An e-mail virus hoax or chain letter is created for one purpose: to be a mean-spirited practical joke. Like all chain e-mail, virus hoaxes clog up the Internet with junk e-mail when recipients forward the supposed dire warning to everyone they know. The message these virus hoaxes contain are usually harmless; however, some cause harm by convincing you to delete a file that your computer needs.

How do you spot a computer virus hoax?

• Was the warning contained in a message from a friend or family member? It's usually well-meaning friends who forward such e-mail. From time to time, staff in the IT Help Center, IT User Services, or other parts of IT may send a warning notice to University users. But make sure you check the validity of any dire warnings you receive from other sources before acting on those warnings.
• Does the e-mailed warning urge you to forward the warning to everyone you know? Almost always, that is a giveaway that the warning is a hoax. A valid warning would refer you to a reputable source of further information.
• Does the e-mailed warning contain technical jargon? If you take the time to look up the technical terms used, and if you find that the technical-sounding language has been used to fool you into believing in the validity of the warning, you will have identified a hoax!

What you should do if you receive a virus hoax?

• Do not forward virus alerts to other people without first checking on their validity.
• If you are not sure of the validity of a warning message, check our list of virus hoax web sites or contact the IT Help Center to ask our staff to assess the validity of the warning.
• After you have determined that a warning message is a hoax, reply to the person who sent it to you, notifying them that the message is a hoax and the source of your information.

For More Information

For more information about known virus hoaxes, consult one of these Web sites:

• Rob Rosenberger's Computer Virus Myths
• McAfee's Virus Hoax Page
• Data Fellows' Hoax Warnings Page.

If you think your computer has contracted a virus of any kind, or if you want more information about protecting your computer from viruses, consult the UD anti-virus web site or vist the IT Help Center web site.