Claim: Communication with a stranger will provide bad people with access they will use to harm you.
Examples:
[Collected via e-mail, March 2010]
FROM NEWS FEED: DO NOT ADD HER!!! IF SOMEBODY CALLED "SMARTGRRL15", ADDS YOU, DON'T ACCEPT IT...IT IS A VIRUS. TELL EVERYBODY, BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY ON UR LIST ADDS THEM, U GET THE VIRUS TOO. COPY AND PASTE AND PLEASE REPOST
[Collected via e-mail, January 2010]
ATTENTION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do not join the group that runs currently on facebook with the title "becoming a father or mother was the greatest gift of my life" This is a group created by pedophiles whose aim is to access your photos!!!!!!!...!!!!! Please rotate ...this post to all Your Friends
[Collected via e-mail, December 2009]
ATTENTION:::::::DO NOT ACCEPT FRIEND REQUEST FROM CHRISTOPHER DAVIES AND JESSICA DAVIES, THEY ARE HACKERS. TELL EVERY 1 ON YOUR LIST, BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY ON YOUR LIST ADDS THEM, THEY WILL BE ON YOUR LIST TOO. HE'LL FIGURE OUT YOUR COMPUTER'S ID AND ADDRESS, SO COPY & PASTE THIS MESSAGE...... EVEN IF YOU DON'T CARE.. PLEASE
[Collected via e-mail, April 2009]
***ATTENTION!!!*** Do not accept a friend request from a CHRISTOPHER BUTTERFIELD he is a hacker. Tell everyone on your list because if somebody on your list adds him u get him on your list too and he'll figure out your computer's ID and address, so copy and paste this message to everyone even if u don't care for them cause if he hacks their email he hacks your mail too! FORWARD ONTO all!!!
[Collected via e-mail, March 2008]
IF A PERSON CALLED SIMON ASHTON (SIMON25@HOTMAIL.CO.UK) CONTACTS YOU THROUGH EMAIL DON'T OPEN THE MESSAGE. DELETE IT BECAUSE HE IS A HACKER!!
TELL EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY ON YOUR LIST ADDS HIM THEN YOU WILL GET HIM ON YOUR LIST. HE WILL FIGURE OUT YOUR ID COMPUTER ADDRESS, SO COPY AND PASTE THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE EVEN IF YOU DONT CARE FOR THEM AND FAST BECAUSE IF HE HACKS THEIR EMAIL HE HACKS YOUR MAIL TOO!!!!!...
Origins: The examples cited above are but more variants of a long-running hoax, one which warns readers not to allow contact from a particular person or group because dire consequences will result. The basic form of these hoax warnings is typically drawn from the following template:
Do not {read/open/respond to/join} an {e-mail | instant message | invitation | Facebook group} sent by {real name | e-mail address | IM screen name}! If you do, {you | your computer | everyone on your contact list | your children} will be in danger of falling victim to a {serial killer | computer virus | hacker | predator}.
Variants of these messages are circulated endlessly, with different names swapped in and out as various pranksters decide to play jokes on people they know by inserting their acquaintances' names and addresses into the warning in place of the existing information.
(Of course, it's not outside the realm of possibility that an e-mail message might carry a virus payload which could infect your computer and allow it be controlled by a botnet, but virus warnings that correspond to the pattern detailed above can be safely dismissed as japes.)
In March 2009, the "Simon Ashton" variant of this prank was combined with text referencing the hoax version of the Mail Server Report virus warning:
Anyone-using Internet mail such as Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL and so on. This information arrived this morning, Direct from both Microsoft and Norton. Please send it to everybody you know who has access to the Internet. You may receive an apparently harmless e-mail titled 'Mail Server Report'
If you open either file, a message will appear on your screen saying: 'It is too late now, your life is no longer beautiful.'
Subsequently you will LOSE EVERYTHING IN YOUR PC, And the person who sent it to you will gain access to your name, e-mail and password.
This is a new virus which started to circulate on Saturday afternoon. AOL has already confirmed the severity, and the anti virus software's are not capable of destroying it.
The virus has been created by a hacker who calls himself 'life owner'.
PLEASE SEND A COPY OF THIS E-MAIL TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS, And ask them to PASS IT ON IMMEDIATELY!
Last updated: 11 March 2010
The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/computer/internet/hackermail.asp
