Snopes takes the guesswork out of questionable e-mail warnings
Q: How do I know if these e-mails I get warning me of new viruses are legitimate?
A: My initial response is to tell you not to worry when you receive e-mails like this. But that is only true if you are already running anti-virus software and have been keeping it up to date. If you have, you most likely already have the update to protect you against any legitimate virus mentioned in an e-mail to you.
If you are just curious about the legitimacy of the e-mail, head on over to Snopes.com. This web site is an online archive of just about every e-mail scam that has ever come across your desk. Here you can find out whether or not that virus e-mail is legitimate along with whether or not Bill Gates is really offering a free trip to Disney World for the first 500 people to forward on his e-mail.
This post was originally broadcast Friday, January 19, 2007 on “Tech Talk with Noobie”, a weekly radio show on WCBK 102.3 FM in Martinsville, Indiana. Tech Talk with Noobie airs every Friday at 11:30 a.m. If you have a question you would like Noobie to answer on the air, simply e-mail your question to .
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