Email virus hoaxes/chain emails

Do you suffer from well intentioned people who forward you hoax emails? They sound convincing which is what makes people forward them on but 99.99999% of the time it's just another hoax/chain email, there is no such virus, Bill Gates really isn't going to give you thousands of pounds/dollars.

How do I know?

First give away - the bit that says "Forward this email to all your friends, family, everyone you know." Yep - that'll just clog up the mail system. ANY email that says that, is guaranteed to be a hoax or just a classic chain email.

Second give away - the fact that some apparently reputable source (CNN, Microsoft, AOL and McAfee) have 'verified' this as being serious (yeah right). "My friend is a lawyer/works for XYZ and said this was real".

Think about it - I could write an email right now and add in a few verified sources, quote a few press articles and it would mean nothing.

If you think there might 'just' be a grain of truth (there rarely is) check out http://www.breakthechain.org or http://www.snopes.com.

It will tell you all the hoaxes that are out there, how long they've been around and variations. This one's been doing the rounds since 2002.

Or if you're really concerned, then read warning page - http://www.virtualsalt.com/warning.htm

Valid viruses will come as an attachment in an email - usually a zip file. McAfee is constantly updating their data file, so if you've got up-to-date virus software - you have got virus software haven't you? - you're pretty safe.


P.S. By all means forward THIS blog to all your friends, so that less people get taken in by these hoax/chain emails.