Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Fw: virus alert: A HOAX

From http://www.vmyths.com  please check before forwarding supposed 
virus alerts to e-lists!  (and there aren't any cross-platform 
viruses.  Macs are vulnerable only to 40ish viruses/strains of the 
annoying, not destructive type--since 1984)  Sad that an IT type 
didn't check the hoax sites before forwarding.

> > It takes guts to say 'Jesus' virus

A typical alert which devolved from the original Good Times hoax 
virus alert (see related link). This one claims your computer will 
die if you read an email with "It takes guts to say 'Jesus' " in the 
subject line. Naturally, the alert claims no antivirus software can 
protect you from this anti-Christ email.

A hoaxster probably launched this alert to curtail a popular chain 
letter with the same subject line (see related link). Some people 
think an atheist did it out of spite -- but Vmyths.com believes the 
culprit is more probably a lax Christian who grew tired of receiving 
copies of the chain letter.

This alert is currently making the rounds in yet another life-cycle. 
Antivirus experts won't admit it openly, but they quietly say the 
hoax has been "resurrected" for its second coming.

--01/11/01

(Good Times, the "original"): Good Times virus

While not the first of its kind, this one proved the first wildly 
successful hoax virus alert in late 1994. Many hoaxsters copied its 
technique over the years (sometimes almost verbatim) in an effort to 
duplicate its success. The person who concocted Good Times remains 
unknown. See the related links for more details.

Many corporate & academic email servers crashed throughout 1995 under 
the strain of this hoax chain letter. Frightened users forwarded the 
alert to "all," prompting others to hit the "reply to all" button 
with questions or comments...

The hoax alert warned your computer would get infected if you read 
the words "Good Times" with your eyeballs. Ironically, users often 
included the phrase "Good Times" in the subject line of their own 
warning messages about the virus. In some cases, system 
administrators forwarded the alert to everyone, then sent another 
email a few minutes later with "Good Times" in the subject line. If 
you opened it, you'd find a stern lecture about the danger of opening 
emails with "Good Times" in the subject line!

--02/25/01


At 10:20 PM -0700 9/4/02, superpat wrote:
> Subject: virus alert
>
>
> Just got this from a friend. Don't know any more than that.
>
> Very Urgent!!!!!!!
>
> PASS THIS ON TO ANYONE YOU HAVE A 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 m! ! ! alicious 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
> 412 - 922-8744
>
>
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>
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