The Lump Of Coal "Virus" Email Warning Is A Hoax

Last significant update: 14 October 1999

This information can be freely reproduced in any medium, as long as the information is unmodified. Thanks to Gayln Sweet for being the first to provide us with a sample of this hoax, on 1 September 1999.

More standard foolishness by a hoaxster...

> Subject:      WARNING!
>
> Warning on December 25, 1999 you may receive an email called, Lump of
> Coal...do not open it, it contains a deadly virus...

• There is no virus that has this name, or that sends email with this subject.
• Even if there were such a beast, it wouldn't be a problem to open it; reading text-based email cannot spread a virus.
• Opening attachments is an entirely different matter, of course:

  NEVER OPEN UNSOLICITED ATTACHMENTS, EVEN WHEN APPARENTLY FROM YOUR BEST FRIEND!

> it will erase your windows along with many other program files.  

Now the dead giveaway that it is a hoax....

> Pass this on as soon as you can to get the WORD out!!!This is not a hoax....

> this was reported on the CBS morning news August 20,1999.

Interesting that nobody has picked up on the story, isn't it? Interesting that it's not on their web site, isn't it?

Hmmmmmmmmm.

I hereby dub thee a hoax, with all the perjoratives, disdain, and disgrace thereunto appertaining.

Please do not forward this -- or any other hoax -- to all your friends.

Instead, you should reply to the sender -- and as far back up the email chain as you have energy -- informing the originators that this is a hoax. For this particular hoax, I suggest that you provide a pointer to this URL (http://www.umich.edu/~virus-busters/hoaxes/lump.html)
For virus or hoax info, please see our main page (http://www.umich.edu/~virus-busters/) or go to another reputable site, like DataFellows (leaving our site).

   -BPB

visits to this page since 14 October, 1999 01:18 EDT