Beware virus hoaxes

Considering the speed with which messages can be copied and sent via e-mail on the Internet, pranksters love to spread phony warnings just to upset as many people as they can. Virus hoaxes such as the Good Times virus tell people that if they open their e-mail, their hard drives will be erased or some such catastrophe will occur.

Another popular hoax is to send an e-mail message to Windows users telling them that a particular file has been downloaded into their computers along with instructions explaining how to delete it. Such files are actually valid Windows components, such as SULFNBK.EXE and JDBGMGR.EXE, which may be required and must be reinstalled.