(4/9/2001) They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. The Family Pictures virus hoax borrows its text from last year's Pretty Park warning, with one important difference.
SAMPLE CHAIN LETTER TEXT
Subject: New Virus
DO NOT OPEN "NEW PICTURES OF FAMILY" It is a virus that will erase your whole "C" drive. It will come to you in the form of an E-Mail from a familiar person.
I repeat a friend sent it to me, but called & warned me before I opened it. He was not so lucky and now he cant even start his computer!
Forward this to everyone in your address book.
I would rather receive this 25 times than not at all. Also: Intel announced that a new and very destructive virus was discovered recently.
If you receive an email called "FAMILY PICTURES," do not open it. Delete it right away! This virus removes all dynamic link libraries (.all files) from your computer. Your computer will not be able to boot up.
END CHAIN LETTER TEXT
Compare it to the following from last year:
SAMPLE CHAIN LETTER TEXT
Warning
DO NOT OPEN "PRETTY PARK". It is a virus that will erase your whole "C" drive. It will come to you in the form of an e-mail from a familiar person.
I repeat DO NOT OPEN. DELETE RIGHT AWAY. I don't know how it gets into your address book, but a "friend" sent it to me. Luckily for me I had not opened it yet. She was not as lucky and now she can't even start her computer!
Forward this to everyone in your address book.
I would rather receive this warning 25 times then not receive it once!
END CHAIN LETTER TEXT
Despite the similarities, there is one important difference: While Pretty Park was a real virus (more correctly, it was a worm, and the warning message above is full of misinformation and lies), Family Pictures has no truth to it whatsoever. Don't believe me? Check it out with the anti-virus experts at Symantec. Break this Chain!
(4/9/2001) They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. The Family Pictures virus hoax borrows its text from last year's Pretty Park warning, with one important difference.