Hoax E-mail Alert

The New York State Police Computer Crime Unit has initiated an investigation into the release of a spam e-mail that is circulating heavily nationwide, primarily through Yahoo e-mail accounts. The-mail purports to be a Uniform Traffic Ticket from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles issued by the New York State Police.

The hoax e-mail requests that the recipient open an attached zip file, allegedly a copy of the traffic ticket to fill out and send to a town court. The zip file is believed to contain an unknown virus and is currently being analyzed by the State Police Computer Forensics Lab.

This e-mail is not from the State Police or the Department of Motor Vehicles. If you receive this e-mail, you should not open the email or attachment as it likely contains a virus. Please do not forward it to the New York State Police or your local police.

The New York State Police and the National Crime Prevention Council remind computer users of the following cyber-crime prevention tips to protect themselves:

• Use anti–virus software, firewalls, and other security measures to protect your personal information.
• Only open e–mails from familiar sources and only navigate to trusted sites.
• Change your passwords every 90 days and do not allow your computer’s programs to save them.
• Back–up important files to external storage devices and be vigilant when downloading from the Internet.
• Install parental control software and monitor your child’s Internet use to keep kids safe online.
• Establish family guidelines for appropriate computer use.

The e-mail subject line may contain the title "UNIFORM TRAFFIC TICKET." The following is a copy of the suspect e-mail: