Bogus Emails

[WaldoMcFroog]

Prompted by Nicola Jane's q below, is it acceptable to kill people who pass on bogus virus warnings? I've lost count of the number of times I've sent back emails explaining that if it doesn't contain a valid link to a known anti-virus site (and especially if it claims the AV sites are unaware of it), then IT'S NOT REAL, IS IT? OKAY, YOU MORON? WHY DO I HAVE TO SPEND SO MUCH TIME FENDING OFF FAKE EMAILS FROM HALFWITS???? *ahem*...

Is it just me who gets enraged?

[bobbobley]

alas, i think we're still waiting for this law to be passed.

and, no, you are not the only person to get angry with these virus emails, but the ones that get my goat are those that promise you "your life will end in about 3 hours time if you don't forward an email on to about 6000 people asking them to make a wish to help a blind, syphalitic child prostitute in azerbaijan raise enough money for a life-saving operation, and the only way he can do this is generating loads of email activity, because that nice man Bill Gates has promised to put his hand in his pocket and pay $15 each time the email is opened by a unique user, and yes he can track them cos he is the computer king so don't go asking how can this be possible, just do it...."

[bobbobley]

you know the ones I mean!

[gmc2002]

You can have too much caffeine you know.

[froggequene]

I sympathise but if you kill them, who will get the next round in?

[wildwood]

Most of the bogus virus warnings are passed on by people with genuine intentions and are unaware that they are perpetuating a chain letter.
My proxy server has detected a couple of those virus warnings this year which actually had a bugbear virus attached. It had a 'to learn more about the virus click on the attachment' message.