Why You Should Stop Forwarding Emails About Virus Threats & Tips How to Spot Email Hoaxes

This audio computer lesson departs from the usual computer question & answer format – I recorded this lesson to help you stop wasting time and clogging up inboxes with those virus warnings everyone likes to forward around.

In my experience, these virus warnings are usually either mostly or completely false, and don’t help protect anyone, because they’re hoaxes.  There’s a saying that a good lie is based at least partially on truth, and I guess that applies to virus hoaxes too.  Listen in as I separate the lies from the truth in one common email hoax, using it as an example to help you recognize the patterns of these fake emails so you can avoid being taken in by them.

You can read the full text of the email hoax below and read along as I pick it apart and explain why much of it doesn’t make sense, and show you some of the telltale signs it’s yet another hoax:

> **HUGE VIRUS COMING ! PLEASE READ & FORWARD !
>
>
> This has been checked with Norton Anti-Virus, and they are gearing up
> for this virus! and also checked Snopes, and it is for real. Get
> this E-mail message sent around to all your contacts ASAP.
>
> PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS!
>
>
> You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message
> with an attachment entitled ‘POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK,’regardless of
> who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which
> ‘burns’ the whole hard disc C drive of your computer.
>
> This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address
> on his/her contact list. That is the reason why you need to send this
> e-mail to all your contacts. It is better to receive this message 25
> times than to receive the virus and open it!
>
> If you receive a mail called’ POSTCARD,’ even if it is sent to you by
> a friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately. This
> is the worst virus announced by CNN.
>
> It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus
> ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no
> repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the
> Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept.
>
> COPY THIS E-MAIL, AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS. REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND
> IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US**

Posted by Worth Godwin Computer Training on May 20, 2010 in Audio Computer Training, Computer Questions Answers, Computer Tips, Computer Training, Email Scams & Hoaxes, Online Privacy & Security | 0 comments