by Panda Software
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For some years now, a series of messages have been circulating the Internet and all other electronic messaging services concerning a number of especially dangerous viruses that are spread through e-mail systems. According to these warnings, opening the e-mails in question will provoke devastating effects on affected computers, and users are advised to pass the warning on to as many people as possible. Be careful with these warning messages, for the vast majority of them are totally false.
These types of messages spread like wildfire, although in practically all cases they provide no technical reasoning whatsoever. They invariably depend on the lack of knowledge of the user that receives the message, and who in turn will pass it on to other users. This chain reaction rapidly builds up thousands of message-sending actions, thereby taking up vast amounts of mail server bandwidth.
These types of false warnings are known as Hoaxes, and are based on the classic chain letters that used to circulate warning you of the terrible things that could happen if you didn't send it on to ten other people. If you receive an unconfirmed warning, don't have a panic attack and immediately forward it to everyone you know. On the contrary, the best thing to do is ignore it and warn the sender that the news they are helping to spread is entirely false.
Among the e-mail hoaxes that are in current circulation, and which continue to reach mailboxes on a regular basis, are the well-known «Good Times», «Penpal Greetings», «Join the Crew», «Win a Holiday» or the more recent «Takes Guts To Say Jesus».
Receiving an e-mail in your mailbox or opening a message for reading will not produce infection. Although the latest e-mail client vulnerabilities discovered concerning JavaScript may make it possible to transmit viruses via e-mail, such characteristics, means of transmission and effects are far from those described in these Hoaxes. However, all files attached to e-mail messages are susceptible to being infected. Extreme care should therefore be taken before executing files from unknown sources, and even from those you know well!
More information can be found at these sites:
Example of a hoax:
The original email titled "It Takes Guts to Say 'Jesus'" is
a poor rewrite of several old hoaxes. Now that hoax has been
rewritten as an aftermath of the 'Melissa' virus outbreak.
Here is the newest version circulating the internet.
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 re-format 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 may be stopped. Please practice cautionary measures and tell anyone that may have access to your computer. Forward this warning to everyone that might access the internet.
There is another "hoax" floating around the internet, one which is more defined as an "urban legend". It's the story that bore the title, "The American Missionary in Africa Who Faces Possible Murder Charges and Hanging Because of a Traffic Accident".
The email version:
DEAR FRIENDS,
MIKE HUTCHINSON AND HIS FAMILY, IMB (International Mission Board-formerly Foreign Mission Board) MISSIONARIES IN GUINEA-BISSAU, WEST AFRICA, NEED OUR PRAYERS. HIS CAR WAS SURROUNDED BY MUSLIMS AS HE AND HIS FAMILY DROVE HOME. AFTER PATIENTLY WAITING AND ASKING THEM TO MOVE, THEY FINALLY PULLED AWAY FROM HIS CAR. AS MIKE STARTED TO DRIVE AWAY, A 16-YEAR OLD MUSLIM JUMPED (OR WAS PUSHED) IN FRONT OF MIKE'S CAR AND WAS KILLED.
THE MUSLIMS ARRESTED MIKE (TOOK HIS PASSPORT) AND ARE PLACING HIM ON TRIAL FOR MURDER. IF CONVICTED, HE WILL BE HANGED IMMEDIATELY. HIS WIFE, LYNN, AND HIS CHILDREN (12,10,9) ARE STAYING WITH ANOTHER MISSIONARY FAMILY.
PLEASE PRAY FOR GOD'S INTERVENTION. PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH YOUR CHURCH PRAYER CHAIN, EMAIL LIST, AND ANYONE ELSE YOU KNOW WHO WILL PRAY FOR THIS MISSIONARY.
PLEASE stop and pray NOW for this family....even before you send this to your list of friends and family to be praying for them!
THANK YOU!!!!!!!
The Truth: According to Mike Hutchinson's father-in-law, Jimmie Wood, there was an accident and a 16 year old boy did lose his life. It was in the West African country of Senegal, however, and there was no angry Moslem crowd and no danger of Mike Hutchinson being executed. The boy walked into the path of Mike's car without looking. Mike rushed him to a hospital, but the boy died on the way. Mike then went to the police and volunteered a report. Fellow missionaries went to the family of the boy who died in the accident to comfort them in their loss. Under Senegalese law, a hearing about the matter was required and Mike had to stay in Senegal until that hearing, but he was never arrested, jailed, or threatened and the authorities classed the event as an accident and treated Mike with respect. Wood says he has no idea where the subject of hanging came from. It was never a part of the picture. There was no Christian-Moslem conflict and, in fact, one of the missionaries was invited to participate in the boy's funeral.
For additional information on such false reports, Click Here
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