cd

In the past few weeks, I have received email requests for B&B reservations that have other people's email address on them. We do not own a B&B. I cannot figure out how we could be receiving other people's email. Any ideas?

Hiho

I think I may have the answer. Your e-mail address - [email protected] - is very close, alphabetically speaking, to B&B. I think the e-mails just got jolted over slightly, and wond up going to a "c" address, rather than a "b" address.

Debbie

I got one the other day - with a credit card number inside. <BR>I tried to reply the sender, and it came back as undeliverable. <BR>Then I noticed that my virus checker found a worm in the email. ( luckily I was doing my email from the web, not from home) <BR><BR>Beware of these b&b reservation emails unless you know your address is similar to a real b&b address. <BR>Otherwise I would delete them.

Christina

Do you mean that you are getting email that looks in the sender place as if it is a completely different address? If so, that is some kind of spam mail or maybe a virus as someone said -- I don't know technically how that is done but I have received email with a sender address that is NOT my actual address on AOL, it's some trick. <BR><BR>If it really is your address at the top, it is possible it's a typo. I get email for others due to typos occasionally.<BR><BR>B&B reservations do sound suspicious, though, because that isn't typical spam and sounds like someone has gotten your address off some travel forum, here or elsewhere.

cd

Actually, one I received last week was a reply from a B&B in Ireland that I had contacted last year for rooms. Except it was someone else's email address and confirming their reservations for this November, I have no idea how it came to me with someone else's address on it. And Debbie, yikes! that is exactly why I refuse to send my credit card number to anyone via email. I always ask for their phone number and call or fax them.

Elaine

Sounds like the bugbear virus which is rampant in the UK (and probably every else by now) at the moment. It's a worm virus that takes an old message from your email system and sends it out to everybody in your address book.<BR><BR>According to the UK press, it originates somewhere in Malaysia and gives the author access to your pc when you're online. So if you get any suspicious emails that are not addressed to you, don't open any attachments, delete the message and update your virus checker.

xxx

I have had similar things happen twice - not with B&B confirmations tho'. In both cases the sender had a virus and copy of an old e-mail was sent sent to everyone in the address book.

Rex

I, too have received such an e-mail, and it did match to some place I had inquired about a year or so ago. This is how some worm/virus infections work. they got into the e-mail of those establishments, and it successfuly found its way into the folder of stored e-mails or the address book and re-sent itself to anyone who had written to that place.<BR><BR>My web-based e-mail stopped the virus before it got to me.<BR><BR>I know of no way to trace how the infection got to the place that was unwittingly the conduit for further spreading around. the are not really at fault, though it would behoove them to upgrade their own virus protection.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

xxx

I was posting at the same time as Elaine. Yes - both of mine were UK or Irish senders.

cd

Thanks everyone for the input. I did a virus scan on my computer and have none (my Norton does automatic updates, I have been so pleased with it) so it must be as you say, a virus( a worm called bugbear) on the sender's email system.

Sue

Rex, I had the same experience a few weeks ago; was the place in Positano, by any chance?