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Virus Or Hoax?
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| Ever get one of those email "forwards" that warns
you about a virus that will wipe out your hard drive, etc...? The message
asks you to forward it to everyone you know. The first thing you probably
think is, is this real?
Does it sound to good to be true? Well, you know the answer to that. Do a little investigation before you forward something that may not be true. I've received email that contains the phrase "I swear that this is true because I am a lawyer". Just because it is written down, doesn't make it true. Look for things that don't make sense. Did the message say that it will wipe out your hard drive and then steal your passwords? Even if a contact name and address is listed, it could be invented or if the contact information is real, some innocent victim could be the recipient of many unwanted emails. Passing on messages about the hoax only serves to further propagate it. If you use the links below, you may be surprised at how many of the messages you have already received! Symantec - has a search feature. This link will take you directly to their search page and is a very reliable source. (f this link doesn't work, go to www.symantec.com and click on "Symantec AntiVirus Research Center". Then scroll down to the "Encyclopedia" section.) Want to know more about Symantec? - click here Urban Legends and Folklore This mining company site from About.com that has a very comprehensive listing of hoaxes, free stuff chain letters, urban legends, and others.(and no, Bill Gates will not pay you for forwarding email! Click on the "Bill Gates" link and scroll to the bottom of the page to see what he says about that.) Hoax Warnings This site from datafellows.com only deals with virus hoaxes. This is a quote from their website: "Do not forward hoax messages.
We've seen cases where e-mail systems have collapsed after dozens of
users forwarded a false alert to everybody in the company. |
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