Virus hoaxes are false virus warnings that circulate over email and are designed to cause alarm or damage.
At best, virus hoaxes waste system resources and cause undue distress. At worst, they can lead to computer damage with their purported "fix": people can be lured into running executable files that are themselves viruses, or deleting important system files that are needed by the computer to operate. Then many unknowingly perpetuate the hoax by forwarding the false warnings to their friends and family.
To follow is a list of some common features of viruses hoaxes. Think twice if you get an email message with a virus warning that:
Instructs you to take immediate action and delete files to avoid infection. The wording is intended to rush you into deleting a file before you verify that it's a hoax. Most often, the instruction is to delete a file that is required by your operating system to run properly.
Instructs you to forward to all of your loved ones. Hoaxes of any kind are worded to play on people's desire to help others.
Has wording designed to alarm, with many words in ALL CAPS, a series of exclamation marks, or dramatically dire predictions of what will happen to your computer. Reputable warnings do not have such exaggerated amplifications.
Contains poor grammar.
Contains language that sounds technical, but is in fact gibberish or a technical impossibility.
Is part of a series of forwarded messages, and the original message is undated. Many hoaxes have been circulating email boxes for years, but the original date is removed so that it appears new.
Is from an unknown source that claims to have detected a virus on your computer. This not a valid way to learn about the security status of your computer.
Refer to the iolo Threat Center (www.iolo.com/threatcenter) to verify the validity of a virus or other malicious software.
The Computer Incident Advisory Capability, under the U.S. Department of Energy, also provides virus hoax information at http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org.