Syndicate: Research: virus alert

["Armin Medosch" <armin@easynet.co.uk>]

dear syndicalists,

I hope that you are aware that this virus warning about a virus 
coming with the subject line "It Takes Guts to Say Jesus" is a 
fake. There is no such virus. Or maybe, in this case the virus alert 
is the virus, being spread over the net by well-meaning people.

I am currently doing a little bit of research on that subject and 
therefore would like to ask a few questions. To keep the traffic off 
this list please reply directly to me armin@easynet.co.uk

Have you ever received similar virus alerts that turned out to be 
hoaxes? If yes, please send me examples

Have you ever done what you are asked to do in that case, passed 
the virus on by forwarding it to other people? If yes, why did you 
pass it on? What did you exactly think in that moment, what were 
your motivations?

Have you ever received email-chain-letters about good causes, 
such as saving women in afghanistan or donating organs for little 
children with cancer, where you were asked to "help" by forwarding 
those emails? If yes, what was the content (please send me 
examples)?

Has anyone of you ever conceived and sent out such an email 
hoax? If yes, was it succesfull? And what were your reasons to do 
so?

I am glad for any help on the subject matter. All information will be 
dealt with confidentially. I would also appreciate to get help in the 
form of links to research papers on email hoaxes and fake virus 
alerts on the net (no general link lists, I have got them). And again, 
please reply directly to me armin@easynet.co.uk and not to the 
list   
thanks
armin

On 24 Apr 01, at 22:42, w | utomo wrote:

> > > > > > If you receive an email titled: "It Takes Guts to Say Jesus"
> > > > > > > DO NOT OPEN IT. It will erase everything on your hard drive.
> > > > > > > This information was announced yesterday morning from IBM; AOL
> > > states
> > > > > > that
> > > > > > > this is a very dangerous virus, much worse than "Melissa," and
> > that
> > > > > > there is
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > NO Remedy for it at this time. Some very sick individual has
> > > > succeeded
> > > > > > in
> > > > > > > using the reformat function from Norton Utilities causing it
> > > > > > > to
> > > > > > completely
> > > > > > > erase all documents on the hard drive. It has been designed to
> > work
> > > > > with
> > > > > > > Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. It
> > > > > > > destroys
> > > > > > Macintosh
> > > > > > > and
> > > > > > > IBM compatible computers. This is a new, very malicious virus
> and
> > > not
> > > > > > many
> > > > > > > people know about it. Pass this warning along to EVERYONE in
> your
> > > > > > address
> > > > > > > book and please share it with all your online friends ASAP so
> that
> > > > > this
> > > > > > > threat maybe stopped. Please practice cautionary measures and
> tell
> > > > > > anyone
> > > > > > > that may have access to your computer. Forward this warning to
> > > > > everyone
> > > > > > that
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > might access the Internet.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Joyce L. Bober
> > > > > > > IBM Information Systems
> > > > > > > Pittsburgh Mailing Systems
> > > > > > > 412 - 922-8744
> -------------------------------------
> Widianto 
> 


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