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Virus Hoaxes
There are a lot of viruses out there. But some aren't really out there at all. Virus hoaxes are more than mere annoyances, as they may lead some users to routinely ignore all virus warning messages, leaving them vulnerable to a genuine, destructive virus. Next time you receive an urgent virus warning message, be sure to check the list of known virus hoaxes below.
Remember: Never open an email attachment unless you know what it is—even if it's from someone you know and trust.
That is to say, always double check. Unless you have a Mac; then you can pretty much relax. It just so happens I got an actual invitation the same week I got this warning and, if I'd taken it to heart, I'd have missed a chance to get together with some good friends.
Hello,The warning I got had nothing to do with olympic torches but with postcards and invitations. I actually went to the snopes site and it is indeed real. JayOn Mon Feb 11 13:11 , John Mayer sent:Thanks for trying to help your friends, Chi Chen, but no... it's not real. This is the same Olympic Torch hoax that's been circulating since the LAST summer olympics; I guess it's appropriate once again with another Olympics on the way. One clue that this is hoax is the following excerpt:On Feb 11, 2008, at 6:41 AM, Chi-Chen Cheng wrote:This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever.This is an effort by the hoaxsters to stir recipients to action; ALL hoax viruses are the worst ever. One way to check whether this has REALLY been vetted by Snopes is to go to Snopes and see; not click on a link in the same hoax letter. This link looks real, alright, but it directly contradicts what Snopes says if you go straight to Snopes home page and look for this virus. If I'd taken this seriously I'd have missed an invitation to a Valentine's Day party. So even "harmless" hoaxes can do harm. Happily, I don't have to worry about viruses; I have a Mac.Here's what Snopes REALLY says:Home --> Computers --> Virus Hoaxes & Realities --> Invitation/Olympic Torch VirusInvitation/Olympic Torch VirusVirus: Invitation (aka Olympic Torch, aka Merry Christmas)Status: Hoax.Examples:[Collected via e-mail, 2006]WARNINGYou should be alert during the next days: Do not open any message with an attached filed called "Invitation" regardless of who sent it. It is a virusthat opens an Olympic Torch which "burns" the whole hard disc C of your computer. This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list, that is why you should 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 "invitation", though sent by a friend, do not open it and 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.SEND THIS E-MAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW, COPY THIS E-MAIL AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US[Collected via e-mail, November 2007]VIRUS ALERT!!You should be alert during the next days:Do not open any message with an attached file called "Merry Christmas" regardless of who sent it, It is a virus that opens as an Open Log Fire and will burn the whole hard disc in your computer.This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list, that is why you should 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 "Merry Christmas", though sent by a friend, do not open it and shut down your computer immediately. This is the worst virus announced, 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 keptOrigins: The classics never go away, it seems, so just in time for the 2006 Winter Olympics someone has dusted off an old virus warning hoax (most commonly seen in its incarnation as the "[Virtual] Card for You" hoax) and reintroduced it as an "Olympic Torch" virus warning (also known as the "Invitation virus").The bottom line is that this same basic hoax has been circulating in various languages since at least 2000, with occasional changes along the way. No such (incurable) virus exists, has been identified by McAfee, or was reported on by CNN.The 2007 "Merry Christmas" variant of the Invitation/Olympic Torch hoax should not be confused with the (real) Zafi.D worm from 2004, which did spread via attachments to messages bearing subject lines of "Merry Christmas" but is now rare and easily caught and eliminated by most anti-virus software products.Additional information:A Virtual Card for You Hoax (McAfee) Last updated: 27 November 2007The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/invitation.aspUrban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2008by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson This material may not be reproduced without permission.Top 2008 Antivirus Review Compare Top Antivirus Software. Read Reviews & Compare Ratings. StarReviews.com Virus Removal The Ultimate Guide for Virus Removal VirusesRemoval.com
This email message is just a HOAX, currently we know of no other message that the user will receive about the HOAX as the initial email states. McAfee AVERT has not received any report of a user's hard drive being erased for opening the email.
The Olympic Torch Hoax first surfaced in February, 2006, just days before the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Winter Games in Turin.
It is a slightly revised version of a virus hoax circulating since 2000, known as "A Virtual Card for You " or "Destroys Sector Zero " 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.
Below is the actual text from the message that may be received via email.
Please read the attached warning issued today.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS:
You should be alert during the next days:
Do not open any message with an attached filed called "Invitation" regardless of who sent it .
It is a virus that opens an Olympic Torch which "burns" the whole hard disc C of your computer. This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list, that is why you should 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 "invitation", though sent by a friend, do not open it and 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.
SEND THIS E-MAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW, COPY THIS E-MAIL AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US.
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