[meteorite-list] Strange e-mails

From: Bob Martino <martino.6_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:54:03 2004
Message-ID: <v03130302b88ee5b2cc5b_at_[65.24.110.16]>

All,

In the last couple of days I've received two e-mails from unknown persons.

The latest was from someone named "Ivan Koutyrev" (I know we have an "Ivan"
in meteoritics these days, but I don't know his last name). Its subject
line was "Re: Apollo 'Lunar' Sample." It contained no text message but
carried an attachment with a .pif suffix. When I replied to the sender,
the message bounced.

I wouldn't have brought this up, but yesterday I got another very similar
message. I deleted it so I can't remember the sender's name, but it was
not "Ivan." It also contained no text, just a .pif attachment. When I
replied to it, it also bounced. The subject line indicated that it was a
response to my recent list posting about the Willamette meteorite.

I am not foolish enough to open attachments sent by complete strangers, so
I don't know what these .pif files were. That they were sent from
fictitious e-mail accounts has me concerned. Two of these in as many days
is odd. Both coming with meteorite-related subject lines is very odd. I
suspect Trojan Horses. Can .pif attachments cause damage to a computer
when opened?

Is anyone else on the list experiencing this problem? If so, we might have
a list-wide issue. If not, then I might have become a target for some
reason.

Any ideas?


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Martino Can you really name a star?
                                   http://home.columbus.rr.com/starfaq/
"I look up to the heavens
 but night has clouded over
 no spark of constellation
 no Vela no Orion." -Enya
Received on Tue 12 Feb 2002 10:43:52 AM PST