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The
"Invitation" or "Olympic Torch" Virus-Fiction!
Summary of the eRumor: The forwarded email warns of a
new virus that comes in an email with an attachment called
"Invitation." It allegedly contains a virus that
"opens an Olympic Torch" and destroys your hard drive.
The Truth: This virus warning, which
began circulating at the opening of the 2006 Winter Olympics in
February, is a hoax. There is no such virus.
One of the clues that the eRumor is a hoax is that it borrows language
from another classic virus hoax. The reference to CNN, the
description that Microsoft has classified it as "the most
destructive virus ever," the contention that it was discovered
"yesterday" by McaFee, and the reference to the "Zero
Sector" of the hard disc are all wording borrowed from a classic
Internet virus hoax about "A Card
for You."
A real example of the eRumor as it has
appeared on the Internet:
PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND
CONTACTS:
You should be alert during the next days:
Do not open any message with an attached filed called
"Invitation" regardless of who sent it.
It is a virus that opens an Olympic Torch which "burns" the
whole hard disc C of 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 "invitation", though sent by a
friend, do not open it and shut down your computer immediately.
This is the worst virus announced by CNN, 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.
SEND THIS E-MAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW, COPY THIS E-MAIL AND SEND IT TO
YOUR FRIENDS AND REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL
OF US.
