Newsgroups: Various
Posted to several Newsgroups

Subject: Fw: Virus alert!!! (fwd)
Forwarded from somewhere else

PLEASE POST!!! THIS VIRUS MEANS BUSINESS !!!!!!!!!!
Multiple exclamation marks.

There is a computer virus that is being sent across the Internet. If you receive an email message with the subject line "GOOD TIMES", DO NOT read the message, DELETE it immediately.
Claims it is sent by email.

PLEASE READ THE MESSAGE BELOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lots of exclamation marks and capitals.

Some miscreant is sending email under the title "Good Times" nationwide, if you get anything like this, DON'T DOWN LOAD THE FILE! It has a virus that rewrites your hard drive, obliterating anything it. Please be careful and forward this mail to anyone you care about.
A request to spread it further. Also, download is spelled wrong.

The FCC released a warning last Wednesday concerning a matter of major importance to any regular user of the Internet.
Reference to an organization which has nothing to do with viruses. Also, it doesn't give a firm date, just last Wednesday, which means the hoax will never expire.

Apparently a new computer virus has been engineered by a user of AMERICA ONLINE that is unparalleled in its destructive capability. Other more well-known viruses such as "Stoned", "Airwolf" and "Michaelangelo" pale in comparison to the prospects of this newest creation by a warped mentality. What makes this virus so terrifying, said the FCC, is the fact that no program needs to be exchanged for a new computer to be infected. It can be spread through the existing email systems of the Internet.
Claims it's spread through existing email systems.

Once a Computer is infected, one of several things can happen. If the computer contains a hard drive, that will most likely be destroyed. If the program is not stopped, the computer's processor will be placed in an nth-complexity infinite binary loop which can severely damage the processor if left running that way too long.
There is no such thing as an nth-complexity infinite binary loop.

Unfortunately, most novice computer users will not realize what is happening until it is far too late. Luckily, there is one sure means of detecting what is now known as the "Good Times" virus. It always travels to new computers the same way in a text email message with the subject line reading "Good Times". Avoiding infection is easy once the file has been received simply by NOT READING IT! The act of loading the file into the mail server's ASCII buffer causes the "Good Times" mainline program to initialize and execute.
A file in an ASCII buffer can never execute. It's just plain text. Also it contradicts itself. Above it says that no program needs to be exchanged. Here it says that reading it causes the program to execute.

The program is highly intelligent - it will send copies of itself to everyone whose email address is contained in a receive-mail file or a sent-mail file, if it can find one. It will then proceed to trash the computer it is running on. The bottom line is: - if you receive a file with the subject line "Good Times", delete it immediately! Do not read it. Rest assured that whoever's name was on the "From" line was surely struck by the virus. Warn your friends and local system users of this newest threat to the Internet!
A request to spread the hoax further.

It could save them a lot of time and money. Could you pass this along to your global mailing list as well?
It tries to take advantage of people's good intentions.

********IMPORTANT******* PLEASE SEND TO PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT OR JUST PEOPLE ONLINE
Yet another request to spread it further.

Summary

  1. Posted to newsgroup(s) that have nothing to do with viruses. YES
  2. Multiple exclamation marks. YES
  3. Forwarded from somewhere else. YES
  4. A request to spread the warning further. YES
  5. Reference to the FCC or other place that has nothing to do with viruses. YES
  6. Claims you get it from reading email. YES
  7. Claims that it is undetectable or that there is no cure. YES
  8. Overly technical details that don't make sense. YES
  9. Spelling and grammar mistakes. YES
  10. Being self-contradictory. YES
This hoax displayed 10 out of the 10 warning signs. Definitely a hoax.

Hoax Page
Virus Page