# "Invitation" virus?



## Snorky

I received this today in an email.

Do not open any message with an attached file called "Invitation"
>>regardless of who sent it. It is a virus that opens an Olympic Torch which
>>"burns" the whole hard disc C of your computer. This virus will be
>>received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list,
>>that is why you should send this e-mail to all your contacts. It is better
>>to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it. If
>>you receive a mail called "invitation", though sent by a friend, do not
>>open it and shut down your computer immediately. This is the worst virus
>>announced by CNN, it has been classified by Microsoft as the most
>>destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and
>>there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys
>>the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept.

I've had a look around CNN and McAfee (don't you just hate websites that won't let go of you) but can't seem to find anything. It was sent to me by a known person. 

Anyone else heard about this?

Eventually managed to find something and its a hoax apparently. 
http://vil.nai.com/vil/content/v_138711.htm

Think I'll just have another drink instead. Sorry to bother you.


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## Hustler24

Hiya Snorky,

You can usually tell that an email about a virus is a hoax when it mentions a famous company like Microsoft etc.

Quote from the Hoax Slayer website:



> Knowing how to spot the latest email hoaxes may be easier than you think!
> 
> There are thousands of email hoaxes moving around the Internet at any given time. These email hoaxes cover a range of subject matter, including:
> 
> 
> 
> Supposedly free giveaways in exchange for forwarding emails.
> Bogus virus alerts.
> False appeals to help sick children.
> Pointless petitions that lead nowhere and accomplish nothing.
> Dire, and completely fictional, warnings about products, companies, government policies or coming events.
> 
> The good news is that, with a little bit of foreknowledge, email hoaxes are easy to detect. Hidden within the colourful prose of your average email hoax often lurk telling indicators of the email's veracity.
> 
> Probably the most obvious of these indicators is a line such as "Send this email to everyone in your address book". Hoax writers want their material to spread as far and as fast as possible, so almost every hoax email will in some way exhort you to send it to other people. Some email hoaxes take a more targeted approach and suggest that you send the email to a specified number of people in order to collect a prize or realize a benefit.
> 
> Another giveaway is that hoaxes tend not to provide checkable references to back up their spurious claims. Genuine competitions, promotions, giveaways or charity drives will usually provide a link to a company website or publication. Real virus warnings are likely to include a link to a reputable virus information website. Emails containing Government or company policy information are likely to include references to checkable sources such as news articles, websites or other publications.
> 
> A third indicator is often the actual language used. Email hoax writers have a tendency to use an emotive, "over-the-top" style of writing peppered with words and phrases such as "Urgent", "Danger", "worst ever virus!!", "sign now before it's too late" and so on, often rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS for added emphasis. Paragraphs dripping with pathos speak of dying children; others "shout" with almost rabid excitement about free air travel or mobile phones. As well, some email hoaxes try to add credibility by using highly technical language.
> 
> So there you have it. Before forwarding an email, asks yourself these questions:
> 
> 
> Does the email ask you to send it to a lot of other people?
> Does the email fail to provide confirmation sources?
> Is the language used overly emotive or highly technical?
> 
> A "yes" answer to one or more of the above questions, should start some alarm bells ringing. These indicators do not offer conclusive evidence that the email is a hoax but they are certainly enough to warrant further investigation before you hit the "Forward" Button.


Michael.


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## Fenrry

You forgot to mention this part:

-".....which "burns" the whole hard disc C of your computer..."

Sometimes they even include the "............Boot Sector........."


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