Virus warning

[postman]

We have received a warning from my b-i-l.

He is a sgt in the Fire service RAF.

So this is not a joke.

If you get an e-mail that says.POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK.
and even if you know the sender do not open it.

I have reason to believe my b-i-l on this one.

Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Jonathan M]

Maybe not.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_postcard_virus.htm

 

[postman]

Thats it word for word.

So we may have been taken in .


There is one born every min.


And it was me this time.

But my warning was in good faith.

(hiding blushing cheeks)

 

[661-Pete]

Most of these E-mail warnings are hoaxes. Their purpose (if one can discern a purpose in those who promulgate this stuff!) is to make mischief and to induce people to overload their E-mail systems by wholesale forwarding.

Usually the danger in real E-mail viruses is in a link somewhere in the message which you are invited to click upon. It may be disguised as an image. As a general rule: DON'T. Don't click a link unless you're absolutely sure about it!

I think, in most E-mail services, if you hover the mouse over a link you'll see the true URL address in the corner of the screen. If you're not sure, it's worth checking the domain name by typing it in, on the who.is website. This is, I believe, perfectly safe, and will at once reveal any 'dodgy' ownership.

 

[Jonathan M]

But my warning was in good faith.

(hiding blushing cheeks)

Indeed it was, but usually googling the key words of the warning will result in some evidence of whether it is a hoax or not. Usually Snopes will be forthcoming.

I get many of these typeof warnings from well meaning friends via e-mail, and so far have not found one using a google search that is not a hoax. I got caught by one such hoax in the early years of PC use, thankfully with no damage done, but ever since I've just been naturally wary of such warnings, not to the point of ignoring them, but to the point of trying to establish authenticity.

Mrs JonathanM had a good one yesterday via here work e-mail (works in a university) that could have allowed anyone to access her system, Thankfully she got onto her IT dept who confirmed it was a phish type attack, and they promptly sent a global e-mail to all sites warning of it. I'm sure someone will have fallen foul of it though.

 

[Yorkshireman]

I find snopes handy for checking 'dodgy' email warnings
http://www.snopes.com/

 

[go_slow]

 

[mangaman]

We have received a warning from my b-i-l.

He is a sgt in the Fire service RAF.

So this is not a joke.

If you get an e-mail that says.POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK.
and even if you know the sender do not open it.

I have reason to believe my b-i-l on this one.

Better to be safe than sorry.

Don't feel embarrassed postman

I blame your brother-in-law.

I've always thought he was a bit dodgy (don't tell him though )