Don't Get Tricked By Email Virus Hoaxes

Tips To Avoid Tricks by Viruses and Hoaxes

• Don't be complacent, use a rational line of thinking as to why would anyone who you don't know warn you of a catastrophe or offer you flowers on Valentine's Day?
• Don't go by who sent you the mail. This is the worst thing that is being targeted by pranksters to vulnerable and unsuspecting persons. Realize that ignoring a hoax mail from your sister doesn't constitute to ignoring her.
• Is it urging you to forward the chain to all you know? Now immediately you know what to do. No. Don't jump to forwarding the mail to all and sundry in your contact list. Just delete the mail and you have done it the right treatment it deserved.
• Does the mail contain links to outside websites? Most of the times these links are that of malicious web pages and so do not open them.
• Certain links such as text links and banner links download adwares and spywares unsuspectingly, just upon clicking on them. Still others take you to webpages containing more links which cause adwares to download. Some examples are banners that push free screen savers, smileys and cursors.

Some Popular Hoaxes

• $800 from Microsoft - This explains why Microsoft would give away $800 to those who continue to spread that mail.
• Missing child hoax tries to establish credibility by associating itself with McAfee in its message which reads like a heart felt request by the mother of a lost child. It asks to ignore the mail as it is a proven 'milk carton bug' virus which destroys hard disks.

Related Articles