Re: VIRUS ALERT -- Spam, baloney hoax

From: Steve Cosner <stevec_at_zimmer.csufresno.edu>
Date: 1997/04/22
Message-ID: <5jiqab$noj@info.csufresno.edu>#1/1

This virus warning post is pure garbage. Please check out website:

http://kumite.com/myths/
and click on the "AOL4FREE Trojan/virus" link:

http://kumite.com/myths/myths/myth031.htm

The AOL4FREE virus is not a virus, and has now reached URBAN MYTH proportions. Anyone who passes along this junk should do a little research before crying Wolf.

And to Rodger Lepinsky in Winnepeg, aka "Programming" <sysdev_at_mb.sympatico.ca> who spammed 18 newsgroups (some of them twice) with separate copies of this nonsence, shame on you! You should post a followup apology. And double shame on you for posting each one separately rather than cross-posting (Please learn how to cross-post -- posting multiple copies is much worse.) And next time, posting only to comp.databases.oracle.misc rather than all four oracle newsgroups would be quite sufficient.

<End of ranting and raving -- I promise.> Steve Cosner

Here is some of the text from the above mentioned website:

A worldwide chain-letter campaign surfaced in March 1997, warning users not to read any email if it contains "aol4free" in the subject line. Numerous versions of the alert message exist. In some cases, it claims the virus resides in an attached binary file called AOL4FREE.COM; in other cases, the alert claims the email itself is the virus. The AOL4FREE virus supposedly:

     activates if you read the offending message with your eyeballs; 
     crashes your computer after you turn it off; 
     cannot be detected by any antivirus software; 
     displays a ceremonial window showing the filenames as they
       disappear from your computer.

Almost all variants of the alert plead for you to "send this to as many people as possible." One variant orders each recipient to forward it "to as many people as you can."

Ironically, some well-meaning users include "aol4free" in the subject line of their own warning messages.

In article <335B9835.65A0_at_mb.sympatico.ca>, Programming <sysdev_at_mb.sympatico.ca> wrote:
>Subject:
> IMPORTANT - VIRUS INFORMATION
<Address of all those poor souls on the list snipped>
>>Subject: IMPORTANT - VIRUS INFORMATION
>> *************************************************************************
>> Anyone who receives this must send it to as many people as you can. It
>> is essential that this problem be reconciled as soon as possible. A few
>> hours ago, I opened an E-mail that had the subject heading of AOL4FREE.COM
>> Within seconds of opening it, a window appeared and began to display my
>> files that were being deleted. I immediately shut down my computer, but
>> it was too late. This virus wiped me out. It ate the Anti-Virus Software
>> that comes with the Windows '95 Program along with F-Prot AVS. Neither was
>> able to detect it. Please be careful and send this to as many people as
>> possible, so maybe this new virus can be eliminated.
Received on Tue Apr 22 1997 - 00:00:00 CDT