"Flush Up to 50lbs!" Email Virus possibly? Not sure!

[dkmontgomery]

I am running Windows XP with Microsoft Outlook Express. I utilize AT&T Yahool Online Virus Protection. I just recently received the following email in my inbox:

American Health ***... is the Sender and the Subject states: "Flush Up To 50lbs!"

I have run a total system scan and no viruses are coming up. However, when I open Outlook Express, I can send and receive emails. But when I go down through my inbox list and then select the above email that is there, my Outlook Express immediately stops responding. I did not open this email, and have been trying to simply delete it, but Outlook stops every time I select it. I can select all messages before and after this troublesome one with no problems. But when this one is simply selected (without trying to open) everything in Outlook stops. Then I have to close Outlook and re-open it again to check other emails.

Has anybody else had such a problem? Any advice on how I can remove this email from my inbox and block the sender. I have tried everything I know to do presently and it is getting me frustrated. Help!!!!!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

[rabgary]

If it is in your inbox what I would do is move everything else from the inbox to another folder.Just leave the problem message in the inbox by itself.Then go to tools>options>maintenance>store folder and see where your store folder is located.Then close OE.Use windows explorer to go to the location of your store folders and delete the inbox.dbx.Open OE and it will create a new inbox and you can move your other messages back into it.

Then you can do all the scans and such to see if it put anything on your computer.

EDIT:Also,if you have the preview pane on in OE just selecting the message is pretty much the same as opening it.You should turn off the preview pane if you are using it.
Preview Pane (http://cybercoyote.org/security/prevpane.htm)

[dkmontgomery]

If it is in your inbox what I would do is move everything else from the inbox to another folder.Just leave the problem message in the inbox by itself.Then go to tools>options>maintenance>store folder and see where your store folder is located.Then close OE.Use windows explorer to go to the location of your store folders and delete the inbox.dbx.Open OE and it will create a new inbox and you can move your other messages back into it.

Then you can do all the scans and such to see if it put anything on your computer.

EDIT:Also,if you have the preview pane on in OE just selecting the message is pretty much the same as opening it.You should turn off the preview pane if you are using it.
Preview Pane (http://cybercoyote.org/security/prevpane.htm)

I am headed over to try it out now! Thanks for your advice, I will update on what happens.

[dkmontgomery]

Well, I was able to delete the inbox according to the above instructions that were given. So far I have not noticed any other problems related to this myetery email. I also turned off the preview pane - trusting not to allow anything to open in the future that I don't recognize. :D

[rabgary]

That's good.Hopefully it was just a glitch and did no harm.

[Nanette]

rabgary:

I have had my Outlook Express preview window open FOREVER. That's a "no no"????

I use MailWasher as a buffer. Thanks for any feedback, man. :)

[rabgary]

rabgary:

I have had my Outlook Express preview window open FOREVER. That's a "no no"????

I use MailWasher as a buffer. Thanks for any feedback, man. :)
From a lot of things I've read it is.If it is a message from some one you know you can just go ahead and open it.If you don't know the sender and are just too curious to let it go then you can do this which is a pain but is safe.
Right click the message and select properties>details>message source.
You can then go through it and find the actual text of the message.
Personally if I don't know the sender I just delete it.
In fact,I delete a lot of stuff from people I know.
I made a message rule in OE so that any message containing Fwd,Fw,and FW in the subject goes to a special folder.I then look at those to see how many people it was forwarded to.
If it is just to a few family members or close friends I will go ahead and open it because I know it wasn't just one of those crap messages that someone thinks is cute or whatever and forwards it to everyone in their address book(I can't stand those kind of emails and they are usually the most dangerous).

[Nanette]

Thanks for the idea. :)