Fighting malware and spam

Phantom Menace

The following is the text usually shown in the Phantom Menace hoax email. There may be other variations on a similar theme, as well as other language versions.

Hoax text

Please look out for a mail message you may receive with the subject
"Phantom Menace" to do with the name of the film, Episode One.

Please do not open as it is one of the most powerful viruses known to
date. it is only around 3 days old and is on the internet. Microsoft
estimate that it will cause some 100 million USD of damage before an
anti-virus is developed.

It will destroy all Microsoft programmes and memory and enters through
mail on the Internet. The file name is att1.unk.

Please forward this message to all your contacts.
	

VB reminds users: if you receive a virus warning message, do not forward the message to all your friends/colleagues, as it may suggest in the text. If you have verified that the message is a hoax, simply delete it. If you are unsure, forward the message to your IT administrator. Failing that, forward it to hoax@virusbtn.com. It is possible that you may receive a hoax email with a file attachment. Since it is possible that these attachments could be infected VB advises such files to be be treated with the same caution as any other unexpected message attachment and urges users not to open them.

Poll

Malware Prevalence

Agent
Mytob
Invoice
NetSky
Suspect packers