RE: [pct-l] [Fwd: "CyberSerenity AFG": PLEASE READ FIRST!!]

["Hempen, Lynn" <LHempen@dismail.ucsf.edu>]

Here's a page (there are lots of them on the net) which tracks hoaxes which
spread like wildfire via email.  http://www.stiller.com/hoaxes.htm    Hoax
pages or urban legend pages are great to consult when you receive warnings
of potential viruses.  

The following disspells the myth of the Budweiser screen saver "virus"
specifically.  

Budweiser Frogs (Budsaver) Hoax

This hoax has been circulating for at least four months and we have
hesitated to place a warning about this hoax on our hoax list
because it was but one of a number of very similar hoaxes. Recently, we have
gotten an increase in questions about his hoax.
Here is the typical text from this hoax: 

     "THIS IS A NEW TWIST.  Someone is sending out a very desirable
     screen-saver  the Budweiser Frogs.  But if you download it,
     you will lose  everything!!!  Your hard drive will crash!!!

     DON'T DOWNLOAD THIS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!!
     IT JUST WENT INTO CIRCULATION YESTERDAY, AS FAR AS WE
     KNOW....BECAREFUL.
     PLEASE DISTRIBUTE THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE
     ...THANX BELOW

Note the typical use of (excessive) capital letters and the request to
"DISTRIBUTE THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS
POSSIBLE". (These symptoms should immediately warn you that this is likely
to be a hoax.) The above warning is a hoax.
Please do not forward it, but.....there are some points you should
understand: 

     Any program could contain a trojan or a virus. The Bud screen saver
could easily become infected or a version could be
     uploaded which is a trojan. Just because this is a hoax, do not assume
that this file is automatically safe.

     Sometimes there are well meaning (but misguided) warnings to avoid some
file which is a trojan or virus infected. They
     may be legitimate but it's of dubious value to spread warnings like
this. The specific location of the file (ftp site, Usenet
     posting, etc) should be mentioned. It is of little value to avoid a
file based on its name or even its size. 

     There are a large number of very similar hoaxes. These hoaxes all: 
        1.Suggest you avoid a file with some specific name and 
        2.Suggest you "forward to all your friends" and 
        3.Do not provide a link to a site (such as this one) where some
authority can provide details about the threat. 



> ----------
> From: 	Dude Spellings[SMTP:dude1@pdq.net]
> Reply To: 	dude1@pdq.net
> Sent: 	Thursday, October 15, 1998 9:24 PM
> To: 	Alexander J. McNair; Carl Slater; EILEENRAFF; Father Paul CSP;
> Gerald Williams; Gerardo Garza; Janice White; Joel B;
> Johammidd@worldnet.att.net; Jon Capuchino; Jon Capuchino2;
> mjanwia@madison.tds.net; Pablo Supkay; Patrick Saccomanno; Paul Emerson;
> pct; Pierre; Pierre2; Randy Thomas; Terry King; Todd Nickerson
> Subject: 	[pct-l] [Fwd: "CyberSerenity AFG": PLEASE READ FIRST!!]
> 
> <<Message: "CyberSerenity AFG": PLEASE READ FIR...>>
> 
> 
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