The Returned or Unable To Deliver "Virus" Email Warning Is A Hoax

Last significant update: 28 August 1997

This information can be freely reproduced in any medium, as long as the information is unmodified.

Thanks to Bruce Ferguson for first bringing this to our attention on 22 July, 1997.

More silliness:

    There is a new virus going arround in the last couple of days!!! DO 
    NOT open or even look at any mail that you get thar 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 says this. AOL has said this is a very danderous virus, 
    and there is NO remedy for it at this time, Please Be Careful, And 
    forward to all your on-line friends A.S.A.P. 

Naturally, you should:

• Ignore the content of this message
• Not delete any email with this subject (at least not because it might contain a virus; feel free to delete any of your email that you WANT to delete, of course!)
• Definitely not forward it to all and sundry
• All of the above

Instead, you should reply to the sender -- and as far back up the email chain as you have energy -- informing the originators that this is a hoax. I suggest that you provide a pointer to this URL (http://www.umich.edu/~virus-busters/hoaxes/unable.html) or to another reputable site, like DataFellows (leaving our site).

   -BPB

visits to this page since 28 August, 1997 13:35 EDT