There are a lot of viruses out there.
But some aren't really out there at all.
Virus hoaxes are more than mere annoyances,
as they may lead some users to routinely
ignore all virus warning messages, leaving
them vulnerable to a genuine, destructive
virus. Or more worrying some of these hoax attache fake fixes which are viruses themselves or ask the user to do something like delete a file.
These are e-mail messages either warning
the recipient of an impending virus or other
disaster, or promises the recipient of some
reward if he or she would only "forward
the message to everybody they know".
In most cases, there is no basis to these
warnings/give-aways, and the message itself
becomes a type of "virus" as each
person replicates and passes on the message,
and each of those people replicates it and
passes it on, etc., etc., etc. Most antivirus
programs are not designed to detect hoaxes
since they do not attempt to replicate or
damage systems on their own (they just depend
on the individual to do that for them!).
If the message tells you to do something,
especially if that something involves changing
in your account or sending a file or message
over the network, **CHECK WITH SOMEONE
KNOWLEDGEABLE THAT YOU CAN TRUST**.
Imagine you received a package to your house
asking you to place your house keys in the
return envelope provided, and mail them
to a post office box. Would you comply?
People fall for the computer version of
this all the time.
If you are not sure then copy some text from the email and place it in a search engine the results will normally give you a good indication if it is a hoax. Or you could visit a page like Symantexs Hoax Page and see if you see the name of your fake virus on the list.
"Forward This message to get a
free .... !"
Many hoaxes encourage their victims to
forward a message to as many people as possible
in order to get a reward for themselves
or on the behalf of some charity. The hoax
claims that if enough copies of the message
get sent then something good will happen.
Alternatively, some messages claim that
unless enough messages are sent, than something
bad will happen. The thing to know is that
there is no way for anyone to count the
number of copies of an email in circulation
on the internet, nor to count the number
of times something has been forwarded
A chain letter is a "get rich quick"
scheme that promises that your post box
will soon be stuffed full of cash if you
decide to participate. You're told you can
make thousands of pounds every month if
you follow the detailed instructions in
the letter. The main thing to remember is
that a chain letter is simply a bad investment.
You certainly won't get rich. You will receive
little or no money.
There are enough myths, legends, and hoaxes
on the net to fill a book, in fact, one
is growing, check out urban
legends.com
So Remeber Don't
forward the Email, Microsoft, Disney The
GAP, VIctoria's Secret etc, are not giving
away stuff for free. They are not going
to tax modems or the internet. They are
not going to ban religious stations either.
No kids need your email as last wish or
to save their lives. Nobody wakes up in
a tub of ice with his kidneys stolen and
Nope, you are not getting the secret recipe
for a corporate giant's product.