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Computer virus is circulating in Milwaukee
Published July 25, 2008 - BizTimes Daily
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As a public service, BizTimes Daily is warning readers not to open any e-mails with the subject line of "UPS Packet," because such e-mails are bogus and include attachments that are infected with a computer virus.
The e-mail with the viral attachment has been circulating this week and is causing many computers in the Milwaukee area to crash, according to Ariel Donahue, remote team leader for Stamm Business Technologies in Milwaukee.
"We have had at least 10 computers come in from our clients just this week," Donahue said. "For a single virus, that is pretty high, so it has spread pretty fast, and a lot of people have been hit by this."
The e-mail leads the recipient to believe that a United Parcel Service package could not be delivered because of an incorrect address.
According to Donahue, once opened, the attachment unleashes a virus that opens a "door" on the computer and proceeds to download other viruses.
"The virus really just makes your computer more vulnerable to infection from other viruses," Donahue said. "The good news is that it is pretty easy to remove once the computer comes in to the shop, but it can't be removed with a simple scan."
Anybody who receives such an e-mail should delete it immediately and then empty the computer's trash bin.
UPS has issued a warning about the computer virus. The warning states:
Attention: Virus Warning
Service Update
We have become aware there is a fraudulent e-mail being sent that says it is coming from UPS and leads the reader to believe that a UPS shipment could not be delivered. The reader is advised to open an attachment reportedly containing a waybill for the shipment to be picked up.
This e-mail attachment contains a virus. We recommend that you do not open the attachment, but delete the e-mail immediately.
UPS may send official notification messages on occasion, but they rarely include attachments. If you receive a notification message that includes an attachment and are in doubt about its authenticity, please contact customerservice@ups.com.
Please note that UPS takes its customer relationships very seriously, but cannot take responsibility for the unauthorized actions of third parties.
Thank you for your attention.
