Debunking email hoaxes and exposing Internet scams since 2003!
Merry Christmas Virus Hoax
Summary:
Email claims that a message with an attachment named "Merry Christmas" contains a destructive virus that will "burn" the hard drive on the infected computer thereby destroying the Zero Sector (Full commentary below).
Status:
False
Example
Submitted, November 2007)
Subject: FW: Virus alert
PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING:
You should be alert during the next days:
Do not open any message with an attached file called "Merry Christmas" regardless of who sent it, It is a virus that opens as an Open Log Fire and will burn the whole hard disc in your computer.
This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list, that is why you should send this e-mail to all your contacts. It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.
If you receive a mail called "Merry Christmas", though sent by a friend, do not open it and shut down your computer immediately. This is the worst virus announced, it has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever.
This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept
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This is just an example of what we get in our emails. To the gullable, "like myself this time" it can be very worrysome and embarrasing.
It really makes one think before opening emails, even from ones closest friends.
