Viruses, Hoaxes, and Scams - oh my!
Many viruses and scams are disguised as official-looking announcements from a government agency, a bank, or a payment service. A hoax may come in the form of an email from a friend saying that if you open an email with the subject "WTC Survivor" or "It takes guts to say Jesus" your computer will be destroyed, so you'd better pass the warning on to everyone in your address book. How can you tell if these emails are legitimate?
Virus Example: You receive an email purporting to be from the FBI or the CIA with a subject line like "Your IP was logged" and telling you that "we have logged your IP address on more than 30 illegal web sites." You are instructed to open the file that's attached to the email and answer the questions. The sender's phone and address might be the real numbers associated with the FBI or CIA, to convince you of the legitimacy of the email.
The attachment actually contains a virus. You should delete the email without opening the attachment. (And remember, if the FBI really does want you, they'll send Agents Scully and Mulder to your door...)
Scam Example: You receive an email purporting to be from your bank, and the
email looks like what you might normally receive from your bank. You are
instructed to click on a link in the email and provide some of your account
information. If you do click on the link, you arrive at a web site that looks
exactly like your bank's site.
However, the site is a bogus site that was created to uncover information about
you and your account. If you do enter information into the site, you will be the
victim of identity theft. This particular method is known as "phishing"
(as in "fishing for information.")
Hoax Example: You receive a warning from a friend that if you see an email with the subject "WTC Survivor" you should delete it, because if you open it, your computer will be erased. You are told to pass the warning on to all your friends.
Or your friend says that if you forward the email they've sent you to 50 people, Bill Gates will send you $500.
These are hoaxes, and will not damage your computer, but you'll be passing on bad information and clogging up everyone else's computer.
How to determine if the email is a hoax or if it contains a virus: The best way is to use the power of the Internet. Go to www.google.com and type in a phrase from the email (for example, "we have logged your IP address on more than 30 illegal web sites.") You'll find several entries that tell you the email containing that phrase contains a virus in its attachment.
Another excellent site is www.snopes.com which tracks hoaxes and urban legends as well as viruses. Type in something like "it takes guts to say Jesus" in the search bar in the upper right of the screen and click GO. You'll be told if it's a hoax or a legitimate warning.
To protect yourself:
NEVER open an attachment, even from a friend, unless you are expecting an attachment from your friend. If not, it may well be a virus, but you can always email your friend to ask if the email and attachment are legitimate before you open the attachment.
NEVER click on a link in an email from your bank; instead, type in the bank's web site address yourself to make sure you're going to the real site.
To maintain your credibility with your friends:
NEVER pass on a warning about viruses unless you have checked it out first on Google or Snopes.