The new version of the MiMail virus manages to combine a credit card scams, a fake security email and a virus. Posing as an email from Ebay confirming your account details, If you open the attachment it will open a box asking for your credit card and bank details that it will try to send to a number of email addresses. While open, the virus will search your computer for email addresses to spread to.

MiMail uses an email attachment to run. You should never run exe, scr, or pif files as these are almost certainly viruses. While your anti-virus program should detect these things, it's best not to open them at all.

As well as avoiding malicious attachments, there are basic security measures you can take to protect yourself from worms and security problems like this one. A good firewall will also protect you from other problems like spyware and trojan horses. If you are on the net, then you need to secure your system.

More information is available from Symantec.