It may or may not be a hoax (though my inclination is that it is). While it is more or less impossible to send a virus as an email message, it is possible to send a virus as an email attachment with some email programs; for example, a viewer might recognize an attachment with a ".com" extension as a DOS executable file and execute it upon viewing. The general lesson there is, don't execute an attachment unless you know the person who sent it. Perhaps more indicative is the fact that the original message is unsigned. It is unwise to take at face value (and bad netiquette to forward) a message about a virus unless it has been forwarded by a credible system administrator. I bet this isn't the last we'll be seeing of this message. :( YFT[Deleting all system files, please wait...], Tavis On Fri, 18 Apr 1997 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Do not forward this message to anyone. The message itself is the scam. > Email cannot execute a virus. A Microsoft Word file attached to an email > can do lots of things to Word and Word files, but only if you open it. (And > anyone using Word 6 or later can install free Word Macro protection as easy > as abc. > > The scam is the time it takes people to deal with this supposedly friendly > "warning." God I wish people would learn how to deal with their computers. > > Email cannot run a virus. It is harmless. Get a clue. > > > >> Subject: FWD: IMPORTANT !!! READ RIGHT AWAY!!!! > >> Mime-Version: 1.0 > >> Content-Type: text/plain > >> Content-Disposition: inline > >> > >> > >> ---------- > >> Subject: IMPORTANT!!!! READ RIGHT AWAY! > >> Date: Tuesday, April 08, 1997 11:03AM > >> > >> > >> > ATTENTION INTERNET AND ONLINE USERS...... > >> > Be on the lookout for this email subject AOL4FREE.com. It will bring > >> > lots of heart ache when it destroys your system files as you open it for > >> > viewing. Delete it IMMEDIATELY! > >> > > >> > THERE IS A NEW AOL SCAM."It is essential that this problem be > >> reconciled > >> as > >> > soon as possible. A few hours ago, I opened an E-mail that had the > >> subject > >> > heading of aol4free.com Within seconds of opening it, a window > >> appeared > >> > and began to display my files that were being deleted. I immediately > >> shut down my computer, but it was too late. This virus wiped me out. It > >> ate > >> the Anti-Virus Software that comes with the Windows '95 Program along > >> with > >> > F-Prot AVS. Neither was able to detect it. Please be careful and send > >> this to as many people as possible, so maybe this new virus can be > >> eliminated. > >> > > >> > FORWARD this to as many people as you care about] > >> > >> > >> __________________________________________ > >> This e-mail message is subject to attorney-client privilege and contains > >> information intended only for the person(s) named above. If you have > >> received this transmission in error, notify us immediately. Destroy the > >> original message and all copies. > >> > >> > > > > > ************************ > > Blair Sandler > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >
