How to Check Virus Hoaxes
Viruses can cause harm to your computer, and if you spend a lot of time surfing the web, it's important to take them seriously. Equally important is the ability to tell real virus warnings from the hoaxes often circulated via email. Fortunately, you can use the Internet to check on which virus announcements are real, and which are fake. You can even learn to see the warning signs of a virus hoax email for yourself.
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Instructions
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Snopes
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Visit Snopes.com and check its "Virus Hoaxes and Realities" page.
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Just a glance through the list tells you which viruses are fake; if you see a red dot, it's a hoax.
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If you'd rather not spend time scrolling through the list, go to the "Search" field toward the top of the page, recognizable by white letters on green. Type in the subject of the virus warning email--or the name of the attachment (if any)--then click the yellow "Go" button.
Hoax Slayer
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Surf to the Hoax-Slayer site and go to the "Virus Hoaxes" page.
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Scan the list. If your virus appears, it is a hoax.
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Click any item to find out more information. You can also go to the "Search" field at the top right corner of the page and type in the name of the suspect virus.
Sophos
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Check out Sophos.com and use its "Hoaxes" page.
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Search for your virus in one of three ways: 1) click the first letter or character of the viruses' name; 2) select the "Virus hoax" category under "By hoax type"; 3) Click the link entitled "View the most recent and most prevalent hoaxes."
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If all else fails, use the trusty "Search" function, found at the top right corner of the page.
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Tips & Warnings
Ways to tell if your email virus warning is a hoax: Use of capital letters and multiple exclamation marks for emphasis; claims that large software companies, such as Microsoft, have verified the virus; instructions urging you to quickly send the email to everyone you know.
Even if you believe you've identified a virus warning as a hoax, check one of the websites listed in this article, or search the Internet yourself to verify that you are correct.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit virus alert image by Pontus Edenberg from Fotolia.com
