Sober Disguises as FBI Notice to Spoof Users

Over the last few days, a mass email supposedly sent by the FBI has been making rounds on the Internet and spreads a variant of the Sober virus. The Federal Bureau of Investigation advised users never to open emails which claim to have been sent by the agency since sending such notices isn't practiced by the FBI. Users shouldn't even consider opening any attachments to such emails, as they are most likely viruses or other forms of malware.

The e-mail scam informs users that their Internet activity has been monitored by the FBI and that they have accessed illegal Web sites. The electronic messages, which are sent from several addresses including mail@fbi.gov, post@fbi.gov and admin@fbi.gov, ask the recipients to open an attachment and answer questions.

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center started receiving the first calls reporting infections with the Sober variant posing as an FBI questionnaire late Monday evening. In just a few hours, over 4,000 calls were received, many users admitting they had opened the attachment. The FBI investigation continues.