Ok people, I gotta post this so that you can be safe.

As Dave (Norman) and I were chatting on AIM IM... I got a request for aolsystemmsg to send me a message... and I was given the option to accept it or block it.

At first glance, this would seem like a good idea to accept it.

DO NOT DO THIS!!!

Think for one moment, why would a system message EVER have to request to be sent? It WOULDN'T. ALL ISPs including AOL will just send the message. They will NEVER request to send a system message!

This is someone pretending to be AOL and most likely is trying to send you something YOU DO NOT WANT! (virus probably)

So for your safety: please BLOCK this and if you have the ability to report it. Do so. I use a web version and have no way to notify AOL. (Plus I'm not an AOL subscriber... I only use their free AIM.)

Just as a note:

The aol System Ops will not come across with a name like that.. and AOL System Ops never IM you.

If you ever get a message from AOL it's mostly automated as below.

NEVER ACCEPT A FILE UNLESS YOU KNOW THE SOUCE

Also, as an AIM related PSA, don't click a link that someone sends you unless you know what it's going to be. Especially if you just get an IM from a friend that says "Check this out!" There are a few different viruses going around that send themselves out to your buddy list in this manner.

So true..

Good call.. I hav had this happpen to me several times.. and I've asked the user later, and he said he never sent it.. so .. be sure you know what's going on.. a ounce of prevention can prevent months of headaches later :)

Hey, Thanks.

Ugh, I know a girl who registers screennames like that to freak people out. It's good of you to post this, though. :)

That aolsystem thing ( cant remember it all) every time i get it its because I didnt log out when I was at my boyfriends house. And then it tells me I have an option to log out of that account, I do that because I remember talking to my friend on AIM, and just so happend she was signed in at two places at once where ANOTHER person was sitting! So BOTH people were responding to me, one saying she wasnt there (in a different font than hers) and the other saying that it was her (because it was). neither one of them could see the other's response though. That's why I take this precaution. I never click links to outside sources unless i KNOW it's what my friend wants me to look at. But if theres a screenname that says xXxSassygirl4539090xXx ... I don't accept that.