Canada Post has posted a notification on its Website to warn Canadians that an e-mail virus is circulating, appearing to originate from the postal service.

The e-mail claims that Canada Post is attempting to deliver a package to the recipient, and requests that you open the attachment to initiate or "affect" the delivery process. The e-mail is, of course, fraudulent, and not actually coming from Canada Post. Chances are that the attachment also contains a virus of some sort, and thus should not be opened.

"The anonymous authors of this unfortunate e-mail virus are only using the Canada Post name and the name of other large couriers to get your attention," warns the organization.

As with any potential virus, Canada Post advises that you delete the message. Even if you are expecting a package from Canada Post, this e-mail has nothing to do with it and should be removed immediately. Tracking numbers for packages can be verified at www.canadapost.ca. If a tracking number cited in an e-mail is fake, the site will advise you of an "invalid tracking number format."

"We regret any inconvenience this may cause," Canada Post adds, "and are taking this matter seriously. We will provide further updates as information becomes available."

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