"Join the Crew" Hoax - U-M Virus Busters

The Join the Crew "Virus" Is A Hoax

by Bruce P. Burrell (bpb@umich.edu
for the U-M Virus Busters (virus.busters@umich.edu)

Last significant update: 10 July 1997

This information can be freely reproduced in any medium, as long as the information is unmodified.

Yet another simple-minded hoax. It originally appeared in a message posted by Ayeka@ix.netcom.com to some UseNet newsgroups (rec.arts.anime.models, at least) on February 18th, 1997, and then rather cryptically retracted the next day: "I'm sorry that I posted this message for you guys." I don't know whether Ayeka still has an account at Netcom, but you may try complaining directly, or contact the Netcom Abuse staff.

Thanks to Airyn Darling for first bringing this scam to our attention way back on 18 April, 1997.

Here is the original, according to DejaNews:

Subject:      New Virus!
From:         "Ayeka" 
Date:         1997/02/18
Message-Id:   <01bc1d45$e7cc3500$4eb05ccf@default>
Organization: Netcom
X-NETCOM-Date: Mon Feb 17  8:50:38 PM CST 1997
Newsgroups:   rec.arts.anime.models

  Hey, just to let you guys know one of my friends recieved an email called
  "Join the Crew," and it erased her entire hard drive.  This is that new
  virus that is going around.  Just be careful of what mail you read.  Just
  trying to be helpful...

Note that one cannot get a virus merely by reading the text of an email message. It is, of course, possible to get an attachment that contains a nasty program or a document infected with a Word Macro virus, but the simple expedient of not allowing your email program to launch attachments automatically (the default on almost all email programs) provides sufficient protection.

-BPB

Last updated: Wednesday, 02-Jan-2002 18:27:46 EST.
University of Michigan Virus Busters - virus.busters@umich.edu

visits to this page since 10 July, 1997 16:15:49 EDT