Hoax Virus Warnings

[Jewly]

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering what you all thought about those never ending virus warnings we seem to get in email these days. Do you just forward them on, or do you first check them out?

A friend of mine (who incidently has often sent me emails with viruses) continually sends hoax virus warnings without first checking them out, even though I've sent her this link so many times.

http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html

Every single time I've received one of these virus warnings, I've gone and checked them out and sure enough they are hoax's. I don't see the point in spreading fear about viruses that don't exist.

What do you all think?

[Monty]

Its the good old tactic that mass media like to use - fear... Put fear into the public and watch the reaction.. I never take notice of those e-mails they are always dodgy. You should be running updates on your virus software regularly anyway. There are just lots of silly people out there having a laugh behind our backs...

[Leigh]

I cannot stand FWD's of any kind, they really annoy me. Most people know not to send them.
I remember that Jbear hoax that was going around a few years ago. Telling people there is a file that has an icon of a bear, and it was a virus and they should delete it. It wasn't a virus, and the amount of silly people that deleted the file :roll: . I guess it taught them a lesson for next time.

[Jewly]

I have Norton's running all the time, and that's how I've detected so many viruses from my friend in Adelaide. Once I found out that she wasn't running any sort of virus detection on her computer, I refused to accept any emails from her. She now has a new computer and has since gotten Norton's though. But, having a virus scanner doesn't necessarily mean you will pick up every virus but it does prevent most of them infecting your computer.

I don't mind some forwarded emails but I get annoyed with those chain emails and I refuse to send them. I forward very few emails, and if I do, I only send the good ones.

As for the Jbear Virus hoax....a stupid girl at work went around deleting the file off almost every computer, before I got into work and showed her it was a hoax. That is another pet hate of mine....people mucking around with computers when they know nothing about them. I constantly am fixing up a friend's computer, because she lets her idiot BIL get on and he stuffs it up all the time and her computer is full of so much crap that he has downloaded.

[Leigh]

That is another annoyance. There really are people that should never be let loose on a puter. The in-laws and my mother for example. I like helping people, but the stupid questions that are asked just do my head in. Get a book LOL

[Jewly]

I find it all a bit frustrating too, cause using computers come so naturally to me and I don't understand why people find it all so confusing. I think a lot of it is just fear, and if people just gave them a go, they would find out how easy they are to use.

[Monty]

I hate those forwards that your friend's send to save such and such's life from a life threatening disease and every e-mail donates such and such money towards their treatment... I am guessing most of those are hoaxes and I don't know how they get any money out of it.

I am pretty OK with computers but when it gets to the DOS side of things I get a bit lost because I haven't learnt much about it. But for me it helps when you are a child of the 80's growing up with computer technology.

I also have to run an adaware program (lavasoft) because I have had just too many of those evils stuck on my computer before *shiver*

[Pam]

Oh yes, I absolutely HATE those blasted fwd's x( ..always pulling the heartstrings or the guilt's (someone could die if you don't fwd this info .. save someone's life) .. then forward to everyone in your address book :roll: how obvious!

It is simply a modern day version of the "Chain Letter" Takes 2 seconds to google and check it out!


Delete!!

[Jewly]

Oh yes, I hate those types of emails too, and I refuse to read them now and I never forward them.

I do think email can be a great way to communicate though but people have to be a bit sensible about what they forward.

[MissieK]

I always check out virus warnings first.

I also hate the petitions that get sent!! Especially as in my circle of friends they get signed by the same people over & over...

I rarely forward ones on. The only ones I do are cute ones, like the photo of why a mother can't take Johnny to the museum (if anyone wants to see it, PM me your e-mail addy ;) ). And that was only to the other booby mummy's I know.

Melissa

[michelle_72]

I just delete the virus warnings now and rely on my virus checker instead. What I find even more annoying though are the emails I receive from Nigerians asking me to purchase stuff and send it over. I have an email address which can be easily accessed off my online store and I somehow have ended up on a contact list for "wanna be suckers". First they email you telling you they want to purchase some stock and want it sent to Nigeria and then they email back asking you to purchase 3 mobiles (or similar) at a cost of $1200 each and they will pay by credit card and give you 10%. They are credit card scammers or similar so if you get any - just delete them - it is not even worth replying because they will just send you further emails. Has anyone else received any of these?

[mel35]

I just hit delete whenever I see anything resembling spam ( have sometimes deleted emails that weren't spam too) I get heaps of chain emails that my friends send me all the time. I'm sick of trying to explain to some of them that they aren't true and I have sent them a link that proves it too, but they still send them " just in case"........idiots:P