I have relatives on my dad's side of the family who are just now getting into this whole internet/computer thing. It's nice to see them online. We've been sending e-mails to each other, getting caught up on things, etc. Anyway, I got this one today:
Subject: VIRUS ALERT!
A virus has been passed on to me by a contact. My
address book WAS infected.
Since you are in my address book, there is a good
chance you will find it in your computer too. The virus (called jdbgmgr.exe) is
not detected by Norton or McAfee antivirus systems. The virus sits quietly for
14 days before damaging the system. It is sent automatically by messenger and
by the address book, whether or not you sent e-mail to your contacts.
Here's how to check for the virus and how to get rid of it:
YOU MUST DO THIS.
1. Go to start, Find or search option.
2. In the file folder option, type the name jdbgmgr.exe
3. Be sure you search your C: drive and all subfolders
and any other drives you may have.
4. Click "find now"
5. The Virus has a Teddy Bear icon with the name
jdbgmgr.exe DO NOT OPEN IT! ! ! !
6. Go to Edit (on the menu bar) and choose "select
all" to highlight the file without opening it.
7. Now go to File (on the menu bar) and select delete.
It will then go to the Recycle Bin.
8. IF YOU FIND THE VIRUS YOU MUST CONTACT ALL THE PEOPLE IN YOUR
ADDRESS BOOK, SO THEY CAN ERADICATE IT IN THEIR OWN ADDRESS
BOOKS.
To Do This:
a) Open a new e-mail message
b) Click the icon of the address book next to the "TO"
c) Highlight every name and add to "BCC" (which I assume means blind
copy)
d) Copy this message and enter subject paste to e-mail
SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE
Me again! I know she meant well, so I wasn't angry or anything. Of course I had that file on my computer. I am supposed to. It is part of the Window OS. It has something to do with Java. The whole thing is a hoax. I remember this one going around before. Anyway, I put in the file name on Google and found a page on Symantec talking about the hoax. I immediately did a "reply all" and sent the link to the page explaining it's a hoax and telling everyone to please not delete the file. My sister, who was also on the list, did the same thing. Neither of us realized the other had done it, until we checked our e-mail. No response yet from the original sender, nor the other's on the list. I hope no one fell for it. I hope we taught them, in the future, to use the search engines for things like this. I recently got someone who has been sending me quite a lot of useless e-mails to finally look things up on Snopes, before she hits that forward key.