Warning!! Please read and pass along

[Tileguy]

Very Urgent!!!!!!!...

PASS THIS ON TO ANYONE YOU HAVE AN E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR.

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 you know that might access the Internet.

Joyce L. Bober
IBM Information Systems
Pittsburgh Mailing Systems
__________________

 

[Fred_M]

It's a hoax. Link to Norton (Symantec) saying it is http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/jesus-hoax.html .

Trend Mico hoax encyclopedia http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/hoaxes/hoax5.asp?HName=It+Takes+Guts+To+Say+Jesus


It's also rather old (1998). Link to Urban Legends page http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/jesus.htm

 

[Woodie]

Can I ask, Tileguy, Did you get that on an email? Do you Know Joyce Bober personally? Receive it, personally, and direct from Joyce? No? And you opened it, and sent it on to everyone you know? What a wonderful way to get a virus around. You do the work of spreading it for them.

Those sorts of things are ALWAYS.... repeat ALWAYS a hoax.
That includes the one about being aware of drink spiking, cause you'll wake up in a bath of ice without your kidneys cause they've been stolen for a milionaire in India, and the one about that little sick girl with cancer that Microsoft will give one dollar for every person you send the email on to, and the list of them goes on, and on, and on.

 

[Muddy Creek]

Can I ask, Tileguy, Did you get that on an email? Do you Know Joyce Bober personally? Receive it, personally, and direct from Joyce? No? And you opened it, and sent it on to everyone you know? What a wonderful way to get a virus around. You do the work of spreading it for them.

Those sorts of things are ALWAYS.... repeat ALWAYS a hoax...

That's a bit harsh, I think. I see these on occasion, forwarded by cautious, well-meaning people that do not realize that that particular one is a hoax. Invariably, it does not contain a virus, just simple text. These hoaxes are usually designed to be annoying, not malicious and very often is not a vehicle for spreading viruses. Virus perpetrators have gotten far more advanced in propagating their files than to rely on human assistance.

On occasion, I get emailed "heads up" messages about new viruses and worms from other computer professionals and also from anti-virus software companies.

It usually is pretty easy to tell serious warnings from the hoaxes by the tone of the message as well as the source. If it contains an attachment, it's a pretty good bet it is not only a hoax, but potentially dangerous. If it says "Forward this warning to everyone that you know" it is likely to also be a fear-mongering hoax.

Checking an anti-virus company's website, like Symantec or McAffe takes only a minute or two. A computer user does have some responsibility to verify the veracity of something he or shes sends to everyone they know.

Wayne

 

[Fred_M]

If you type the message titles into Yahoo or Google it's much quicker than trying to find them on antiVirus websites. Most of these and the jokes and such (chain mail) are in reality email gatherers, not viri carriers. They gather the good working address of people who forward them to their friends who forward them to their friends. Ever noticed how long the header containing addresses on these type emails are? Eventually they make their rounds and return to the sender who then records the addresses of all the poeple who forwarded the mail and sells them to spammers. Spammers love such lists as they know they are sending to good working email addresses. Wonder how them spammers got your email address? Well, that's how. Same goes with responding to spam to take you off or complain. You just proved that your address is good. I have had the same email address for 7 years, I get 200+ messages a day to it, 95+% is spam. I have another that I only give to certain people who I trust not to forward such mass mailer stuff and it gets no spam. Fred

 

[N Gauger]

My Favorite is: Hoaxbusters

http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/

Great Site!!!!!! But yeah - you normally get these from relatives & Friends - there is really no way to tell - until you open them & see the hoax. I always click "Reply All" and e-mail everyone on the list that it's a hoax. I first delete all e-mail blocks except the last one (the one with my e-mail in it) That way the originators get nothing - but my friends get the warning

You have to play their game to a certain extent I always include the hoaxbusters site & an explaination as to why this is a hoax. It's really calmed down in the year or so since I started educating them I've had a few thank me for setting them straight too

 

[Woodie]

That's a bit harsh, I think.

I don't think it's harsh at all. And I did tone down what I originally typed. The gullibility of some people in this regard seriously needs to be addressed.

"Forward this warning to everyone that you know" it is likely to also be a fear-mongering hoax.

And that is exactly what they do, and include MY email address on the CC list, that then get's forwarded on by the next gullible person, to the next, ad infinitum. MY email address ending up on who knows how many inboxes just waiting to be harvested, or used by a REAL virus for spam lists and propogation, and therefore stuffing MY spam free email address forever, and ME getting emails containing viruses from who knows where.

So these "hoaxes" are not just a nuisiance, as you suggest.

So those that forward on this type of junk will cop my wrath, especially if I am included on the CC list, unless they have verified it first, and also include a credible link/webpage link verifying such "warnings" as being correct.

I apologise if this is a bit harsh, but people need to know that credible info does NOT arrive in your inbox from some anonymous source you've never heard of.

However, I'm sure some would believe aliens have invaded, provided they heard about it on an email forwared to everyone someone knows. For those with that level of ignorance and gulliblity, I make no apology.

If you do intend to forward an email "to everyone you know", then please use the BCC: list (Blind CC). That way, every recipient is not privy to the email adresses of everyone else it was sent to.

Here endeth the lesson.

 

[bobrien]

Hey - stop picking on Joyce! He has tried real hard to spread the word and he NEEDS lots of friends.
And I am agree with with Woodie - if we are dumb enough to ignore all warnings on hoaxes and junk mails that most probably contain viruses, then we shouldn't be online - let alone send perpetuate the problem by blindly sending it on to others.

 

[Chessie6459]

If don't know who sent me an email i delete it. I'm not taking that chance of getting another virus on my computer. I only accept emails from my family and friends and if one does pop up in the email that my family or friends sent me my virus scanner catches it and gets rid of it.