Our web-based e-mail software has been updated, in it you'll find many new features including...

• Address autocompletion - similar to what Thunderbird users have been enjoying for many years.
• Greatly improved e-mail filtering with the ability to now make use of SpamAssassin
• Links to "Report Spam" and "Report Innocent" to train SpamAssassin
• The ability to easily set Vacation messages for when you're away.
• Calendars, To-do lists, notepads. Users can create multiple instances of these and addressbooks, and share them with other users.

Please be sure to report any problems you find with the new software, using the "Problem" button at the top of each page.

Several of our users recently received this e-mail:

Dear Staff/Student,

To complete and validate your medicine.nodak account, you must reply to this email immediately and enter your password here (*****)

Failure to do this will immediately render your Email Address deactivated from our database as this is part of our security measures to serve you better.

Thank you for being a part of UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA (SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCE) COMMUNITY!

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA (SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCE) SUPPORT TEAM

This is completely bogus. We would never have a need for you to send us your password, and any e-mail saying otherwise is a scam. This is almost certainly also true for all other online services, such as eBay, Facebook, your bank, etc.

Unfortunately, a few of you did reply, and at least one account was logged into and used in an attempt to send spam.

Hoax e-mails will probably always be with us. Here's another example:

READ AS SOON AS POSSIBLE PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS:

You should be alert during the next several days: Do not open any message with an attached filed called "Invitation" regardless of who sent it. It is a virus that opens an Olympic Torch which "burns" the whole hard disc C of your computer...

A quick Google search of a key phrase from the warning like: "It is a virus that opens an Olympic Torch" quickly reveals many pages discussing the hoax.

This bit from the bottom of the Sophos page on the hoax is worth noting...

Many virus hoaxes:

• falsely claim to describe an extremely dangerous virus
• use pseudo-technical language to make impressive-sounding (but impossible) claims
• falsely claim that the report was issued or confirmed by a well-known company
• ask you to forward it to all your friends and colleagues

As usual, you are urged not to pass on warnings of this kind, as the continued re-forwarding of these hoaxes simply wastes time and email bandwidth.

Unwanted e-mail levels 'shot up like crazy'; image spam partly to blame, say experts.

Researchers and IT managers are confirming security vendors' claims that spam levels have spiked in the past month - some say by as much as 80 % -- and show no signs of decreasing. More on NetworkWorld >>

Have you received one if these lately?

HEY JUST A QUICK REMINDER...... In a few weeks, cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sale calls. You will be charged for these calls since you pay for the minutes used on your cell phone.

Sounds bad, but fortunately it's bogus according to the FTC. This and other hoax e-mails are easily identified by doing a quick Google search of a sentence or two from the main body of the message.

This one turns out to currently be the #1 top Urban Legend on about.com

Internet scammers casting about for people's financial information have a new way to lure unsuspecting victims: They go "phishing."

Phishing is a high-tech scam that uses spam or pop-up messages to deceive you into disclosing your credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), phishers send an email or pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you deal with - for example, your Internet service provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or even a government agency. The message usually says that you need to "update" or "validate" your account information. It might threaten some dire consequence if you don't respond. The message directs you to a Web site that looks just like a legitimate organization's site, but it isn't. The purpose of the bogus site? To trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.

More on ftc.gov >>