🚀 go-pugleaf

Hi,
Just to nip this one in the bud, if possible.  The "penpal" virus does not
exist.  This is one of the oldest hoax messages flitting around the Internet,
and perhaps one of the most annoying..  You cannot get a virus from an email
message.  The only viruses that you can get via email are those included in
attached executable files and Word attachments.  The best antidote is a very
good anti-virus software package from companies such as Norton.

Don Richardson
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Cheryl Bishop wrote:

> >     WARNING!!!!!! If you receive an e-mail titled "JOIN THE  CREW" DO NOT
> >open it! It will erase EVERYTHING on your hard drive! Send this letter out
> >to
> >as many people you can.......this is a new virus and not many people know
> >about it! This information was received this morning from IBM, please
> share
> >it with anyone that might access the Internet.
> >     Also, if anyone receives mail entitled "PENPAL GREETINGS!" please
> >delete
> >it WITHOUT reading it!!  This is a warning for all Internet users - there
> >is
> >a dangerous virus propagating across the Internet through an e-mail
> message
> >entitled "PENPAL GREETINGS!".
> >     DO NOT DOWNLOAD ANY MESSAGE ENTITLED "PENPAL GREETINGS"!! This
> message
> >appears to be a friendly letter asking you if you are interested in a
> >penpal,
> >but by the time you read this letter, it is too late. The "trojan horse"
> >virus will have already infected the boot sector of your hard drive,
> >destroying all of the data present.  It is a self-replicating virus, and
> >once
> >the message is read, it will AUTOMATICALLY forward itself to anyone who's
> >e-mail address is present in YOUR mailbox! This virus will DESTROY your
> >hard
> >drive, and holds the potential to DESTROY the hard drive of anyone whose
> >mail
> >is in your in box, and who's mail is in  their in box and so on.  If this
> >virus keeps getting passed, it has the potential to do a  great deal of
> >DAMAGE to computer networks worldwide!! Please, delete the message
> entitled
> >"PENPAL GREETINGS!" as soon as you see it!  And pass this  message along
> to
> >all of your friends, relatives and the other readers of the newsgroups and
> >mailing lists which you are on so that they are not hurt by this dangerous
> >virus!!!!
> >     Please pass this along to everyone you know so this can be stopped.
> >PASS
> >THIS ON TO YOUR FRIENDS!!! WARNING !!!  There is a new virus going arround
> >in
> >the last couple of days!!! DO NOT open or even look at any mail that you
> >get
> >that says: "Returned or Unable to Deliver" This virus will attach itself
> to
> >your computer components and render them useless. Immediately delete any
> >mail
> >items that says this. AOL has said this is a very danderous virus, and
> >there
> >is NO remedy for it
> >at this time, please be careful, and forward to all your on-line friends
> >A.S.A.P.
> >
> >                      Forward this A.S.A.P. to every single person you
> >know!!
> >***** NOTES from Jessica Vallette (VALLETTE @ CITIZEN) at 9/15/97 9:44 AM
> >
> >
> >Message Forwarded to:  mail@smtp {stelej@aol.com}
> ===== Comments by JSTELE@CITIZEN (Jason Stele) at 9/15/97 2:03 pm
> ***** NOTES from MDOLAN (MDOLAN @ CITIZEN) at 9/15/97 2:09 PM