A Stupid E-Mail Hoax

[Patty]

Last week, my daughter sent me an 'urgent' email that she got from her best friend. It contained a warning about a virus program that might be in
'your' computer. It gave instructions on how to identify this program and how to eliminate it to make your computer safe.

My daughter looked into her files and FOUND the program! So, she followed the instructions and deleted the file. And, she frantically forwarded the email warning to as many people as she knew - me included. I trashed the email, though.

That warning got to her after it had been sent out to many other people, who were also instructed to warn people.


Well, yesterday, my daughter called me and said her computer was acting up real bad. As it turned out, and here's the caveat:

The email instructed people to delete a standard and legitimate Windows System file. You can imagine the problems that you'll have if you do something like that.

Well, I emailed her a copy of that legitimate file that she had deleted per the hoax warning. Her system should now be fine.

Here's the name of the file that the email says to delete:

JDBGMGR.exe

The hoax email says that you can identify this file because it has a teddy bear icon next to the file name.

Please, if you receive an email advising you to delete this file, DON'T DO IT. It'll just mess up your system if you do.
TOSS THE EMAIL OUT. REPORT IT TO YOUR WEBMASTER, IF YOU CAN.

The file in question is simply a Java Debugger program that Microsoft put in Windows 98, and it's there for a good reason. It belongs on your system.

Take care,

Patty

 

[waterwizard]

It's just amazing how many people actually get duped by these hoaxes.  I spend about half my time sending replies to people telling them about these things. 

I usually direct them to about.com or snopes.com so they can get the full story of the hoax.

By the way, I'm still waiting for Bill Gates to send me all those thousands of dollars. 

 

[Jpnseawa]

Yep, I got that one too. Many times when I get an email like this it is nothing but a hoax. Its rather ironic, because really the email warning of a virus actually turns into kind of a virus because it becomes circulated so much and wastes so much of peoples time!

 

[Patty]

Originally posted by Jpnseawa
Yep, I got that one too. Many times when I get an email like this it is nothing but a hoax. Its rather ironic, because really the email warning of a virus actually turns into kind of a virus because it becomes circulated so much and wastes so much of peoples time!

Yep.

And, not only that, when a well-meaning friend of yours gets it and believes it, then tries to do you a favor by sending it to you, as well as to other people, you tend to accept that the message is true. So, you do what the email says, and end up damaging your system.

That's a really rotten thing to do.

 

[GraftMeIn]

This one has been out for awhile. I know of one person who told me they had been duped by it. I'm sure many have been. It's sad to think there's people out there who actually think this kind of thing is funny.

 

[Sharky]

i've seen that one too many times. hoaxes like this are just sick jokes done by people who need a change in their life . If they're dumb enough, you can reply them an email bomb .

 

[Boy Wonder]

My advice is to check McAfee.com it's got a lot of info about real viruses and Hoaxes, I got a e-mail like that too, I checked there first

 

[Sharky]

A good thing to avoid falling for stupid hoaxes is to pretty much ignore any email that tells you to do something .

 

[AngelAmidala]

My 2 favorite (NOT) hoaxes....

1) The ones that tell you about an e-mail virus that will make your keyboard repeatedly type sssssss and make your printer stand on it's head (or something silly like that). Yes...e-mail viruses do affect outside peripherals.

2) The ones that tell you AOL is tracking how many people get a particular e-mail. Do you know how many times I"ve seen that one come through a mailing list and then 10 minutes later get someone saying there's no way AOL can track something like that?

 

[waterwizard]

I like the one in which the virus does everything, including use your credit card and steal your girlfriend. I like forwarding those emails.

 

[paulewog]

I find those tracking ones silly too, especially since some people actually believe it

On another note, I have received viruses from who knows where (to a webmaster@domain email address ) that are actaully quite funny. The body of the message ran something like this:

"There is a new virus. I have sent this file, it will protect you against it. Please open it. If you have an antivirus program, it will think this file is the virus, but just ignore that."