Virus Warning

[Ergotherpeut1]

I have copied and pasted this as it was just sent to me.  Hope no one gets caught by this as it sounds very very naughty!!

 

PLEASE INFORM EVERYONE
>>>
>>>Emails with pictures of Osama Bin-Laden hanged are being sent and the
>>>moment that you open these emails your computer will crash and you will
>>>not be able to fix it!
>>>
>>>
>>>If you get an email along the lines of "Osama Bin Laden Captured"
>>>
>>>or "Osama Hanged"don't open the attachment.This e-mail is being
>>>distributed through countries around the globe, but mainly in the US and
>>>Israel .
>>>
>>>Be considerate & send this warning to whomever you know.
>>>
>>>PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS:
>>>
>>>
>>>You should be alert during the next days:
>>>Do not open any message with an attached filed
>>>called
>>>
>>>
>>>"Invitation" regardless of who sent it.
>>>
>>>
>>>It is a virus that opens an Olympic Torch which "burns" the whole hard
>>>disc C of your computer.
>>>
>>>
>>>This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in
>>>his/her contact list, that is why you should send this e-mail to all your
>>>contacts.
>>>
>>>
>>>It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus
>>>and open it.
>>>
>>>
>>>If you receive an e-mail called "invitation", though sent by a friend, do
>>>not open it and shut down your computer immediately.
>>>
>>>
>>>This is the worst virus announced by CNN, it has been classified by
>>>Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever.
>>>
>>>
>>>This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet
>>>for this kind of virus.
>>>
>>>This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the
>>>vital
>>>information is kept.

[Ron Avery]

Ergo

Sorry but the one caught out by this is you. Its a complete hoax, if you really think about it, would the likes of microsoft and symantec etc rely on emails being passed to friends to warn of viruses? Also there is no such thing as the zero sector of your hard drive.  Beware of similar virus hoaxes circulating about CNN saying it is the worst virus ever and to tell your friends about it by E mail.  If you want to have a look at the history of this hoax do google and enter "bin laden virus hoax".

[Dick Smith]

This seems to be a new version of an old hoax/outdated threat.

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/bin-laden-captured.html

http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/osama.asp

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/i/invitation.htm

However, the advice to keep anti-virus software up-to-date is valid, and not to open attachments from senders you do not know. But it's best to check before sending out these messages - for example, a quick look at CNN's website shows nothing reported on this virus. There is nothing on Microsoft's Security website, either.

Or does anyone know any more?

edit - I see Ron has the same info. Sending out these hoax messages can really screw some people up - which is the point, of course.

[Ergotherpeut1]

Oops

Apologies, came from a relative who is usually clued up on such matters.  Perhaps the moderators could delete the post and spare anyone else the wasted nervous energy

[Albert the InfoGipsy]

Call that a virus? THIS is a virus!

 

Watch out for Badtimes:

If you receive an e-mail entitled "Badtimes," delete it immediately. Do not open it.  Apparently this one is pretty nasty.

It will not only erase everything on your hard drive, but it will also delete anything on disks within 20 feet of your computer. 

It demagnetises the stripes on ALL of your credit cards. 

It reprograms your ATM access code, screws up the tracking on your VCR and uses subspace field harmonics to scratch any CD's you attempt to play.

 It will re-calibrate your refrigerator's coolness settings so all your ice cream melts and your milk curdles.

It will program your phone AutoDial to call only your mother-in-law's number.

It will drink all your beer.

It will leave dirty socks on the coffee table when you are  expecting company.

It will replace your shampoo with Nair and your Nair with Rogaine, all while dating your current boy/girlfriend behind your back and billing their hotel rendezvous to your Visa card.

It will give you Dutch Elm Disease and Tinea.

It will rewrite your backup files, changing all your active verbs to passive tense and incorporating undetectable misspellings which grossly change the interpretations of key sentences.

If the "Badtimes" message is opened in a Windows environment, it will leave the toilet seat up and leave your hair dryer plugged in dangerously close to a full bathtub.

It will not only remove the forbidden tags from your mattresses and pillows, but it will also refill your skim milk with whole milk.

It will replace all your luncheon meat with Spam.

It will molecularly rearrange your cologne or perfume, causing it to smell like dill pickles.

It is insidious and subtle.  It is dangerous and terrifying to behold.

It is also a rather interesting shade of mauve.

These are just a few signs of infection.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW

 

[Dick Smith]

Isn't that the virus also known as 'kids'?

[Albert the InfoGipsy]

Yup!

I got another one in the post the other day:

Dear Receiver,

You have just received an Irish virus. Since we are not so technologically advanced in Ireland, this is a MANUAL virus. Please delete all the files on your hard disk yourself and send this mail to everyone you know. That'd be grand.

Tanx.

Paddy O'Hacker

[Dick Smith]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3Z386vXrt4

[Cassis]

Albert, you've got both of us in tears here!