New AIM virus?

[Raven_Writer]

Ok, I have no source on this, just basic knowledge of some reasons.

Recently, I've been getting bombarded (sp?) with IM's. The screenname contains three letters at the beginning with letters filling the rest of the 16-character limit.

I'm assuming it's a bot, because I always get the same message saying basically click on the link in my profile. The link contains an IP address (I don't click on them, just hover my mouse over them).

I'm mainly wondering if someone has been unlucky enough to have clicked on the link, and get a virus installed on their computer.

[By the way; a heads up for anyone un-aware of this or something]

[ZACH P.]

I cannot say for sure, but I am fairly certain that it is just porn site links. Though it is very possible that it could be a virus, its most likely just AIM-spam.

In fact, I used to know the guy who wrote the AIM-spammer programs. Pretty ingenious stuff really.

[Raven_Writer]

Originally Posted by ZACH P.

I cannot say for sure, but I am fairly certain that it is just porn site links. Though it is very possible that it could be a virus, its most likely just AIM-spam.

In fact, I used to know the guy who wrote the AIM-spammer programs. Pretty ingenious stuff really.

Hm...never thought about that before.

Good 2nd theory

[Blacknight]

I've hand some bots that just look into my MBI (when I had one) but if you're getting bombarded it's because someone you know clicked the link. Thus it's sending it to their buddy list. just a theory...

[Raven_Writer]

Originally Posted by Blacknight

I've hand some bots that just look into my MBI (when I had one) but if you're getting bombarded it's because someone you know clicked the link. Thus it's sending it to their buddy list. just a theory...

Something I thought about recently to, but I didn't put much belief into it. I know it's possible though, because it's happened before for me.

One feature I wish AIM would implement would be the ability to bock screen name's with a filter (so that I could stop all of these).

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

Soln 1: CONVERT to trillian!!! It rocks.

Soln 2: Change your message accept settings? Such as not letting anyone AIM you that's not on your buddylist.

Soln 3: Check your computer. You may just have installed the said virus with your AIM or gotten it through ads that AIM brings about. Don't be so fast to blame it on the program guys, if you don't ahve a highquality ad sense program running, it may just be your fault for bringing it to your computer.

[Matt Attallah]

You CAN block screen names - but only that one...if there are alot of them - don't waste your time.

Trillion is OK - but it's the 'generic' choice. Doesn't have the 'AIM specific' software. I use all 3 individual programs. (AIM, MSN, Yahoo!). But if all you do is Chat in IMs - Trillion is the way to go.

I know you have to have a virus scanner in there - just run that. A "Deep Scan" so it can view every file. Look on AIM.com somewhere for virus information. They typically keep up to date pretty well.

[edit]

I currently am running 5.9.3690 and am having NO problems what so ever...

[Jay H 237]

Originally Posted by Raven_Writer

Ok, I have no source on this, just basic knowledge of some reasons.

Recently, I've been getting bombarded (sp?) with IM's. The screenname contains three letters at the beginning with letters filling the rest of the 16-character limit.

I'm assuming it's a bot, because I always get the same message saying basically click on the link in my profile. The link contains an IP address (I don't click on them, just hover my mouse over them).

Which version of AIM is this with? I'm just wondering if this is a problem that's more pronounced with the newer version.

I haven't had any problems yet but I don't use AIM that often.

[Lisa Perez]

I've been getting those, too. But on top of that, the AIM 5.9 has been experiencing errors way too much for my own liking - I'm thinking that it might have compatibility issues with DeadAIM... The buddy list buttons are all over the place...

[Raven_Writer]

I do have a virus scanner, which also runs in the background. Nothing has came up, but when I get home I'll do a deep scan.

I'm using the newest version (5.9.x), but no add-ons like DeadAIM or the like.

As for using Trillian, I don't really like it all that much. It's a great program, but to me it's a lil' to cluttered and stuff. Just me though.

Originally Posted by Eugenia Gabrielov

Soln 2: Change your message accept settings? Such as not letting anyone AIM you that's not on your buddylist.

Soln 3: Check your computer. You may just have installed the said virus with your AIM or gotten it through ads that AIM brings about. Don't be so fast to blame it on the program guys, if you don't ahve a highquality ad sense program running, it may just be your fault for bringing it to your computer.

For #2, there's a few reasons why that won't work for me (I help out people on bandwidth issues [ala send files to people when they're down]), and some others.

#3: That theory didn't really come to me, but I had certain feeling that it might be that. I know it wasn't me though, because I don't click on links from other people without really knowing what it is; so if this is true it had to have been my sister (since she's the only other one to use the computer).

[GateRunner]

Note: I got one of said messages, name was aim3377857. Block

[Jay H 237]

Originally Posted by GateRunner

Note: I got one of said messages, name was aim3377857. Block

I just tried to Google "aim3377857" but no matches were found. Sometimes if you're not sure of something try Googling it and you may get info, unfortunately this wasn't the case in this instance.

As GateRunner said, block it. Better safe than sorry!

[Raven_Writer]

Originally Posted by Jay H 237

I just tried to Google "aim3377857" but no matches were found. Sometimes if you're not sure of something try Googling it and you may get info, unfortunately this wasn't the case in this instance.

As GateRunner said, block it. Better safe than sorry!

The only thing wrong w/ blocking really is that they just aren't that s/n. There are also different s/n's out now doing this (all with the #'s though).

So, blocking isn't going to do any good anyhow, since they only send you one IM, and no more.

[GateRunner]

Well, possible that it will send to someone else with the same name as it used to send to me. and that someone else could be YOU :-p