by Bruce P. Burrell (bpb@umich.edu)
for the U-M Virus Busters (virus.busters@umich.edu)
Last significant update: 30 October 1998
This information can be freely reproduced in any medium, as long as the information is unmodified.
Here's another (yawn). There is no known file named BUDDYLST.ZIP.
Note: this particular hoax often travels in conjunction with the BUDFROGS hoax.
Thanks to Delpha van der Hoeven for first bringing this to our attention on 05 June, 1998.
A computer virus is going around!
True, but this isn't one of them.
It is called BUDDYLST.ZIP! Do not download or some jerk from the
internet will get your screen name and password!
It's good advice not to download things unless you know the source to be reputable, but this particular warning is just blowing smoke. Ignore it.
Please send this to any names you can think of and remember
never download BUDDYLST.ZIP
Typical hoax tipoffs: no verifiability (no contact points at all) and the "Please forward indiscriminately" blather.
Note also that giving a particular filename is next to useless, because it can be easily changed. Still, it is unlikely that anyone will name a file BUDDYLST.ZIP (for public distribution, anyway), so I'd advise you to avoid such a file if you ever do encounter anything so named.
Please do not forward this -- or any other hoax -- to all your friends.
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. For this particular hoax, I suggest that you provide a pointer to this URL (http://www.umich.edu/~virus-busters/hoaxes/buddylst.html)
For virus or hoax info, please see our main page (http://www.umich.edu/~virus-busters/) or go to another reputable site, like DataFellows (leaving our site).
-BPB
Last updated: Wednesday, 02-Jan-2002 17:16:16 EST.
University of Michigan Virus Busters -
visits to this page since 30 October, 1998, 08:31 EST