Something weird is happening with Newsmax.com

July 1, 2002 | Paul Atreides

[Paul Atreides]

I am being swamped with emails from Newsmax.com from other subscribers saying they are not sending them spam. Is there a new virus on the loose? Is anyone else having any problems?

[Marobe]

Howdy Paul,
Yes, definitly a day for garbage ... folks and products I never spoke or heard of .....

[Paul Atreides]

Have you heard what is going on? Is it something with Newsmax's system?

[csap]

I got all of them also.

Not newsmax.com, but newsmax.sparklist.com

obviously imposters trying to get us to respond to them

[martin_fierro]

If "Sparklist.com" is the culprit, you can contact 'em here:

SparkLIST.com Corporation (SPARKLIST-DOM)
1800 West Mason Street
Green Bay, WI 54303
US

Domain Name: SPARKLIST.COM

Administrative Contact, Technical Contact:
SparkLIST Domains Registrar (MQNOFTEIDO) domains@SPARKLIST.COM
SparkLIST.com Corporation
1800 West Mason Street
Green Bay, WI 54303
USA
920.366.3528
Fax- 920.490.5909

Record expires on 11-Aug-2003.
Record created on 12-Aug-1997.
Database last updated on 1-Jul-2002 16:01:52 EDT.

Domain servers in listed order:

NS1.SPARKLIST.COM 207.67.22.84
NS2.SPARKLIST.COM 207.67.22.85

You can also contact your's state's AG's office if it has anti-SPAM legislation in place.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

Check out this link: Spam Primer

Note that the primer mentions that you should not use links in spam that promise to unsubscribe you from their mailing list -- quite the opposite. By clicking the link, it posts your email to a script that adds it to a 'valid email' list, which will subject you to even more spam!

By the way, "This is True" is a great email newsletter, with hilarious true stories culled from various sources, and then commented upon, not unlike we do at FR. There's a free version and a pay version. The guy that runs it seems like he'd be a FReeper.

[midnightcat]

Yes, the same thing is happening to me! I'm getting emails from people I never heard of...from Newsmax sparklist

[Paul Atreides]

The strange thing is, I was also getting a few pieces of email from Yahoo titled "Auto Response."

[midnightcat]

Yes, that is happening to me also. I have no idea where they got my email address from. Very weird.

[EternalHope]

I am too. Got to be a virus.
I turned off my email (outlook express).

[ofMagog]

W32Klez virus is catching...

[Focault's Pendulum]

It's Klez

[OldFriend]

A serious virus called Magistrate is on the loose.....sending emails etc. Ultimately destroying your hard drive. Do get Norton or some other up to the minute virus scanner..........

[Paul Atreides]

Symantec's website doesn't have anything on it yet. At least, nothing I saw.

[McGruff]

First don't use Microsoft Outlook, but if you must:

How to turn off Windows Scripting Host
By Robert Vamosi, ZDNet Reviews & Solutions
May 12, 2000 10:24 AM PT

Recent virus outbreaks have exploited known vulnerabilities in Visual Basic Scripting under Windows. For example, NewLove and ILOVEYOU both contain attachments ending in .vbs which the user must click on to become infected. In order to limit the risk of infection, users of Windows should turn off Windows Scripting Host. Doing so will prevent you from executing .vbs scripts by double-clicking. For a complete discussion of the pros and cons of removing Windows Scripting Host, see To script or not to script.

How To Remove
Choose the instructions below appropriate for your version of Microsoft Windows.

Windows 95
Note: Not all users of Windows 95 will have Windows Scripting Host installed. It is available on editions of Windows 95 SR-2 and later. It might also have been installed separately or along with Internet Explorer 5.0 or later.

• Open "My Computer"

• Select "View/Options"

• Click on File Types tab

• Find VBScript Script File

• Select Remove

• Click OK

Windows 98

• Click on Start (the button on lower left of your Windows desktop).

• Click on Settings

• Chose Control Panel

• Click on Add/Remove

• Chose the Windows Setup tab

• Click on Accessories to obtain details

• Uncheck Windows Scripting Host if it is checked.

• Click on OK to save any changes

Windows NT

• Open "My Computer"

• Select "View/Options"

• Click on File Types tab

• Find VBScript Script File

• Select Remove

• Click OK

Windows 2000

• Open "My Computer"

• Select "Tools/Folder Options"

• Click on File Types tab

• Find VBScript Script File

• Select Delete

• Click OK

[ofMagog]

The only effective solution is to put all components of your computer (except monitor) in the oven, set at 350 for two hours. If you have a laptop, just put it in the microwave for five minutes.

[OldFriend]

I just bought Norton, which is Symantec, and installed it and found 20 files infected with 'Magistrate'.

I called earthlink first to describe my problem with the emails and the fact that the icons on the screen were jumping around......and they identified it as 'Magistrate'.

[Paul Atreides]

The emails have stopped.