Re: a new virus and very danger one, pay attention

  • From: Chris Skarstad <toonhead5@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sat, 16 Jul 2005 23:13:10 -0500


At 10:45 PM 7/16/2005, you wrote: 

Moti read this in CNN and did not get it through an email source.  I don't
think that this is the place to analyze news sources or media content but
one would think that CNN is somewhat reliable!


True, but just because you mention a big name in the media, that doesn't make the lie anymore true. Do me a favor, ok? i want all you guys to search CNN for a virus warning. No I'll wait.

Ok, bet you didn't find any virus warnings mentioning "virtual card for you". did you? Nope!
You didn't, because for 1 thing, CNN did not report it, and 2, CNN is not usually one to report any kind of virus warnings. The people who usually report them are the people like Symantec and the other companies who are in business to prevent the viruses from infecting people's computers. and to proove that this is really a hoax, beyond the shadow of all possible doubt, I'd like for you to read the following.

Pasted from
http://www.snopes.com
Virus:   A (Virtual) Card for You

Status:   Hoax.

Examples:

[Collected on the Internet, 2002] Comment: Worst Virus ever.....CNN announced.

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 and no vaccine has yet been developed.

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 " A Card for You. "

As soon as the supposed virtual card is opened, the computer freezes so that the user has to reboot. When the keys or the 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 Virtual Card for You. " As soon as you get the mail, delete it. Even if you know the sender.

[Collected on the Internet, 2000]

Recently a new virus was discovered that was classified by MICROSOFT www.microsoft.com and by MCAFEE www.mcafee.com to be the most damaging of all time!
This virus was discovered late yesterday by MCAFEE and still there is no development of a vaccine!

This virus simply writes zeros on the hard drive, where the vital information for the operation of the PC is kept. The virus activates in the following
manner:

1. By email it is received with the title 'A VIRTUAL CARD FOR YOU', when opening the message, it sends itself to all in the address list soon...

2. It hangs the machine, forcing the user to reboot the system.

3. AT the moment in which the keys ctrl+alt+del or the RESET button is pressed, it writes zeros to the hard drive making it unusable forever.

By the previous information, please, take precaution with the use of electronic mail and, of course, if you receive an email which you do not know the origin
of, simply delete it without opening.

Please, send this message to the most people possible!!!!

In a few hours yesterday, this virus caused panic in New York, according to CNN www.cnn.com.

Origins: The "Virtual Card for You" hoax (now often circulated simply as a "A Card for You") has been making the rounds in various languages since at
least 2000, with occasional changes along the way. No such (incurable) virus ever existed, was identified by McAfee, was reported on by CNN, or "caused
panic in New York."

Additional information:

Virtual Card for You (Symantec)
Virtual Card for You
(Symantec)
A Virtual Card For You Hoax (McAfee)
A Virtual Card For You Hoax
(McAfee)
Last updated:   24 January 2005

The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/card.asp
So as you can see, you just have to pay aattention to what you read, and do a bit of logical thinking and research before panicking.


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