Microsoft Windows Messenger Service Spam

[shifter]

Found an interesting Tid-Bit of Knowledge that may help those with this problem....

With messenger spam, there are two important things to know. First, they're not always from who they say they're from. Second, you can stop them.

It's an increasingly popular form of spam and, according to the site, Stop Messenger Spam, "…you don't need to have an e-mail account, chat client, or Web browser. All you need in order to be spammed is Windows XP, 2000, or NT and an Internet connection."

The spammer uses Microsoft Windows Messenger Service, which is turned on by default (this is NOT the same as MSN® Messenger). This was designed for system administrators to send messages to users on a network. However, recently it is being used for this kind of spam.

Here is an example of the spam you might see:
In many cases the words "Messenger Service" appears in the title bar of the window.



To shut the door on this kind of spam, Microsoft has online instructions:

MS link for XP
MS link for 2000 and NT
(Note: Microsoft no longer supports Windows NT. However, the instructions for Windows NT are the same as those for Windows 2000.)

Not sure whether this belongs in this forum, as it pertains to anyone with Windows XP no matter what IM you are running, but I guess that most people would try this forum first if they got the spam.
I have never gotten this spam personally, anyone out there ever seen it before?

[Faizan]

I've never seen that before either. But I've heard about it loads of times. I think my friend had that, but I can't remember which one, someone told me about this, and I think i'll have to ask all of them



By the way, I think it would be more suitable in IM Privacy & Safety Forum! Because that is the one, this topic actually belongs to!

[Brian]

It's pain in the butt seeing those popping up on my screen. I have not seen those in months ago when I disabled in the Admin. control. I think I posted other method of disabling that somewhere in another thread.

[Brian]

quote:Originally posted by Faizan

By the way, I think it would be more suitable in IM Privacy & Safety Forum! Because that is the one, this topic actually belongs to!

Nope, Faizan... you can still get message spams even if you don't even use Windows/MSN Messenger.

[shifter]

Thanks guys, I did do a search to see if anyone else had posted relating this, but didn't see anything (although I think it may have only searched the MSN Forums..oops). And I agree with Faizan, this should have been posted in the IM Privacy And Safety Forum, [u]due to the fact that it doesn't matter what IM you are using.[/b] I think Brian is just a bit confused about what Faizan was actually saying.

[Brian]

http://www.bigblueball.com/forums/to...?TOPIC_ID=2731

quote:Originally posted by shifter

I think Brian is just a bit confused about what Faizan was actually saying.

Yeah. I should have reread Faizan's post again before I think quickly to post. I just checked on the forums and realize this should be moved to the right one.