Many people receive and will send to their friends a "virus alert" message in good intention, but unfortunately they were being used by the original sender to create what is called "spam email".

Spam email is where one person wants to start something whether it be done as a joke, or whether it be with bad intentions to cause trouble.

If you get an email and everything is typed with "CAPITAL LETTERS"(usually on the internet any email typed with capital letters means someone is shouting it, or trying to give an emergancy notice), or the email has this line: "YOU HAVE TO PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW", then you can be safe in knowing that email is usually a hoax.

Visit this informative website, as we want you to know the facts:

http://vmyths.com/

Here's an example of a hoax virus alert:

VIRUS WARNING !!!!!!!

"If you receive an email titled "XYZ" (the name can be anything) DO NOT open it. It will erase everything on your hard drive."

"FORWARD THIS LETTER to as many people as you can. This is a new, very malicious virus and not many people know about it."

"This information was announced yesterday morning from IBM; please share it with everyone that might access the Internet. Once again, pass this along to EVERYONE in your address book so that this may be stopped."

It goes on with more useless drivel...and tries to sound serious by adding some authentication to it by namedropping such as AOL, IBM, Microsoft, Department of (something), and so on.

"Also, do not open or even look at any mail that says "RETURNED OR UNABLE TO DELIVER." This virus will attach itself to your computer components and render them useless. Immediately delete any mail items that say this."

"AOL has said that this is a very dangerous virus and that there is NO remedy for it at this time. Please practice cautionary measures and forward this to all your online friends ASAP."

Anytime you see those words in an email, you can pretty well safely say that the message is a hoax.

By receiving the email you are not in any danger. It's only when one clicks on the attachment that might have came with it when your computer might be in danger. Every attachment should always be scanned before executing (clicking on it).

Delete any spam e-mail you get right away, and if it has any attachments delete those also. DO NOT open it, or forward it to anyone - you will only be spreading the hoax.

Remember the best protection is an updated virus checker and never open an attached document (even from a friend) before you do a virus scan the document first.

Many myths have surfaced about the threat of computer "viruses." There are myths about how widespread they are, how dangerous they are, and even myths about what a computer virus really is.

The first thing you need to know is that a computer virus falls in the realm of malicious programming techniques known as "Trojan horses." All viruses are Trojan horses, but relatively few Trojan horses can be called a virus.

Viruses, like all Trojan horses, purposely make a program do things you don't expect it to do. Some viruses will just annoy you, perhaps only displaying a "Peace on earth" greeting, or a cute fireworks like the Happy99 virus.

So to sum this up:

• Update your virus checker - weekly
• Never open an attachment to your email without first scanning it
• Never forward email that says you "MUST TELL EVERYONE"
• Never respond to junk mail, delete it
• Delete the attachment in your email directory.

Just because you deleted the email itself, does not mean you deleted the attachment, go to your email directory and find the attachment (usually under "attachments") and manually delete it there also.

Hope this helps you to lighten up, get a virus checker, and do backups.