Re: Virus Warning

At 04:47 PM 5/5/97 -0600, Jason K. Eiler wrote:
>According to CNS, some very bored individuals are appearantly sending a
>virus via email. Do not read any email with the subject "PENPAL
>GREETINGS". Delete the message immediately if you receive this message.
>Opening the message downloads the "Trojan Horse" virus which will destroy
>your hard drive, and send the message to everyone who is in your current
>mail box. JOY!
>
NAME:
Penpal greetings

This is not a virus, but a widespread hoax, warning about a dangerous
e-mail message titled
'Penpal greetings'. No such danger exists.

This hoax is very similar to Good Times. See the description of Good
Times for more information.

Here's an example of the hoax warning:

If anyone receives mail entitled: PENPAL GREETINGS! please delete
it WITHOUT reading it.

This is a warning for all internet users - there is a dangerous
virus propogating across the internet through an e-mail message
entitled "PENPAL GREETINGS!". DO NOT DOWNLOAD ANY MESSAGE
ENTITLED "PENPAL GREETINGS!" This message appears to be a
friendly letter asking you if you are interested in a penpal, but
by the time you read this letter, it is too late. The "trojan
horse" virus will have already infected the boot sector of your
hard drive, destroying all of the data present. It is a
self-replicating virus, and once the message is read, it will
AUTOMATICALLY forward itself to anyone who's e-mail address is
present in YOUR mailbox!

This virus will DESTROY your hard drive, and holds the potential
to DESTROY the hard drive of anyone whose mail is in your inbox,
and who's mail is in their inbox, and so on. If this virus
remains unchecked, it has the potntial to do a great deal of
DAMAGE to computer networks worldwide!!!!

Please, delete the message entitled "PENPAL GREETINGS!" as soon
as you see it! And pass this message along to all of your friends
and relatives, and the other readers of the newsgroups and
mailing lists which you are on, so that they are not hurt by this
dangerous virus!!!!


>Take care, jason
>
Partial thread listing: