolen your identity is either the program or the person/people who wrote it. Problem is, once it gets out there, others get the virus, and unbeknownst to them, they start to email viruses to other people as you. Even worse (in my opinion) is the flood of virus emails you get because your on the list. After getting deluged for a few months, we "solved" the problem by closing the list. Other than cleaning every user's computer, I'm not sure there's a better solution. Hope enough people are now blocked for this virus that that doesn't happen to you.

That same theory was just presented to me a little while ago by some techie geeks I know who have been looking over what I received. They think it is a virus that is being sent out but the mail failure notice did not contain an attachement it was only a garbled mess that I could not make out and was limited by the return program in size, so was not complete. They also think that bounce back could have been done on purpose to try and infect me. They said if anyone put that address in their email address book it could have been taken from there. Just like you said someone sent mail to your work. Therefore, your theory and theirs of who is fraudulently using my ID would be the same, who ever made the virus. If this theory holds to be true, this may sound funny, but I could accept something like that happening by accident a lot easier than anyone using that addy on purpose. Gives me a bit of my rose colored glasses back, Thank you. :-) The unfortunate thing is that if the ISP I wrote to thinks it is a virus also they may not even bother tracing. A lot of them just say virus protection is the responsiblity of our customers not ours. Which means someone has a virus, doesn't know it and is no way of telling them. The only good news they had for me was that if it is the virus they are thinking W32.Sobig.E@mm, it has a death code and will stop being transmitted on the 14th. Again no one open anything from learningware if you receive something.

hmm..on a lighter note, what's Learningware? if it's Poser help, I could use it..and I'm always up for free items..;) any chance of a URL? thanks..

I wish I'd said that.. The Staircase Wit

anahl nathrak uth vas betude doth yel dyenvey..;)

Hi pakled. Learningware simply is what I put out my free items under. Mostly textures, am not fantastic but am not half bad either. ;-)

Basically is just an request that you learn something. That is why I called it LearningWare.

I request in the readme that if you have time you go learn a little bit about SLE Lupus and autoimmune diseases. SLE Lupus effects whole body so is best one to learn about. Yes I have it but everyone has sometimes, is just a part of living life. Everyone has something they learn (hopefully learn) to cope and adjust to. :-)

There is a lack of knowledge or even knowing about auto-immune diseases and what they can do. But the masses of people that have them is over whelming, some of these autoimmune diseases can eventually cause death.

Nothing will get done, in legislation, research, or simply just making the high cost of the medical care lower and easier for more to get unless there is a more public awareness of these diseases.

I present this education with graphics, words and music and hopefully even though is medical information will not bore anyone to tears. But this is a request for my freeware not a requirement, no guiltware, no funds solicited, just please take the time to education yourself, to become aware. Children can have autoimmune diseases but they are often over looked because of the misconception that you have to be a certain age.

Sorry I know I get carried away, one of my son always has autoimmune diseases and you know how us parents are when it comes to our children, of any age. In otherwords ;-) if I thought it would make a difference in the quality of his life - I would stand in that temple, naked with a sword that seems to be so popular. ;-) But I would ask you to learn in exchange. ;-) So please forgive a little bit of education thrown into this thread.