Email Message From Symantec

Norton Security | Norton Internet Security
1

I received an email today, Aug. 13/11, from norton@nortonfromsymantec.com in French. I neither speak nor read French and live in Toronto, so I don't understand why Norton would send me a French message. I've had many other messages in the past, but they've always been in English. It appears to have something to do with a download service for Norton 360 which I subscribed to last October, so I think the message is legitimate. If someone could confirm that this is legitimate, please arrange to resend it in English to [Removed] I have copied some of the message text and pasted it below.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Pour
afficher ce courrier électronique sous forme de page Web, cliquez ici.

 

Notification de service

 

Cher/Chère,Dès le 15 août 2011, nous allons mettre
à jour les comptes Norton afin d'y inclure les avantages de la garantie de
téléchargement Norton en standard. Vous pourrez toujours accéder facilement à
vos produits ou services Norton et les télécharger directement en cours
d'abonnement depuis votre compte Norton. En tant que client de la garantie de
téléchargement Norton, vous pouvez désormais bénéficier gratuitement de notre
assurance de suppression des virus "Norton Virus Removal Assurance" à
l'expiration de votre abonnement à la garantie de téléchargement Norton. Informations
d'inscription à l'assurance de suppression des virus "Norton Virus Removal
Assurance"  Fin de l'abonnement: 22/10/2011

 

Disposez-vous de la dernière version? – La mise
à jour est gratuite.  Si vous disposez
d'un abonnement actif à un produit Norton, vous pouvez télécharger la dernière
version et bénéficier des nouvelles fonctionnalités et des mises à jour de
protection gratuitement. Effectuer la mise à jour»

 

Qu'est-ce que l'assurance de suppression des
virus Norton Virus Removal Assurance? Norton Virus Removal Assurance est un
service qui fournit une assistance pratique en cas d'infection de votre
ordinateur par un virus. Nos experts NortonLive accèdent à vos systèmes à distance
et détectent et éliminent les problèmes même les plus complexes. Ils peuvent
ainsi réparer votre ordinateur infecté directement par Internet.

 

Technologie avancée de suppression de virus à
distance capable de supprimer et d'éliminer les virus, logiciels espions
(sypware) et publicitaires (adware), chevaux de Troie, vers et autres logiciels
malveillants

 

Rapide et plus pratique que les services en
magasin ou à domicile: vous n'avez plus besoin de quitter votre domicile ou
votre lieu de travail

 

Des experts disposant de compétences inégalées
dans l'élimination des infections des ordinateurs

 

Nombre d'appels illimité (normalement CAD 99.99
par appel) pour l'élimination de logiciels espions et de virus pendant toute la
durée de votre période d'abonnement

 

Prise en charge de toute activité anormale sur
l'ordinateur, y compris les fenêêtres intempestives, les alertes suspectes et
autres comportements suspicieux

 

Fonctionnement Lorsque vous avez recours à
Norton Virus Removal Assurance, un expert NortonLive va réaliser les opérations
suivantes:

 

Se connecter à votre ordinateur par le biais
d'une connexion Internet sécurisée

 

Vous poser des questions concernant le
comportement inhabituel de votre ordinateur et les symptômes de l'infection

 

 

[edit: Please do not post email addresses per the Participation Guidelines and Terms of Service.]

2

I had the message translated to English by using Google translate. After reading the English translation, the wording is very awkward and reminds me of phishing emails. This, of course, could be a shortcoming of Google translate. The email states that Norton has a service/product called Norton Virus Removal Insurance. Some sample text:

 

What insurance Virus Removal Norton Virus Removal Insurance?
Norton Virus Removal Insurance is a service that provides practical assistance in case of infection of your computer with a virus.
Our experts NortonLive access your systems remotely and detect and remove even the most complex problems. They can fix your computer infected directly by Internet.



I'm thinking this is definitely a phishing email scam. Has anyone else seen this email or does anyone at Symantec know if it's legitimate or not? I can't think of any reason for it being legitimate. I use Norton 360 and have never had a virus or any other problem that it protects me against.

3

Jim,

 

I'm sorry you got the wrong langauge version -- I don't know how they sort that out in Canada with the bilingual situation but they should be able to or at least send out in both languages ...

 

However on the authenticity of the message I think you will find that it is from Norton -- see this message froma Norton Staffer on the same topic:

 

http://community.norton.com/t5/Norton-Internet-Security-Norton/Proper-forum-to-post-of-person-to-email-for-spam-that-looks-like/m-p/509794#M167248 

 

I hope someone can comment on the language issue. The fact that your email address was edited out does show that a Norton Moderator has at least read your message!

4

Hi jimboden,

 

Did you use the Product Key from a French language version of the product to activate an English language installation?

5

Hi Hugh:

 

Thanks for the reply and the link to the other thread. That cleared it up.

6

Hi SendOfJive:

 

Thanks for replying.

 

I buy my Norton products directly from Symantec online and have done so for years. I activate them with the keys I receive after purchase, so there should be no language confusion. I've received emails from Norton for years and never got a French one until today. I'd think this is a bigger problem than just one person. There may be others.

 

7

Update:

 

Today, Aug. 16/11, I received another email and it was in French again. I still haven't received the English version.

8

You know what ? This situation reminds me of what Microsoft CSR warmed me.  People do get scam e-mails from Microsoft telling them that their system is infected and then they ask you to cal them. When you do call, they remotelly access your PC, while doing so, send you a bunch of viruses, and tell you that you must pay in order to clean your PC. So, the e-mail from fkje Norton does reminds me of the same situation.

9

Hi BobCat1:

 

Thanks for your post.

 

Yes, I know about the Microsoft scam. I was suspicious of the Symantec/Norton email as well, but they convinced me that it's legit. See previous posts in this thread with a link to another thread plus comments from Norton people. My only issue is the fact that they keep sending it to me in French, which they've done 2 times now. Weird.

10

jim,

 

If you have checked the other thread recently the situation is not being ignored by Norton.

11

Hi Hugh:

 

The other thread only talks about whether nor not the email is legit, which I know it is. There's no discussion about the French problem, though, and I still have not received an English version, but got 2 French emails.

12

Jim,

 

I was just picking up your reference to the other thread ....

 

Norton is aware of your situation as well as the other.

13

Thanks Hugh. Much appreciated.

14

Hello jimboden! :-)

As a French native, hereafter is my translation into English of your French email (in brackets, my opinion):
"Wish to display this mail in a website page? Click here" (DANGER!)
"Hello dear! (Suspicious... Hello dear customer would have been more appropriate in French LOL)
As soon as on August 15th 2011, we're going to update all the Norton accounts (!) in order to include all the advantages of the new Norton downloading standard guarantee. Thus, you will easily get access to your Norton products and services and the possibility to download them straight away during your subscribing period, from your Norton account! (Strange, it's already possible to do so right now LOL)
As a customer of this guarantee, you will also have the opportunity to get free help for removing spywares and malwares through "the Norton Virus removal insurance" ( and not "assurance" that is the equivalent French word). End of subscription: 10/22/2011.
Are you running the latest version? Updates are free. If you have a valid subscription for a Norton product, you can download the latest version and so get benefit from all the brand new and free applications and functionality together with the free protection updates! (inconsistency of the text for a French reader!)
Now what is "Norton Virus Removal Insurance? It a service providing a qualified assistance if your computer is infected. Our Norton Live experts (!) "intrude" (my opinion) into your system remotely and detect and remove all your issues even if they are elaborate or complicated. So they CAN repair your system through internet.
- Advanced technology.. blah-blah (lol)
- Fast and very practical...blah-blah
- Skilled experts
- Unlimited calls (usually CAD 99.99 per call) (LMAO)
Are included in the assistance the following issues: unusual activity, inopportune windows, suspicious alerts or system behaviour
How this new service operates:
A Norton Live expert will connect to your computer and take its control through a secured connection. He will precisely ask you the problem you encounter" THE END, folks!:smileytongue:
IMHO it is a phishing email that, if i were you, would be already deleted. Personnaly i only rely on Symantec assistance website and this forum. All the rest to the trash ;-)

I hope this translation will help some of you.

Cheers,
Herve

15

Hi Heco:

 

I appreciate you taking the time to translate the message. I already got the gist of it from Google translate. I first thought it was a phishing email because the wording in the Google translation is kind of awkward in places. I see you came to the same conclusion. Norton assures me this is a legitimate message (see previous posts with a link to another thread). My issue is that they sent me the email in French, and not English, not only once, but twice.:smileysurprised:

 

Thanks again for your help.

16

Thanks for your kind reply!

Just have a look at my reply to a Symantec Technician in another thread:http://community.norton.com/t5/Norton-Internet-Security-Norton/Proper-forum-to-post-of-person-to-email-for-spam-that-looks-like/m-p/516098#M168254

 

Cheers Jim,

Herve

 

17

Jim (and Heco)

 

Although it does not address your language complaint, which there's no more information on yet, I've been referred to this Norton Document which at least explains the background to the email ......

 

www.norton.com/VRA-FAQ 

 

As I read it, the KB article makes clear that IF you are already paying the optional Download Insurance you get the Virus Removal service for free for the duration of the Download Insurance ....

 

So I guess that is what the email was all about ....

18

Hi Hugh:

 

Thanks for the link to the message. Now I understand what it's for. It's a great idea for people who might have a problem.

19
jimboden wrote:

Hi Hugh:

 

Thanks for the link to the message. Now I understand what it's for. It's a great idea for people who might have a problem.

Right -- IF you paid for the optional download insurance, which can however be redundant if you know about these Forums!