All:

As is probably obvious, I work for IBM. I was going to contact Joyce Bober via email to validate this virus warning, BUT...

There is no Joyce Bober working for IBM in the USA. (There are three males named Bober, two in NY state and one a contractor at an unknown (to me) location.

The phone number is not listed in the employee directory.

So, I called the phone number and it is valid, and is for someone who answers "Mailing Systems". I asked for Joyce and got handed off to a nice guy who was fielding all the calls about the virus. They know no Joyce Bober, and nothing about the virus. Their phone is ringing off the hook.

I don't know if the virus exists or not, but the listed source surely does not. Does an absence of a Joyce mean an absence of a virus?

I can find no virus alert released by IBM with regard to this 'warning'. I've searched all the usual places. Normally something dangerous like this will come with lots of noise and lights, and maybe even a temporary disconnection from the Internet. Nothing...

I think this is another fraud.

Dave


At 22:37 +0000 11/9/00, Adam Bloom wrote:
>>From: Klyra Drowelf <drowelf1 at juno.com>
>>Reply-To: HarryPotterGroup at egroups.com
>>To: agazi at juno.com, jud12car at aol.com, bccbarons2001 at hotmail.com, josephpillsbury at earthlink.net, caitcarlson28 at hotmail.com, cherannc at home.com, GCL at Sorco.no, SkyBattle at aol.com, taxedout at juno.com, fitlady at juno.com, debrox3 at hotmail.com, myrto_dimitriou at hotmail.com, sdonofrio at attmail.com, aceitner at hotmail.com, hermione_hpfc at juno.com, fencer at fencer.com, CMFREMAUX at aol.com, Sabriel123 at aol.com, asktqa at btclick.com, emmetra at freeze.com, jayoungr at prairienet.org, ma_rukh at yahoo.com, druid at dog.com, alanajoli at quidditch.zzn.com, daigo76 at hotmail.com, tabbottsrc at yahoo.com, HarryPotterGroup at egroups.com, bassoono at yahoo.com, HP_Know_It_All at yahoo.com, connect at longacre.com, dmayer2 at ic3.ithaca.edu, blue_crystal36 at hotmail.com, usavelvet at aol.com, webmaster at hpfactsandfun.com, DaisyJSD at aol.com, CallyB7 at aol.com, JADA56B at aol.com, Zarra69 at aol.com, WhozDatKid at aol.com, FairyManda at aol.com, becbec at ukgateway.net, susan_putney at yahoo.com, white_lightning_fire at hotmail.com, Padfoot76 at aol.com, skpinfp at uswest.net, PIKA9582 at aol.com, Cheesypoofsboy at aol.com, hoctalon at hotmail.com
>>Subject: [HarryPotterGroup] Virus Warning!
>>Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2000 12:08:55 -0500
>>
>> > > > > > Subject:  Fw: New virus information
>>> > > > > >
>>> > > > > >
>>> > > > > > > > >PASS THIS ON TO ANYONE YOU HAVE AN E-MAIL
>>> > > > > ADDRESS FOR.
>>> > > > > > > > >  > >
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > If you receive an email titled "It
>>> > > > > Takes Guts to Say Jesus"
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > DO NOT OPEN IT. It will erase
>>> > > > > everything on your hard drive.
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > This information was announced
>>> > > > > yesterday morning from IBM.
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > AOL states that this is a very
>>> > > > > dangerous virus, much worse
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > than "Melissa," and that there is NO
>>> > > > > remedy for it at this
>>> > > > > > time.
>>> > > > > > > > >  > >
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > Some very sick individual has succeeded
>>> > > > > in using the
>>> > > > > reformat
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > function from Norton Utilities, causing
>>> > > > > it to completely
>>> > > > > erase
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > all documents on the hard drive. It has
>>> > > > > been designed to
>>> > > > > work
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > with Netscape Navigator and Microsoft
>>> > > > > Internet Explorer. It
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > destroys Macintosh and IBM compatible
>>> > > > > computers.
>>> > > > > > > > >  > >
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > This is a new, very malicious virus and
>>> > > > > not many people know
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > about it.
>>> > > > > > > > >  > >
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > Pass this warning along to EVERYONE in
>>> > > > > your address book
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > and please share it with all your
>>> > > > > online friends ASAP so
>>> > > > > that
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > this threat may be stopped!!
>> > > > > > > > > >  > >
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > Please practice cautionary measures and
>>> > > > > tell anyone that may
>>> > > > > > have
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > access to your computer.
>>> > > > > > > > >  > >
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > Joyce L. Bober
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > IBM Information Systems
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > Pittsburgh Mailing Systems
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > 412/922-8744
>>> > > > > > > > >  > > 412/937-1730 Fax >
>>> > > > > > > > >
>>> > > > > > > >
>>> > > > > > >
>>> > > > >
>>> > > > >
>>> > > >
>>
>> > > > >
>>
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_______________________________
David N. Smith
IBM T J Watson Research Center
Hawthorne, NY
_______________________________
Any opinions or recommendations
herein are those of the author  
and not of his employer.