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ilmbg

Returned Yahoo encrypted error messege-can it spread virus?

ilmbg
10 years ago

I accidentally entered a wrong letter in someone's address. The 'error-unable to deliver' messege showed. Yahoo.
Because I have to prove that I had attempted to reply, I sent the returned encrypted email/messege to coworkers that it was supposed to go to originally.
One coworker went ballistic-"Don't EVER send me something like this again! This is how you get a virus".!!!
The messege is from Yahoo.
Does this cause a virus? It was my original email, with everyone's name/email address, but returned as encrypted.
Thanks

Comments (8)

  • azinoh
    10 years ago

    Without knowing why you "have to prove that I had attempted to reply", my opinion is that you are very much in the wrong by sending to your coworker something that he/she was never supposed to receive. You left yourself wide open to this angry response, whether it was justified or not. For me there is not enough info here to determine if anything involving a virus actually took place, but these days you can't be too careful. I would hazard a guess that something in the encrypted message (or just the fact that it was encrypted) caused the recipient's antivirus program to sound off with a virus alert.

  • ilmbg
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Asimov,
    Next time, read the thread carefully. It states that the "the message went to the coworker that it was supposed to go to originally".
    You were not asked for a comment on a situation that you are not educated about. Your response was not appropriate nor correct.
    And your comment , " whether it was justified or not", is certainly a poor response from you!
    Would you send someone an angry email if it was " not justified"?
    You are correct-you do not know enough about the situation and should never comment when you do not know/understand the situation.
    The coworker WAS specifically supposed to get the email, as specified in my original post.
    Part of our work in a nursing setting is confirming by email that specific doctor's requests are ordered. My email proves that I have sent the request in.
    Emails concerning work must be able to be documented- that you did inform someone about an incident, financials, etc. IF YOU DO NOT SEND AN EMAIL CONTAINING DATE/time/what was ordered, it is considered 'not completed' unless your email containing the info is sent. Not sent= not done. Sent=done.
    The email that did not go through was sent to three individuals at work. One of the email addresses had an 'm', instead of 'n' typed in the address, so it bounced back to me.
    As I have to prove that I did indeed attempt to send the email, That was the ,'proof' that I did attempt to send it.
    Nothing weird/bad/private was sent to the coworker-only the normal 'proof' that I had attempted to send.

    My only question was: does the returned encrypted email cause viruses?
    I have since gone in to both a computer repair and Talked with the communication engineers at work, Verizon, and all confirmed that viruses are not generated/passed along with a returned email. The encrypted return comes back encrypted because the address does not exist, so the email that I sent cannot be deciphered and completed. It is normal for it to come back that way and does not cause anything or do any damage of any kind.
    My question was simple. You did not even answer the question. Your answer was incorrect and your opinion was not asked for.
    For others, I have found out that encrypted returned emails cause no harm of any kind FYI.
    Next time please answer people's questions if you know the correct answer. You waste people's time with poor response to something you know nothing about.

  • PKponder TX Z7B
    9 years ago

    your email should have gone to the other two correctly typed recipients, even though it bounced back to you. If you have to 'prove' your work, it would have been simpler to just forward the original message with it's timestamp to the mistyped recipient.

    You always open yourself up to ridicule when you post a question like this on an open forum. And the person's name is Azinoh, so possibly you also need to read closer.

    It is unknown whether your computer is infected and able to send a virus, but it obviously made your co-worker uneasy.

  • Elmer J Fudd
    9 years ago

    What a tempest in a teapot! People overreacting to what's ultimately nothing. And then overreacting to a general comment about nothing.

    A message from a mail server about an undelivered message is a normal and everyday occurrence. Forwarding it while eating potato chips might lead to obesity and pimples but there are no other immediate risks.

    Phew, everyone needs to lighten up. ilmbg, if the expectations of your job include never making a mistake in addressing an email, you should find another job.

  • DA_Mccoy
    9 years ago

    Encrypted or not opening an unsent "returned" e-mail has always been a big no-no. That scam resurfaces every once in a while. However, a "returned" e-mail that the user did send would be benign.

    As to your co-worker it appears to be a case of knowing in general, but not in specific.

    DA

    This post was edited by damccoy on Tue, Apr 15, 14 at 17:53

  • ilmbg
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Dam oh
    I do not understand-your first sentence says a returned unsent email is not to be looked at?
    The second sentence says a returned email is ok.

    I did send the email. It then came back as 'undeliverable'.
    So I interpret your statement that when an email comes back as undeliverable, and is encrypted that it can have a virus?
    I am originally asking a simple question- does an email that was sent, but comes back as 'undeliverable' AND encrypted tend to have viruses?

    Also-pm ponder- what does a typo have to do with the general concept of a conversation? Nothing...

  • DA_Mccoy
    9 years ago

    The difference is to whether you sent the returned e-mail or not. If you get a returned e-mail that you did send it is most likely ok. If you get a returned e-mail you DIDN'T send do not open it as only bad can happen. That's the guiding principle for decision.

    DA

  • ilmbg
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I see! That is what I am looking for! I did send the email, as I must, for documentation that work was done.
    Thanks for the simple answer!

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