The world of computer viruses is not always understood by people. Often that lack of understanding can lead to unnecessary worry. This has given rise to virus hoaxes. A virus hoax is meant to simply scare people and has no actual harm potential to anybody’s computer. It is simply a practical joke and, cleverly done, can result in thousands of people forwarding it around thinking it is legitimate. Those who have fallen for it are simply trying to warn people. Those who created it laugh the whole way.

How do you spot a virus hoax?

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1. If it comes from a friend or family member, it is usually forwarded with the hopes of warning you. If you search the internet for any of the facts in the email, you will usually find others are calling it a hoax.
2. If the email encourages you to forward the email to as many people as you can, it is usually a hoax. A real warning would refer you to a respected source for information.
3. If the email contains a bunch of technical jargon, don’t fall for it. Sometimes the hoax creators take advantage of the public’s lack of technical knowledge to fool them into thinking they know what they’re talking about. Even a janitor can appear as a doctor if they use enough Latin words! Don’t fall for it.

If you suspect that you have gotten a virus hoax email, do not forward it. If you find clear evidence that it is a hoax, reply to your friend and tell them they just got duped. It will at least keep them from emailing it to others.

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