The Virtual World Technologist: Virus alert, more viral than virus
So the latest viral alert is about something called 2012 Package ExDepart Gift, or something like that (there are variants). The warning goes generally like this:An object called** 2012 Package ExDepart Gift** is being sent to all people. Please do not accept it, is a virus, and they can steal account with it. Be careful with what you accept !
First, you should be aware that objects cannot steal accounts. At least not without your permission. If you rez something that wants to steal your account, first it has to ask for your password. Only with your password can it even access your account.
Second, it cannot take any money from you without first asking, and LL puts up a big warning about it on your viewer, on which you must consciously choose to accept.
In reality, this object is a spoofing griefer. It knows who you are because you are the owner. It will then rez more items with you as the owner, and it will pass itself to others, thus propagating itself.
In a note from Rockcliffe University:
"If you receive an item called "..::ExDepart::.. Gift Package 2012" from ANYONE, even close friends, DO NOT REZ IT! This is a spoofing griefer item, it will take your UUID, and use it to rez items with your name as the owner to pass out more items. If you receive this item, make an abuse report with Governor Linden as the abuser, list any information you can think of to help, and remember the person that set it to you probably didn't do it. Then DELETE this item immediately! DO NOT REZ IT!"Don't let Chicken Little convince you that the sky is falling, because it isn't. But heed well the generally-applicable warnings:
- Do not accept inventory items from people you don't know.
- Do not accept inventory items from friends without first talking to that friend.
- Do not send inventory items to your friends withouht first letting them know.
- Do not rez or wear anything that you did happen to accept by mistake. It's safer just to delete it.
- If you receive some paranoid message from someone, and part of the message tells you to forward it to everyone you know, DON'T. Challenge it instead. Ask the sender where they got it, and how they verified it to be true. Better safe than sorry is not the right answer here.
source:
special thanks to mister acacia who made this originally post.
Alon Alphaville
(Fashion by Double A)
