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Note: This blog is about the subject in general – not meant to be taken personally by the one who just sent me the email.
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Ok everyone. Please STOP sending this crap to me. I can only hit “reply all” and send refutes about these urban legends so many times before I get really tired of it. I realize that most people don’t know as much as about computers and technology as I do, but just a little thinking and forethought would save all of us time and save some internet email traffic. Besides, most people who send me email have heard by soap box lessons about this kind of stuff.
Did I mention that I HATE unsolicited emails containing urban legends? Stop proliferating this crap. Please. They waste time, resources, and bandwidth. Instead of doing something productive, I have to respond to people and insure them that mass panic will not happen. Worse yet, I get the phone calls from clients wanting to know what all these things are about. When I tell then about urban legends, myths, and hoaxes, they just can’t believe that “cousin Tommy – the family computer guy relative” would send them an email that was fake. Just because “Tommy” has an iPod and can play Guitar Hero and instant message does not make him an expert.
There is no virus that caused mass panic in New York and was reported on CNN. Software code can remove data but can’t cause actual damage to a hard drive. Clicking on links in an email that obviously point to a ridiculous URL (website) such as : http://notme.hk/ should really be your first clue. Another clue would be not opening any untrusted attachments. A third clue is “this alert was received by an employee of Microsoft” – umm who cares and it was unsolicited anyway?
In summary, don’t fall for the social engineering tactics at all. And don’t forward them on to me unless you are genuinely asking me if there is any truth. If you do, then you will surely end up on my email newsletter list along with all 500 people that you cc’ed – since I’m sure every one of you needs real technology help.
All –
I just received this warning from my wife. I checked on Snopes. It is a REAL virus!
Read below.
– G****
Importance: High
FYI . . . Please take this seriously and read the link below . . .
Virus –CNN announced — Snopes confirms as real.
Here is a link to the snopes page:
http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp
PLEASE SEND THIS TO EVERYONE ON YOUR CONTACT LIST!!
A new virus has just been discovered that has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive ever. This virus was discovered yesterday afternoon by McAfee. This virus simply destroys Sector Zero from the hard disk, where vital information for its functioning are stored.
This virus acts in the following manner:
It sends itself automatically to all contacts on your list with the title:
‘You’ve received a Post Card from a Family member’.
As soon as the supposed virtual card is opened the computer freezes so that the user has to reboot. When the ctrl+alt+ del keys or t he reset button are pressed, the virus destroys Sector Zero, thus permanently destroying the hard disk. Yesterday in just a few hours this virus caused panic in New York, according to news broadcast by CNN.
This alert was received by an employee of Microsoft itself.
So don’t open any mails with subject:’A Post Card from ‘ As soon as you get the mail, delete it !! Even if you know the sender !!!
Please pass this mail to all of your friends.
Forward this to everyone in your address book. I’m sure most people, like myself, would rather receive thi s notice 25 times than not at All.
References:
http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp
http://virusbusters.itcs.umich.edu//hoaxes/virtual.html
http://antivirus.about.com/cs/hoaxes/p/virtualcard.htm
http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/hoaxes/hoaxDetails.asp?HName=This+Is+Not+A+Joke+-+VIRUS+ALERT