Anti-virus companies are scrambling to protect their customers against a new e-mail virus that pretends to be a computer screen saver.
Security company McAfee reports thousands of its clients have sent in copies of the worm, called 'Goner'.
An Internet worm has the ability to spread to other computers on its own.
The e-mail has the word "Hi" as its subject and body text which reads "When I saw this screen saver, I immediately thought about you. I am in a harry (sic), I promise you will love it." Its attachment is labelled "gone.scr."
If the recipient runs the screen saver, the computer becomes infected. Like many e-mail attacks, it sends itself out to everyone in the victim's address book. It can also sends itself through the instant messaging program ICQ.
In addition to ICQ, ‘Goner’ affects only Microsoft's Outlook and Outlook Express e-mail programs on computers running Windows.
Computer experts advise that people not open unexpected e-mail attachments, even if the sender is someone familiar. Computer users should update their anti-virus software at least weekly.
‘Goner’ also attempts to delete critical files for any security or anti-virus program the victim might have installed.
McAfee has placed Goner on "outbreak" status. The last virus with that status was the "Love Letter" attack, which caused billions of dollars in damages worldwide.