Virus hoax
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A computer virus hoax is a false email message warning the recipient of a virus that is going around. The message usually serves as a chain e-mail that tells the recipient to forward it to everyone they know.
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[edit] Clues
Most hoaxes are easily identified by the fact that they say the virus will do impossible things, like blow up the recipient's computer. They often claim to be from reputable organizations such as Microsoft and IBM, but include emotive language and encouragement to forward the message which would not come from an official source.
[edit] Risks
Virus hoaxes are usually harmless, and do nothing more than annoy people who know it's a hoax or waste the time of people who forward the message. However, a number of hoaxes have warned users that vital system files are viruses, and encourages the user to delete the file, possibly damaging the system. An example of this is the jdbgmgr.exe hoax.
Some consider virus hoaxes, and other chain e-mails to be a computer worm in and of themselves. They self replicate by exploiting users' ignorance or emotional responses.
[edit] Computer Pranks
Hoaxes are not to be confused with computer pranks. Computer pranks are programs that perform unwanted and annoying actions on a computer, like randomly move the mouse.
[edit] What to do
The consensus of anti-virus specialists is that recipients should delete virus hoaxes instead of forwarding them. For example, McAfee says: "We are advising users who receive the email to delete it and DO NOT pass it on as this is how an email HOAX propagates." [1]
[edit] See also
[edit] External Links
- A Virtual Card For You Hoax McAfee
