I looked at the "full header" and it's a page of stuff. How can one determine if it's a concern? I do know not to click on hyperlinks like that but I worry about all her other friends who write to her who don't know that. What advice can I give her other than to send an email to everyone who might contact her today/tomorrow etc and alert them? She did say she just deleted about 1,000 emails, could that have anything to do with it? Is this just a random act and not likely to happen again or might it continue to happen when I email her? I don't know WOT but will look into it and most likely install it as I trust any advice you give. Thanks, Ginny

First of all the email you quoted alludes to the postcard virus, which is a real virus that has been around since last summer. However, the body of your email contains false and incorrect info. It is a hoax. I have linked to Snopes.com for clarification of your email. If you had read to the bottom of your link, you would have seen this info also. One should always check out these mass warnings at Snopes. The real problem is that you included a link that was in your email. It turns out that the link is benign, but it very well could have sent people to an infected web page. It's very common for the bad guys to do this type of thing. I know you meant well, so please don't take this personally and please don't stop posting. Caution is the operative word along with Snopes.com. Here is a link that might be useful: The other email warning

I just read what dd50 said. " I always put in my email if you don't show at the time stated it goes to the next person." I am doing a lot of Freecycling these days. Sometimes the person is a no-show. I just had one this week. I wrote to ask her if she's still coming. Now I have to wait for a reply, and hope that I don't give up on her, offer it to the next person, then hope she doesn't write back saying she wants to come after all. I think that stating the conditions up front like that is going to save me a lot of trouble. After all, I'm giving them something for free. The least they could do is show up when they say they will. I think xminion's advice is also good. I have been reluctant to give out my phone number, thinking the anonymity of e-mail is safer, but maybe it's better to talk in person. Once a person talks to you on the phone, they are more likely to carry out their promised actions. You have a more personal connection to each other than you would with e-mail. What I don't like about dealing with the general public via e-mail is that sometimes a person thinks the anonymity makes it OK to be rude. I have had a few of those, and that always creeps me out. What I love about giving stuff away is that I don't have to pay money to throw it in the dump, and this other person can put it to good use!

Thanks you guys for all the comments. I think Maryanne came the closest to what I had thought. He had just moved to Michigan to be a camp counselor at a Bible camp, & he was all excited to be doing this. Then I got this cryptic message yesterday & I also thought something didn't go right. I guess I'll have to wait & see if I hear from him again, which I hope I do. I can't call him cause I don't know exactly where he is.