Re: HOAX Possible viruses to watch out for.

On Thu, 26 Apr 2001, Rodger Boots wrote:

> I was recently sent this. I haven't had a chance to check it out (but
> at least have tidied up the formatting).

It's a hoax.

Putting on my ISP hat for a moment:

If you don't have the time to check, the easiest way to detect a hoax is if
it says "Pass this on to anyone you know". Anythying that says "email this
to everyone you know" -- don't. If it was real, there would be a URL
pointing to a page a Symantec, Mcafee, or some other virus site with
specific information on the virus. Just mentioning their names is a ruse to
get you to think it is real.

Virus warnings are updated all the time as new information comes out.
E-mails can't be updated, web pages can.

Other signs, things like "This was relased yesterday". Yesterday was when
exactly ? Real warning will have an actual date, so that after this message
has been forwarded for 2 years, people will know that it is old.

However, checking is very easy, and takes much less time then reformating
and sending out the message. Go to www.google.com and stick in some key
phrase from the message. In this case, searching on . . .

virus "virtual card for you"

 . . . brought up 1,440 hits about this being a hoax.

I'll leave it to Roger to inform his non-Vector friends.
:-)

-Chris

==========================================================
Chris Candreva -- chris@westnet.com -- (914) 967-7816
WestNet Internet Services of Westchester
http://www.westnet.com/

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Received on Thu Apr 26 07:32:23 2001