Computer alert

wa2crk · Post by **wa2crk** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 10:42 am

Lately I have been receiving E-Mail from several people including family members that contain encrypted viruses. (or is that "viri).
Anyway the E-mails carry the person's correct name but the wrong return E-Mail address. DO NOT OPEN THESE E-MAILS!!! The link can carry much bad stuff. If the "sender's" name does not match the E-Mail address that is known to you send it to the trash can.
AN ounce of protection is worth etc., etc.,
BillV

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 10:53 am

wa2crk wrote:Lately I have been receiving E-Mail from several people including family members that contain encrypted viruses. (or is that "viri).
Anyway the E-mails carry the person's correct name but the wrong return E-Mail address. DO NOT OPEN THESE E-MAILS!!! The link can carry much bad stuff. If the "sender's" name does not match the E-Mail address that is known to you send it to the trash can.
AN ounce of protection is worth etc., etc.,
BillV

I would just delete it from the browser.

BTW Who's storage space is used for e-mails? User or 'provider'? i.e. it would be deleted from where?

wa2crk · Post by **wa2crk** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 11:07 am

I have unlimited E-Mail storage on the ISP server so I believe that it would be deleted only locally on my computer. The bogus E-Mails come different E_Mail addresses each time so the ignore function would not work.
Bill V

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 12:13 pm

wa2crk wrote:I have unlimited E-Mail storage on the ISP server so I believe that it would be deleted only locally on my computer. . . .

That 'does not compute"!;)

With 'unlimited e-mail storage' at the ISP, why would a 'copy' be needed locally other than to provide 'temporary' space for viewing etc.??

I would not be concerned with a 'copy' in a temporary storage area or at the ISP.

If they be resident on my computer, where?

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 1:12 pm

My provider scans emails for viruses. Suspect ones are quarantined. I figured all email providers did that.
So far, nothing has made it through. (crossed fingers)

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 1:35 pm

"Where" the email resides depends on the service AND your interaction with it.

At my work, all the emails in my Inbox reside on the email server. Whether I'm using Outlook on my PC, or email clients on my phone and tablet, the emails are on the server and that's where I'm loading them from. But, every 14 days, Outlook on my office PC does an Auto-Archive and moves any email over 60 days old to an archive folder. Those emails remain visible from Outlook on my PC only and the archive folder resides locally on my PC. I can not see those emails from the mobile clients.

With my Gmail and Yahoo accounts, the emails reside on their servers and I can access them from a web browser on my PC or the apps on my phone and tablet. It is possible to configure an email client, such as Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird, IncrediMail, etc, to download the emails from Gmail, Yahoo, or other email services to my local PC. Further, whether a copy of the email remains on the server, or it is deleted from the server is an option that can be configured in the email client.

So, "where does the email reside?" is a question that can only be answered on a case-by-case basis.

But, even if the email is on the server, opening that email or an attachment that contains a virus can still be harmful. You should be skeptical and cautious of suspicious emails regardless of where the email is stored.