McAfee > Theat Center > Virus Detail Page

Overview

Characteristics

AVERT received a copy of the email hoax which may be circulating. It is not a virus and should be ignored. Below is a copy of this hoax; at time of this posting, the URL mentioned does not exist:

----------copy of email hoax-------------

http://www.ncgasrebate.org/News.htm

The "Great Gas-Out" e-mail virus.

It has come to the attention of NC Gas Rebate, Inc. that an e-mail has been circulating recently on the Internet. The so-called "Great Gas-Out" e-mail requesting North Carolinians and U.S. citizens nationwide to refrain from purchasing gasoline April 7 - 9. 2000.

If you have received a copy of this particular e-mail, you should not open it. Further, anyone who receives this e-mail is strongly advised to delete it immediately. The Center for the Study of Internet Viruses, (CSIV), discovered a computer virus contained in the e-mail.

The virus is designed to attach itself to any deleted items from your computer in the last 120 days. Sometime between the designated dates of April 7 - 9, 2000, the virus will forward all previously deleted items, including pictures, games, e-mail and any documents to your ISP provider with all of your personal information attached. Any previously deleted confidential documents; e-mail or pictures will be made available. In order to clear their system, your ISP will have to individually open each item before deleting it from their server.

There is no current fix for the virus. The only sure way to avoid the impact from the virus is to unplug and disconnect your computer from the Internet between the target days of April 7 - 9, 2000. Simply unplugging your computer or disconnecting from the Internet will only delay the virus until the next time you reboot your computer.

----------end copy of email hoax---------

Symptoms

Not applicable.

Method of Infection

Not applicable.

Removal

Users should either ignore or delete messages received matching this description.

Variants

Variants

N/A

All Information

Overview -

Characteristics

Characteristics -

AVERT received a copy of the email hoax which may be circulating. It is not a virus and should be ignored. Below is a copy of this hoax; at time of this posting, the URL mentioned does not exist:

----------copy of email hoax-------------

http://www.ncgasrebate.org/News.htm

The "Great Gas-Out" e-mail virus.

It has come to the attention of NC Gas Rebate, Inc. that an e-mail has been circulating recently on the Internet. The so-called "Great Gas-Out" e-mail requesting North Carolinians and U.S. citizens nationwide to refrain from purchasing gasoline April 7 - 9. 2000.

If you have received a copy of this particular e-mail, you should not open it. Further, anyone who receives this e-mail is strongly advised to delete it immediately. The Center for the Study of Internet Viruses, (CSIV), discovered a computer virus contained in the e-mail.

The virus is designed to attach itself to any deleted items from your computer in the last 120 days. Sometime between the designated dates of April 7 - 9, 2000, the virus will forward all previously deleted items, including pictures, games, e-mail and any documents to your ISP provider with all of your personal information attached. Any previously deleted confidential documents; e-mail or pictures will be made available. In order to clear their system, your ISP will have to individually open each item before deleting it from their server.

There is no current fix for the virus. The only sure way to avoid the impact from the virus is to unplug and disconnect your computer from the Internet between the target days of April 7 - 9, 2000. Simply unplugging your computer or disconnecting from the Internet will only delay the virus until the next time you reboot your computer.

----------end copy of email hoax---------

Symptoms

Symptoms -

Not applicable.

Method of Infection

Method of Infection -

Not applicable.

Removal -

Removal -

Users should either ignore or delete messages received matching this description.

Variants

Variants -

N/A