There is a fake FBI e-mail moving around cyberspace which (surprise, surprise!) is infected with a virus. The message asks recipients to click on an attachment and answer some questions about their alleged illegal Internet use. The attachment in question is, of course, virus infected. It is not clear at this stage what activities take place right after infection, but this is being investigated.
The FBI, who discovered the fake e-mail over the weekend after several recipients of the messages notified the FBI, said that this appears to be the first time a virus has been distributed through an e-mail allegedly from the FBI. Whilst this may perhaps limit the damage to US-based Internet users only, there is also the fear that the sort of people likely to open an unsolicited e-mail attachment are also likely to get excited about the idea of the FBI.
The message warns recipients that their Internet use continues to be watched and that the alleged illegal activity should be halted. "If there will be anover (sic) attemption (sic) you will be busted," the message states. The FBI does not know if any victims of the scam have provided their credit card numbers or other information.
However it stated that it never sends official unsolicited e-mails to citizens for any reason and that any messages purporting to be from the agency should be ignored. Recipients can also report them to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.