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Ridiculous Hoax Messages including those supposedly about Pavlo88, Bum_tnoo, Simon Ashton, etc.
What to do about a message received from a friend, like this...
| Message I have received from a
friend :- EMERGENCY!!! If pavlo_88@hotmail.com adds you to your MSN Contacts, DO NOT (I repeat: DO NOT) add it because it's a virus that takes all ur computer details. PLEASE tell everybody on your contacts because if somebody on your list accepts it then you get the virus too!(copy and paste this into a new message because some people do not read forwards!) Don't just forward it |
Yes, it's probably been sent to you by someone who is your friend, and they have sent it in good faith believing it to be true. But that doesn't mean it is true. It just means your well-meaning friend has been fooled by the HOAX!
You probably had no intention of adding pavlo_88 at hotmail to your MSN contacts, assuming you had a set of MSN contacts. But you might feel tempted to forward the message on so as to warn other people about the dreaded virus.
Well don't! It's not a virus, at least not a computer virus, but a hoax. If you're worried about viruses, have a look at the antivirus software and the ways of avoiding a virus mentioned here. But don't worry about the message from a friend warning you about an "emergency" regarding Pavlo88 and MSN Contacts.
How this works is simple: Some people are fooled by the message; it's an easy mistake to make. Then they forward the message to their friends. Most of their friends aren't caught out by it, but a few will fall for it and forward the message. It's an implicit chain letter! Chain letters and other hoaxes which persist by getting the recipient to "forward this message to everyone in your address book" etc, are psychological viruses in one way of thinking about it.
So, to sum it up: Don't add pavlo_88@hotmail.com to your MSN Contacts, and Don't forward the message on!
In the general case, where you receive a message which is questionable, do a few Google* searches and check to see if anyone has been so kind as to put a page up like this. (*other search engines are available). As it says at the page of antivirus measures: Be aware that there are such things as the "sulfnbk virus" which is NOT a computer virus but is a hoax which spreads like a virus because of people being urged to forward the virus warning message. (The warning about "jdbgmgr.exe" is a similar hoax). Any message with "tell everyone in your address book" should be considered carefully. see chain letters
The good news is that at last you have found Zyra's website. Now you've found it, you can bookmark it for future reference as there are a great many helpful pages like this! See full alphabetical list. More fun for many a good tea-break!
Ooh look, here's another similar daft message:
| Subject: Beware of MSN Contact Hi I have just had this email from a friend of mine and thought I would share it with everyone as a warning:- If a chap called bum_tnoo7@hotmail.com adds u don't accept it because its a hacker!! Tell everyone on your list because if somebody on your list adds them u get them on your list he'll figure out Your ID computer address, so copy and paste this message to everyone even if u don't care for them. Do this quickly because if he hacks their email he hacks your your email info! Cheers |
I have news for you. Hacking doesn't work like that. Besides, if your computer is so full of holes that a rat can get in, it might be a good idea to bung up the holes. See antivirus software and anti-spyware. Also, see how to avoid getting a virus. To see some more realistic hacking attempts, see those joke messages pretending to be from your bank
The message is a Chain Letter. Don't forward it.
If you see a similar message coming in, do a world search for the email address involved.
These nuisance chain-letters are spread about by people panicking and believing the nonsense, and then forwarding the Chain Letter. You don't have to be so silly. You can do searches for these things and see they are hoaxes. Or, ask someone who you trust to know about stuff that goes on on the Internet. Look, I've written a page Internet Introduction to help.
Here's another chain letter, this time claiming to be about Simon Ashton, who, it is alleged, is "a hacker".
| Please read and PASS THIS ON! IF A PERSON CALLED SIMON ASHTON (SIMON25@HOTMAIL.CO.UK) CONTACTS YOU THROUGH EMAIL DON'T OPEN THE MESSAGE. DELETE IT BECAUSE HE IS A HACKER!! TELL EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY ON YOUR LIST ADDS HIM THEN YOU WILL GET HIM ON YOUR LIST. HE WILL FIGURE OUT YOUR ID COMPUTER ADDRESS, SO COPY AND PASTE THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE EVEN IF YOU DON'T CARE FOR THEM AND FAST BECAUSE IF HE HACKS THEIR EMAIL HE HACKS YOUR MAIL TOO!!!!!..... ALSO Anyone-using Internet mail such as Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL and so on.. This information arrived this morning, Direct from both Microsoft and Norton. Please send it to everybody you know who has access to the Internet. You may receive an apparently harmless e-mail titled 'Mail Server Report' If you open either file, a message will appear on your screen saying: 'It is too late now, your life is no longer beautiful.' Subsequently
you will LOSE EVERYTHING IN YOUR PC, This is a new virus which started to circulate on Saturday afternoon.. AOL has already confirmed the severity, and the anti virus software's are not capable of destroying it . The virus has been created by a hacker who calls himself 'life owner'.. PLEASE SEND A COPY OF THIS E-MAIL TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS, And ask them to PASS IT ON IMMEDIATELY! |
Now whether there is someone called Simon Ashton who once had that e-mail address, the fact is that hackers do not get into your computer by you including their contact in your contact list. That's not the way it works.
Incidentally, some of the other things in the message are false, for example about AOL, and about viruses that antivirus software can't do anything about. Much of this is nonsense. However, what's crucial to know is that it's a Chain Letter, and what the jokers who send these things want you to do is to forward them on.
Also, even if you are so silly as to forward such a thing, you should learn about BCC so you don't give away all the e-mail addresses of your friends.
Also see a few basic helpful guidelines at Internet Intro
Have some sense! Be sensible about personal privacy. Avoid Facebook
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