Below is the text of a hoax virus and what McAfee has to say about it.

Do not fall prey!!!

Email:

Subject: Infected Address Book Very Important

We just received a message today from one of our friends in our Address Book. Their Address Book had been infected by a virus and it was passed on to our computer. Our Address Book, in turn, has been infected. The virus(called jdbgmgr.exe) in not detected by Norton or McAfee anti virus systems.

The virus sits quietly for 14 days before damaging the system. It's sent automatically by the messenger and by the Address Book, whether or not you sent e-mails to your contacts. We have checked , found it, and deleted it.

Here's how to check for the virus and how to get rid of it.
1. Go to Start, Find, or Search option
2. In the files/folder option, write the names jdbgmgr.exe
3. Be sure you search your C drive
4. Click "find now"
5. The virus has a teddy bear icon with the name jdbgmgr.exe DO NOT OPEN IT
6. Right click and delete it. It will go to the Recycle Bin
7. Go to the recycle bin and delete it there as well.

IMPORTANT
If you find the virus, you must contact all the people in your address book so they can eradicate it in their own address books. Sorry about this,we're sure everyone in our address book will have it.
*****************************

Here is the truth:
No no no -- this is a hoax!!! This email message is just a HOAX. Although,the JDBGMGR.EXE file may become infected by a number of valid viruses (most commonly W32/Magistr@MM, the details of this HOAX message are not based on actual events.

We are advising users who receive the email to delete the message and DO NOT pass it on as this is how an email HOAX propagates.

JDBGMGR.EXE is the Microsoft Debugger Registrar for Java.

See http://vil.mcafee.com/sendMail.asp?VIRUS_ID=hoax99436 for more info.

*****************************************
So, remember you heard it here first. Just another free service from The Cafe.

Cheers,

Tom

Thanks a lot for that, Tom.
I know I appreciate it.

Isn't The Cafe a great place?
Looking after your computers free of charge...

It's funny how the hoaxes are usually more effective at spreading themselves than real viruses. In a way they are real viruses, using the human host as part of their replication process.

Now I think I'll go in the kitchen and make some Neiman-Marcus chocolate-chip cookies.

Jim

Whenever I suspect a hoax or get an email that could be a hoax I look it up at:

Hoax Warnings

Could you make a Red Velvet cake for me too while you're at it?

:evilgrin:

Another good site to track down the truth in all manner of urban legend (computer virus hoax to cookies) is http://www.snopes2.com

They do an excellent job of tracking origins, variants, etc. - I think my friends and acquaintances have gotten so anoyed with me sending back, "This was a hoax" messages to their "interesting" e-mails that they've stopped sending them to me. Or maybe they've started checking themselves!